Mons. Joseph De Piro - The Founder
 

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.