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St. Joseph’s Institute for orphans opened its doors in
Ghajnsielem on the 21st May 1925. It was a red-letter
day for the village because one of its major
institutions saw its beginning then. Above all it was a
notable date because about three years later, under the
Institute’s aegis saw the birth of the village’s own
musical society: the St.Joseph Band Club. The founder
was Monsignor Guzeppi De Piro, a figure, now as then, of
national importance. At that time he had already become
justly famous for his work among boy orphans and he bad
been asked by the Gozitan See to extend his activities
to the Sister Island. After overcoming many difficulties
he has seen this dream come true on the 21st May 1925.
From the beginning he put himself to work with
characteristic vigour and he exploited all his
organisational talent to found and maintain the first
orphanage of the Sister Island. About three years later
in 1928, at an unspecified date he was seen arriving
from Malta with a big parcel in his hands. This parcel
contained the first musical instruments, which were
going to be used by the yet unborn St. Joseph Band. |
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His Life
Mons. Joseph De Piro was born in Mdina in the 2nd of November
1877 to the Noble Alessandro dei Marchesi De Piro and Ursola
nee' Agius, the seventh of nine children.
He received primary and secondary education, showing also
considerable talent for painting. Joseph De Piro Entered the
Royal University of Malta as a student in the Faculty of Arts
and Sciences for three years. Between 1897 and 1898 he started
reading law. While at the University he also served in the Royal
Malta Militia.
At 21 he felt the call to the priesthood and on May 8, 1898
while praying to our Lady of Pompei, decided that he should
follow this vocation. In 1898 he enrolled as a student at the
Capranica College, beginning his studies in Philosophy and
Theology at the Gregorian University in Rome.
On the 15th of March 1902 he was ordained priest at St. John
Lateran. Between 1902 and 1904 he spent a period of
convalescence from TB at Davos in Switzerland.
before returning to Malta in 1904 where he spent 3 years of
pastoral work in the parish of Qrendi. In 1907 he was appointed
Director of Fra Diego's Orphanage for Girls and three years
later he started the Missionary Society of Saint Paul by
accepting the first two of its members. The following year he
was nominated canon of the Cathedral of Malta.
In 1915 the new Archbishop of Malta, Mgr. M. Caruana, appointed
him as his personal secretary. Between 1918-20 he also served as
Rector of the Major Seminary of Malta in Mdina. During this
period he was one of the Maltese leaders during the Sette Giugno
disturbances.
In 1920 De Piro was nominated as Dean of the Cathedral Chapter.
Malta was given a new Constitution - that of the National
Assembly. He was a hard working member of this same assembly. In
1922 served as a substitute parish-priest for some months in
Gudja. During this period he was also made director of the
following orphanages:
1922: St. Joseph's Home, Hamrun.
1922: Jesus of Nazareth Institute, Zejtun.
1925: St. Joseph's Home, Ghajnsielem (where he later founded the
St. Joseph Band Club in 1928)
1925: The home for Little Children, St. Venera.
1927: St. Francis de Paule Institute, B'Kara.
In 1930 he served as intermediary between the local Church and
Lord Strickland. while in 1932/33 he also served as a Senator in
the third Maltese Parliament. Mgr. De Piro, aged 56, died on the
17 September of 1933 after collapsing during a liturgical
service at St. Cajetan's Parish Church, Hamrun.
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