Salvatore Bonnici, the son of Gerolamo and Gaetana, was born in Valletta on October 10, 1735, and baptised the day after, in St Paul’s Shipwreck collegiate church, Valletta, by archpriest Giuseppe Guiccardi.

Salavtore Bonnici’s baptismal registration in the archive of the parish of St Paul’s Shipwreck, Valletta.

In 1757, when he was still a subdeacon, Bonnici obtained a master’s degree in philosophy and a doctorate in theology. At the Jesuit College church, Valletta, he publicly defended his dissertation concerning St Paul’s shipwreck in Malta.

Painting of Don Salvatore Bonnici found at his relative Chev. Dr Alfred Bonnici, MD KM.

On September 23, 1758, Bishop Bartolomeo Rull ordained Bonnici a deacon at the Cathedral, Mdina, and subsequently ordained him priest on November 30, 1759, in the chapel of the bishop’s palace.

Already director of spiritual exercises for clerics at St Paul’s collegiate church, the bishop appointed him confessor at St Catherine’s Monastery, both in Valletta. On May 26, 1760, at St James’ church, Victoria, he detailed methods to the Gozitan clergy on how to organise spiritual exercises.

Bonnici, besides being assistant master of ceremonies at St Paul’s collegiate, was widely sought for panegyrics.

The aged Don Fortunato Vella, Senglea’s parish priest, himself proposed Bonnici to be his coadjutor with the right of succession. Bishop Rull’s approval on December 29, 1761, and apostolic letters dated March 28, 1762, nominated him to the said office in Senglea. He was installed on June 24, 1762. From then onwards, years of prodigious work began for Bonnici during which he had to face several difficulties.

Parish priest Vella retained for himself various administrative aspects of the parish for the next 10 years; yet Bonnici’s presence brought a new lease of life. He prepared a reform project to manage the most urgent needs felt in the parish. Among these was the need to enthuse once again the clergy towards the parish church and the liturgical ceremonies.

Primarily, he sought to restore unity among the clergy since various difficulties during the time of Don Fortunato Vella resulted in a decrease in the number of priests and various divergencies among them.

He was eager to see the priests more unified among themselves, something that could readily be realised with the establishment of a collegiate chapter

These were also years of turmoil and struggle for the oratorians of St Philip Neri. There was a strong desire to encourage some of the best priests of the parish to join the community of that oratory, to give it new life.

The level of spirituality within the parish also needed a boost. Therefore, as a practical application to initiate this renewal, spiritual exercises were introduced, resulting in immediate benefit to all parishioners.

The wooden cross with the image of the Crucified Christ on it that Grand Master Pinto gave to the Senglea Crucifix Confraternity.

In 1765, during the reign of Grand Master Emmanuel Pinto, the second centenary of the victory of the Great Siege was celebrated in Malta. Senglea, as happened a hundred years before, was one of the cities chosen for these celebrations.

Shortly after these celebrations in 1766, Pinto expelled the Jesuits from Malta and appointed Bonnici director of the house and church of Our Lady of Manresa, Floriana, where retreats used to be organised. He was also given the honour to preach every Sunday in the Jesuit church, Valletta, and lead the Onorati Congregation, founded at the oratory of the said church.

Children’s education was a priority but, over time, its organisation on the part of the parish had decreased. Bonnici felt this responsibility and, on taking office, began to organise the teaching of doctrine in the parish church and in the oratory of the Holy Crucifix. In 1769, teaching also began to take place in St Julian’s church.

In 1774, Bishop Giovanni Pellerano founded the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine and placed it under the protection of St Vincent de Paul. The bishop himself encouraged Bonnici to set up an altar and dedicate it to this saint in St Julian’s church.

In July 1775, serious problems arose in the Żejtun parish: parish priest Francesco Maria Xuereb faced opposition from his parishioners and was withdrawn. By means of a decree issued on July 18, 1775, Bonnici was called to shoulder the difficult task of vicar curate for Żejtun, while also retaining the coadjutorship of Senglea’s parish.

Bonnici remained in Żejtun till June 1776, during which months he strived to calm down the precarious situation that had developed in that parish.

While Bishop Pellerano appointed Bonnici examiner of the clergy and censor of publications, Grand Master De Rohan, through a magisterial bull dated November 18, 1776, declared Bonnici as one of his theologians. He was thus entitled to enjoy all the privileges of the Order of St John.

This honour with which the parish priest-coadjutor was endowed was a privilege also for Senglea. In September 1777, the grand master himself honoured the people of Senglea when he attended the feast of Maria Bambina. Bonnici wrote and dedicated a poem to the grand master for the occasion.

Canon Archpriest Don Salvatore Bonnici in a painting at Senglea’s chapter hall.

On January 8, 1778, Bonnici presented, at the diocesan curia, the declaration of parish priest Vella’s death, recalling what his rights were according to the apostolic letter of March 28, 1762. Without delay, Mgr Caetano Grech, Vicar General, on January 11, 1778, installed Bonnici as the new parish priest of Senglea.

On April 22, 1781, he assisted Bishop Vincenzo Labini in the solemn consecration of the church of Our Lady of Porto Salvo, Senglea. During October of that year, he introduced in Senglea the solemn ringing of the parish church’s bells on each Thursday evening in remembrance of the institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper.

He also introduced the ringing of the death knell every Friday at 3pm, commemorating Christ’s death. This initiative found the support of Bishop Labini who, during the following year, issued orders introducing this custom in all the parish churches of the diocese.

Shortly after he became parish priest of Senglea, Bonnici contrived to see this parish endowed with the dignity of a collegiate. Rather than for the honour in itself, he was eager to see the priests more unified among themselves, something that could readily be realised with the establishment of a collegiate chapter.

Notwithstanding the fact that he found opposition from the Clergy Sodality and the Cathedral Chapter, Bonnici, heartened by the high esteem he enjoyed, and the love of his parishioners, decided to proceed with the plan. Thus, on January 27, 1783, he formally petitioned Pope Pius VI to erect the Senglea collegiate. On August 5, 1784, a contract was signed before notary Francesco Mamo, where the main reasons for which it was appropriate for Senglea to have a collegiate chapter and the structure on which it would be built were expounded.

After overcoming all difficulties, with the help afforded by Bishop Labini and Grand Master De Rohan, on May 21, 1786, Pope Pius VI signed the bull Exigit Apostolici Officii with which the parish church of Maria Bambina, Senglea, was raised to Colleggiata Insignis. These apostolic letters were executed in Malta on September 5, 1786.

The old titular painting of the altar of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, also showing St Paul, St Sebastian and St Roque, protective saints against the plague. The painting is today in the sacristy of Senglea’s basilica.

On September 7, 1786, Bishop Labini installed Bonnici and four other dignitaries, who, together with six more canons, formed the first chapter. At that time, Senglea enjoyed the presence of about 50 priests. They were often seen gathered together to pray in the church’s choir and during liturgical services.

When the Senglea collegiate was founded, Bonnici had the foresight to attract the financial support of families and people of a sound social standing. It became possible for Senglea’s parishioners to set up a canonicate that was to be enjoyed by members of their family.

This was just one aspect of the bigger project that Bonnici formulated, which also included the opening of a school in his parish offering free education to Senglea’s children. While the latter project failed, that of the ecclesiastical benefices was a success.

Towards the end of the 18th century, there existed an intelligentsia in Senglea that fully supported Mikiel Anton Vassalli and somehow reflected his political ideals. Bonnici was among Vassalli’s supporters. Most probably, they attended the same Arabic school in Valletta.

Later Bonnici distanced himself from Vassalli. Indeed, while in Rome, Vassalli communicated with Bonnici and expected his support in the publication of the second volume of the lexicon. Unfortunately, this assistance failed to materialise with the result that the second volume never saw the light of day.

The altar dedicated to St Vincent de Paul in the church of St Julian, Senglea.

At the beginning of 1797, although still 61 years old, Bonnici was not in good health. Thus he felt the need of a vicar in his place. In February 1797, Bishop Labini appointed Fr Giuseppe Grech as vicar curate of the parish.

On June 10, 1798, Napoleon and the French began to occupy Malta. September 1798 was a month of great sadness as churches started to be robbed. During this time of turmoil and fear, Bonnici was nearing the end of his life.

He died in Senglea on December 27, 1798 – 225 years ago. His body was solemnly transported to the collegiate church where a funeral was held. He was buried in the grave he had prepared for himself since 1768 in the Senglea parish church, right in front of the altar dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel – a place chosen since the titular painting of that altar included the image of St Paul.

Canon Don Salvatore Bonnici was the 11th leader of Senglea parish and was the first archpriest of the collegiate. His name in the history of Senglea can never be forgotten.