The archbishop has appointed a new team of chaplains at Mater Dei Hospital, taking over from the Capuchin Fathers who provided services for many years first at St Luke's and later at Mater Dei.

The Chaplaincy team now consists of Fr Louis Farrugia, Fr Reuben Vella and Fr Reuben Deguara. Fr René Camilleri is the coordinator.

Archbishop Scicluna thanked the Capuchin Friars for theirlong years of constant service as well as for their ongoing service at Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre.

The hospital chaplaincy is responsible for the pastoral ministry of patients and their relatives.  

Fr Mario Attard, writing in www.laikos.com in 2018, said that the Malta Capuchin fathers have been providing services to patients since 1861. In 1868 they started working at the Central Hospital in Floriana, then St Luke's Hospital, which replaced it, and on to Mater Dei when St Luke's was closed.

For more than a hundred years they served the St. Vincent de Paule residents whereas in 1934 they assisted the lepers at Saint Bartholomew hospital. In 1937 the Capuchins started giving their spiritual assistance to tuberculosis patients at the Connaught Hospital in Mdina.

Other hospitals wherein the Capuchins served the sick are the Santo Spirito Hospital in Rabat, Żammit Clapp hospital, Karin Grech, Sir Paul Boffa and presently Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre.