Loranne Vella was 10 months old when she was adopted. For those first few months of her life, the sisters of the Ursuline crèche in Sliema nurtured and cared for her.

She was among thousands of children whose first home was the crèche and whose first ‘mother’ was a nun.

To this day, Vella, now an established author, is grateful for the care given to her by the sisters back in the 1970s.

Earlier this week Times of Malta revealed that the Sliema crèche has closed its doors as Malta comes into line with EU policies stating that children under the age of three should be placed in families rather than in an institution.

The building in Triq Karm Galea is now being converted into a day-care centre which the sisters are keen to see up and running in the coming months.

“I was born in Gozo. My biological mother was raped. She came from a very big family and she was young,” said Loranne, who now lives in Brussels.

“My natural family was not able to care for me at the time. When I was four days old, they took me to the crèche. I was there between July 1972 and May 1973 when I was adopted.”

Vella still treasures a hand-written note from her time at the crèche. It is a detailed list of what she was fed, and at what time, by the sisters on March 31, 1973.

Her menu on the day included vegetables with rice and meat, mashed potatoes, a boiled egg, custard and evaporated milk with Farley’s rusks.

In the list is also Delrosa, a syrup then given to babies to fight off colds and other illnesses, and Sytron, an iron supplement.

“Although I have no recollection of my brief time there, reading about the closure of the crèche made me very emotional. I was sorry to see it close but I admire the sisters’ decision to turn it into a day-care centre,” she said.

Vella even mentions the Ursuline sisters in her most recent novel of fiction, Marta Marta.

"I will never forget how much love you gave me.I will always call you mother"- Former resident Pat Bonnici

News of the closure of the crèche elicited many other comments of gratitude, including from volunteers who helped the nuns carry out their work throughout the years.

“God bless you all, I will never forget the joy and peace I had in my heart when I had time to help out. Not only from the children but all of you there,” said Odette Galea.

“This is a sad ending! Because you sisters raised a lot of kids and you are the mothers of many. You did a great job. God bless you!” read another comment on social media, reacting to the story.

Annelise Coppini wrote: “I was brought up with my parents in Dingli Street and I used to love to come and help to look after those precious babies.”

Another comment was from Pat Bonnici.

“They took care of me since I was a baby. They loved me as their own… fed me, cleaned me. I will never forget how much love you gave me... I will always call you MOTHER.”

Rennie Schreiner, who lives in Scotland, was deeply saddened by the news of the closure of the crèche. He, too, was brought up by the Maltese nuns – from just two days old.

He was first taken care of at the Sliema crèche and then moved to other care homes.

“They raised me well. I studied hard and by the time I was 18, I got my A-levels,” said Schreiner.

“The University of Malta was in turmoil at that time so they sent me to Scotland.”

Schreiner went on to become a doctor. He settled well in Scotland but he visits the nuns every time he travels to Malta.

The Maltese doctor describes the Ursuline sisters as ‘one in a million’ mums.

Lawrence Grech, raised by the Ursuline sisters for many years, remembers his time with them with deep gratitude.

 

“They are real-life angels. The work they do is truly priceless,” he said.

Grech was placed at the crèche when he was just a few days old. His mother had fallen pregnant with him when she was still young.

“In the 1970s it was a huge taboo. She left the island and I barely know her... the sisters were my real family. If it were not for them, I would not be the man I am today. I have my own family now,” he said.

Grech spoke of the day, many years later, when he went back to the home where he was brought up.

When he walked in 42 years after leaving it, Sister Crocifissa recognised him instantly.

“I will never forget that moment. I could hardly believe it,” Grech said.

“She knew who I was the minute she saw me.”

But, despite having very beautiful memories of his time with the sisters, Grech said he was pleased to hear about efforts to have children placed in families rather than being kept in residential care homes.

“Children are not meant to be institutionalised. Although what they do is amazing,” he said about the work of the sisters.

“Had I been given a choice, I would have opted to be raised by a family.”

Grech’s stand reflects what the European Union has been pushing through its policies related to children in care – the Sliema crèche now gives way to updated methods of looking after infants who have no one.