Philosopher, Theologian and Administrator
Francesco Attard was born in Rabat, Malta, son of Fortunato Attard, born in Rabat (Victoria) Gozo, resident of Rabat Malta, and Paola née Debono born in Rabat, Malta.
In 1879, he entered the novitiate in the Order of the Francescan Friars Minor. He was ordained priest on 7 June 1884.
'Patri Wiġ', as he was better known, was an esteemed wise priest who was well-known religious man across the country. He was especially a renowned orator and one of the best regulars of his time and beyond.
Rev Luigi Attard was a Provincial Secretary as well as Custodian of the Holy Land. He was also appointed Provincial Custodian of Malta (1905-1907). He was private counsellor of Monsignor Bishop Pietro Pace.
Rev Luigi Attard taught Classical Literature, Philosophy and Theology and was a preacher, lector and synodal or clerical examinator.
Rev Attard was a renowned, erudite orator. He was particularly a confessor and a benefactor.
He was a personal friend and the right-hand person of Fra Diego Bonanno. He was by his side for many days when he was moribund and just after his death. Rev Attard aided and abetted Fr Diegu in establishing the Institute at Ħamrun which was called after him - 'Fra Diego Institute'. Fr Luigi strove very hard for almost a decade from 1898 onwards to assist Fr Diegu in building up the charitable institution. Fr Luigi was one of the best guardians of the Order and would be side by side with Fr Diegu when he was very sick and financially afflicted towards the end of his life. Fr Luigi had come out with the idea with Fra Diegu to set up a savings fund for the benefit of the Institute. Fr Luigi did so because until his intervention, Fra Diegu had many intruders, including a number of benefactors, who wanted to exercise command in the administration of his pious work.
Rev Luigi was appointed Director of the Institute of Fra Diego from the moment of the death of the founder whom he succeeded. He undertook, with the help for more than a decade by the Tertiary Sisters of St Francis of Gozo under the Spiritual Director Suor Margherita De Brincat*, to rehabilitate the old dwelling house with gardens along Villambrosa Street, Ħamrun. Fr Attard and the Sisters took three years to refurbish and render habitable the building from Fra Diegu's death in 1902 and was ready by Christmas of 1905. He represented the financial position of the Institute and led it marvellously with the assistance of the Franciscan Sisters, and did not even touch one penny from the fund notwithstanding the fact that there were financial needs for its administrations. His programme of organisation salvaged all the unstinted work which Fra Diegu had taken for years on end. He remained Director for five years (1902-07) until the Fathers yielded the Institute to the local Diocesan Church and Rev Giuseppe De Piro* took over with a capital of £942.2.6. Rev Attard, who put on granite foundations the Fra Diegu Institute, was very much disillusioned that the Friars had to abandon the premises. He wrote Archbishop Pieru Pace by a missive dated 18 June 1907 with which the necessary handover of the Institute took place. Incidentally, Fr Attard related that the affliation of the Sisters with the Order of the Franciscans originated through the foundation of the Fra Diegu Institute. Fr Attard was certianly disappointed that the Sisters, because they were from Gozo, were denied the administration of the Institute in 1907.
Rev Attard wrote in detail on the story which led the friar embark on his appostolate and set up his Institute which began when he was asked to help a young girl 'raped' at Senglea and afterwards brought together a number of innocent children and penitent girls, and placed them in a house at Hal Balzan with the assistance of his childless sister wife of Pawlu Marmarà.
In 1913, Rev Luigi's book L'Istitut ta Fra Diegu, Fl-euuel hames snin ta uara meutu provided a mine of information about the whole vicissitudes of the charitable institution in its first five years of existence in the course of which depended its survival or otherwise. Indeed, Rev Luigi Attard gave the first inklings about Fra Diegu immediately after the founder's demise in the official publication of the Franciscans, namely the Acta Ordinis Minorum, XXI (1902). He later on also left a vivid description and picture of Fr Diegu in a series of 17 articles which he wrote entitled 'Fra Diegu' in the newpaper Malta of from 3 July to 15 December 1925. He reiterated the wish of all and sundry ranging from the friars and the persons in the street to politicians and newspapers chroniclers that Fra Diegu should be remembered by the erection of a monument. He made a campaign for the purpose which reached its peak by the holding of a 'Conferenza su Fra Diegu' at the RUM at Valletta. Rev Attard was till the end on tenterhooks to see his dream come true but he did not manage because ironically enough the statue of Fra Diegu was inaugurated in St Paul's Square at Ħamrun in 1932.
Rev Luigi was a prolific writen in Maltese and Italian. He authored a large number of books on religious, historical, literary as well as biographical subjects. His book Conferenzi Fuk il-Haddiema published in 1921 was probably his magnum opus.
He was appointed the first Parish Priest of the Sacro Cuor Church of Sliema between 1918 and 1923 and finished he building of the convent of St Anton at Gozo. He was also Secretary and Delegate in an International Commission set up to unite the Italian Provincial Franciscans and was General Visitor of the Pronvinces of Tuscany and Abruzzo in Italy.
In 1913, Rev Attard formed part and appeared in a group photo of the Committee which the Government set up to organise the International Eucharist Congress in Malta in the same year. In March-May 1916, he was one of three ecclesiastics who were chosen by the new Bishop Dom Mauro Caruana to sit on a Commission of Enquiry in relation to the effects of the teachings of the Society of Christian Doctrine (MUSEUM) and in fact Reverend (now Saint) George Preca*, founder, and Eugenio Borg*, Superior General, were two of the witnesses.
Fr Attard and the other members reported that the allegations concerned were not verified and the catechism impugned by complaints was according to the Gospels and Catholism.
Luigi Attard O.F.M. died aged 66 at the Convent of the Friars Minor at Valletta and was buried in the church of Santa Maria di Gesù, Rabat, Malta.
This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.