Archbishop Charles Scicluna celebrated mass last Thursday to herald the start of the pastoral work of Fr Joseph Zahra as parish priest of Our Lady of Fatima parish, Guardamangia. He is a member of the Dominican Order.
Zahra was born on May 25, 1974. He studied philosophy and theology at the University of Bologna in Italy. He began his religious formation in 1992 at the Convent of Our Lady of the Grotto, Rabat and two years later, he made his first solemn profession. He was ordained a priest on July 22, 2003, at the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Guardamangia, where he served as deputy parish priest for four years.
Fr Joseph has carried out pastoral work in the parish of Porto Salvo and St Dominic in Valletta and for the past eight years, has also served in the office of provincial promoter of Dominican vocations.
The parish of Our Lady of Fatima in Guardamangia has a population of 4,282.