OUR HISTORY

Joseph De Piro, founder of the Missionary Society of Saint Paul - Malta, (M.S.S.P.)  was born into a wealthy and influential family in Malta on November 2, 1877.  As a young man, his first thoughts were of becoming a lawyer but then felt God calling him to the priesthood. In 1903, after the completion of his studies, he was ordained in Rome. Msgr. De Piro was soon involved in different ministries within the Church, but his main concern was the missions and work amongst the poor. As a young priest, he began to work towards bringing to fruition his long-cherished vision of establishing a society of priests and brothers committed to spreading the Good News.  On June 30, 1910, the Missionary Society of St. Paul was established. In 1927, he sent his first missionary, Br. Joseph Caruana, to Ethiopia. Six years later Msgr. De Piro went to help consolidate the new mission, but on September 17, 1933 he died suddenly leaving a small group of priests and brothers without his invaluable leadership. The Society went through difficult times through the 1950's, but its members held on to De Piro's prophetic words spoken not long before he died, “The Society will grow only after my death.” Today Paulist Missionaries seek to live and spread their charism in a world of change. We are witnesses of God's love through our missionary commitment: in parishes, schools, youth centers, migrant centers, among the poor and needy, and in far-away lands. 

In the coming months we will be building a timeline of the history of the parish and Vida y Compasíon.