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Health Care Chaplaincy in Malta
Fr. John Vella O.F.M. Cap
Fr John Vella is a Capuchin Franciscan friar born in 1958. Before joining
the Order in 1979, he worked as a diamond cutter in a factory. Fr. John was
ordained a priest in 1986.
After his ordination he was sent to Rome to study at the ‘Camillianum’, from
where he obtained successfully a Licentiate in Pastoral Theology in
Healthcare (Teologia Pastorale Sanitaria) – S.Th.Lic. (Pastorale Sanitaria).
After he finished his studies, he worked in initial formation as the
vice-director of the postulants and as the director of the postulants, as a
spiritual director in youth centres and charismatic renewal groups, as a
reliever at different hospitals, and as a hospital chaplain in a geriatric
hospital, Zammit Clapp Hospital, and at St. Luke’s Hospital, the general
hospital in Malta.
As a chaplain at the general hospital, he worked with the nurses and
midwives at the maternity wards, in support of parents who had lost their
babies or their offspring. Two different memorial masses are celebrated in
November to help in the bereavement process of the parents and their
relatives.
At the present moment, Fr John is a counsellor grade A O at the institute of
Health Care (I.H.C.), which forms part of the University of Malta.
About two years ago, he was able to establish the Staff Support Group at the
general hospital (St. Luke’s hospital) and launched the support service by
providing counselling to the hospital staff with another three
psychologists.
He also takes the opportunity to organize some seminars for his friars who
serve as hospital chaplains, to help them in their on-going formation in the
pastoral health care focussing more on the holistic approach to the patient.
Recently his religious Province chose him as one of the four counsellors
with the Provincial, and is also serving as the Provincial Delegate of the
Chaplaincy Network at all the State hospitals, the general one, the
mental/psychiatric, the oncological, and the geriatric hospital and the
clinics.
The Malta Hospice Movement has also asked for Fr. John's service as a
regular chaplain.
[April 2006]
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