The day before his 90th birthday, we lost a dearly loved uncle − Rev Alfred Manché − and our last link to his generation in our family. He died peacefully on July 13 at Dar tal-Kleru in Birkirkara. About eight months ago, he had returned to Malta, after more than five decades of pastoral work in Italy, to be closer to his family as his health had been steadily deteriorating.
Alfred was the youngest child of ophthalmologist Dr Charles Manché and Lucrezia née Vella. Barely a year after the premature death of his brother Rev. Carlo Manché, the legendary parish priest of Gżira, Alfred entered the major seminary in 1951 and was ordained priest in 1959.
Initially, he served in the Gżira parish, while also teaching Italian and music at the Archbishop’s Seminary, then in Floriana, for most of the 1960s. Several of his students remember him as a pleasant, engaging and very good teacher.
In the late 1960s, Fr Alfred volunteered to serve in the rapidly expanding diocese of Prato near Florence. He served in the parish of the Sacro Cuore ai Ciliani in Prato until the early 1980s, when he was appointed parish priest of Usella’s ancient San Lorenzo parish founded over a millennium ago in the Bisenzio Valley.
In his pastoral ministry, he applied his great passion for music and sport, always giving a high priority to choral singing and activities for the youth of the parish.
At Usella, Fr Alfred invigorated parish life with engaging activities for parishioners of all ages. His notable achievements and enduring legacy for the parish include the construction of a football ground and a youth centre, the establishment of the parish nursery school, and the opening of a pizzeria − an instant hit with his parishioners as it satisfied his community’s need for a local eatery in the village where they could socialise and share a meal.
To us, his nephews and nieces, our ‘Uncle Freddie’ was not just a hard-working priest. He was a wonderful uncle who always had time for everyone, had a great sense of humour and enjoyed spending quality time with his relatives and friends.
Every year, Uncle Freddie used to come to Malta for his summer holidays. During his visits, I had the good fortune of spending some days with him in St Paul’s Bay where he rented a place for a couple of weeks − it was the highlight of my summer vacations.
As part of our daily morning routine, we would take a brief stroll down the road to St Paul’s Shipwreck chapel across from Gillieru at about 8am. He would say Mass, at which I served as an altar boy, and then we would walk back for breakfast, briefly stopping along the way at the local grocer for our basic needs. We would then amble down to the then unsheltered Sirens pitch for our late morning swim. Sometimes, my sisters would take the bus from Gżira to come and join us there. A strong swimmer, Uncle Freddie taught us how to swim. We always relished spending time in his company.
In Italy, Uncle Freddie enjoyed hosting and showing around relatives visiting from near and far, especially from the populous branch of the family in Australia. My wife and I enjoyed a brief stay with him there on our honeymoon trip shortly after my move to Australia four decades ago.
Our uncle was a charming, generous and beautiful soul, with a disarming smile, always ready to help others, highly energetic, constantly on the go, with a healthy curiosity about the world around him. I will cherish my fond memories of Uncle Freddie for the rest of my life.
Fr Alfred’s dedicated life of service to others exemplified how to embrace and practise St Paul’s counsel to the Corinthians: “Always keep busy working for the Lord, knowing that everything you do for Him is worthwhile” (1 Cor. 15:58).
May the Lord grant him eternal rest.