The Parish Church of St Lawrence in Vittoriosa becomes a Collegiate in 1820
One of the oldest parishes on our island is without doubt the Parish of St Lawrence in Vittoriosa. This church has had many benefactors, both Maltese and foreign, who contributed throughout its chequered history. Among these were the Grand Masters of the Order of St John, who chose it to be the Conventual Church of the Order in 1530, as well as Provost Lawrence Lanzon, who is regarded as the prime benefactor of the Collegiate. There were also many Inquisitors, Cardinals, Apostolic delegates and Maltese bishops who offered their support.
It is safe to say that Provost Lanzon spent his life seeking to increase the devotion to this church that he was so fond of. This courageous, hardworking priest was born in Vittoriosa in 1776. At that time, Malta was going through a period of turmoil as the Knights’ rule was nearing its end, and French domination was soon to begin.
Lanzon was still a young priest when he saw the last Inquisitor of Malta, Mgr Giulio Carpegna, help and lead the Beneficiaries’ College Church of St Lawrence in 1796. Upon the arrival of Napoleon in 1798, the apostolic delegate left Malta. Provost Lanzon then realised that the Beneficiaries’ College had a bleak future. He understood that it would be best for the College to become a formal Chapter of Canons, making St Lawrence Church a Collegiate Church.
The College of Beneficiaries acknowledged the importance and value of Fr Lawrence’s work and vested him with the necessary power to be able to establish this new Collegiate. Years later, he undertook the difficult task of putting a formal request through to the Holy See. Furthermore, he assumed the cumbersome task of drawing up an agreement for the Collegiate with regard to financing, duties and the rights of the parish priest, Fr Salvatore Fenech, and the other beneficiaries.
In addition, Fr Lanzon discussed the matter with Mgr Ferdinando Mattei, the Bishop of Malta, to promote his idea. Bishop Mattei approved Lanzon’s request and did whatever was in his power to make the church of Saint Lawrence a Collegiate. Bishop Mattei wrote a letter to the Cardinal Pro-datary, in which he explained that the church was richly decorated with beautiful works of art and that it had an exemplary clergy.
Finally, on 15 June 1820, Pope Pius VII raised the Church of Saint Lawrence to the dignity of a Collegiate. To pay tribute to Fr Lanzon, the new Canons commissioned the artist Giovan Battista Bonomo to paint a portrait of him with a Latin inscription of praise, and placed it in the church sacristy.
Most of the funding for establishing the Canonry for this new Collegiate came from legacies and donations made or left by various benefactors in previous years. After 1821, the number of Canons decreased as there weren’t enough funds to properly maintain the Canonry. However, in 1825 new benefactors came forward and began funding new Canons.
According to the acts of notary Ġużżeppi Metropolis, these included, Mr Gejt Chetcuti, who set up the Chetcuti canonicate on 21 December 1825, the Marmarà canonicate, established on 9 March 1841 and later, in 1863, a canonicate established by Captain Rossi.
The first person to become Canon on 12 March 1841 was Fr Felice Marmarà, who was still a seminarian at the time. Fr Lawrence Ciantar followed on 8 August 1863. He too was still a seminarian at the time. Seventy years later, Mgr Cassar, Dean of the Chapter, set up another canonicate in 1934, and following that, Canon Paul Galea became Canon on the 6 December of that same year. On the 30 January 1965, Chev Domenico Azzopardi, made a generous donation to the chapter for the upkeep of ten Canons.
Since the founding of the Collegiate in 1820, the Church of Vittoriosa has welcomed within it several prelates on various special occasions. Some chose to become honorary members of the Vittoriosan Chapter. These were: Cardinal William Godfrey, then Archbishop of Westminster in England, Mgr Michael Gonzi, then Bishop of Gozo, Mgr Spiridione Polomeni, then Titular Bishop of Ruspa, Mgr Giovanni Maria Camilleri OSA, then Bishop of Gozo, Bishop Mgr Peter Canisius van Lierde OSA, who was then the sacristan of the Pope and Vicar General of the Vatican, Mgr CD Fay CBE, Catholic Priest of the Royal Navy, and till a few years ago, Cardinal Prospero Grech OSA, who is from Vittoriosa.
Today the Vittoriosa Chapter is much smaller. However, following several years of no appointments in the Parish of Saint Lawrence in Vittoriosa, on the 6 March 2016, Canon Lawrence Bonnici became Canon Dean and Fr Marc Andre Camilleri, the parish priest of Christ the King Church in Paola, became Honorary Canon of this same Collegiate.
Sadly Canon Joseph Caruana passed away last year and Canon Mario Agius and the former Archpriest Mgr Lawrence Mifsud passed away this year. May they rest in peace.