George Preca
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Saint George Preca |
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| Priest | |
| Born |
12 February 1880 Valletta, Malta |
| Died | 26 July 1962 (aged 82) Santa Venera, Malta |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 9 May 2001, Floriana, Malta by Pope John Paul II |
| Canonized | 3 June 2007, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope Benedict XVI |
| Feast | 9 May |
| Attributes | Priest's attire |
| Patronage |
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Saint George Preca (in Maltese: Ġorġ Preca) (12 February 1880 – 26 July 1962) was a Maltese Roman Catholic priest and the founder of the Society of Christian Doctrine as well as a Third Order Carmelite. He is known as "Dun Ġorġ" in Maltese and Pope John Paul II dubbed him as the "Second Apostle of Malta". Preca was a popular and sought-after preacher and confessor and his work in instructing others in catechism earned him praise though was once ordered to cease his activities due to it being unheard of on the island at that time. He dedicated himself to his flock and devoted himself to proper religious education while his activism earned him praise and Pope Pius XII - in 1952 - titled him as a Monsignor despite his uneasiness about it. He was a popular figure on the island and spent hours in the confessional to be closer with his people. He had assumed the religious name of "Franco" after becoming a Secular Carmelite.
In 1957 he had composed five new mysteries for the rosary for his followers which he had referred to as the "Mysteries of Light" and these were almost identical to the five Luminous Mysteries that John Paul II had proposed in 2002 though it is not known whether this had influenced the pope's choices.
Preca's sainthood cause opened on 13 March 1975 under Pope Paul VI and he became titled as a Servant of God while John Paul II named him as Venerable upon confirmation of his heroic virtue on 28 June 1999; the confirmation of one miracle allowed for John Paul II to preside over the beatification in Malta in mid-2001 while the confirmation of another allowed Pope Benedict XVI to canonize him in mid-2007 in Saint Peter's Square.
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