Born in Gozo, Giuseppe Maurin joined the Franciscan Conventual Order and was ordained priest in 1904. He formed part of the communities of Gozo, Valletta and St. Paul's Bay up to 1910, but after finding religious life somewhat difficult, he was granted permission to live extra clausura. He then served at St Julian's parish where he started frequenting a group of British Methodists at a place they had in Sliema.
That led him to problems with Archbishop Pietro Pace and he ended up being excommunicated. The Order dismissed him for having publicly renounced his Catholic faith.
He joined the Methodist Church and moved to England where he was encouraged to work on Bible translations. But he proved to be somewhat incapable for such work.
Repenting to his deeds, he returned to Malta and sought forgiveness from bishop Dom Mauro Caruana OSB., who obtained a pardon for him from Rome. He was then re-assigned to St Julian's.
Yet Maurin joined the Methodists a second time, left for England again, and stayed for a long period.
Nearing his sixties, he happened to meet a young Msg. Salv Grima for philosophical studies. Grima would invite him to pray together, leading Maurin to repent once more and return to Malta.
This time, however, he was kept under suspension in his lay status for the rest of his life and was forbidden from receiving communion.
A depressed Maurin lived a lonely life, with people avoiding him at all costs, fearing he possessed some evil spirits. It was Mgr Grima who helped the now elderly man by offering him a place to stay in Birzebbuġa, sending him food every day.
While regretting his deeds and distressed for not having his priestly status restored, Maurin moved to his native Gozo, ending his days at the Central Hospital, next to other elderly people who had no one to look after them.
He passed away on September 12, 1965 aged almost 85, having received the viaticum on his deathbed. His wish to be laid to rest clad in the habit of the Conventual Order was not granted and he was thus dressed in the black habit of the Franciscan Third Order.
This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.