Nazju Falzon

Not practicing law and not being a priest, Nazju Falzon placed his intelligence, his fortune, and his time entirely at the service of evangelization and charity. He first dedicated himself to teaching catechism to the children of Valletta, but his major work unfolded among the British military forces stationed in Malta. At that time, particularly during the Crimean War (1853-1856), the island of Malta served as a major naval and military base for Great Britain, housing a garrison of nearly 20,000 soldiers and sailors. Nazju learned English in order to communicate directly with them. He began by gathering Catholic soldiers (mainly of Irish origin) for times of prayer and religious instruction in his own home, then at the Jesuit church in Valletta. His dedication and kindness quickly attracted many non-Catholic military personnel (Anglicans and Protestants) and even non-Christians. Nazju demonstrated a spirit of welcome and mutual respect exceptional for his time, which makes him a true precursor of ecumenical dialogue. He distributed religious books imported from England and wrote a prayer manual himself entitled The Comfort of the Christian Soul intended for the soldiers. Thanks to his apostolate, more than 600 Protestants requested to receive baptism in the Catholic Church. The trust he inspired was such that many soldiers, before embarking for the Crimean front, entrusted him with their valuables and their wills so that he could deliver them to their families in the event of their death.

Nazju Falzon led a life of intense prayer, marked by daily Eucharistic adoration, the recitation of the Rosary, and a deep devotion to the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and Saint Benedict Joseph Labre. Suffering from heart spasms for many years, he died of cardiac arrest on July 1, 1865, the very day of his 52nd birthday. His funeral was celebrated at the Franciscan church of Saint Mary of Jesus (Ta' Ġieżu) in Valletta, where he was buried in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception. His reputation for holiness spread rapidly in Malta, but also in Great Britain and among Maltese emigrants. The cause for beatification was officially introduced in Rome at the end of the 19th century (the proceedings began in 1892). On October 23, 1987, Pope John Paul II signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thereby declaring him Venerable.

The path to the beatification of Nazju Falzon was sealed by the official recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession. The decree concerning this miracle was promulgated by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on April 24, 2001. According to the official documents of the Holy See, this miracle concerns the unexplained healing of a person suffering from severe gastric cancer (stomach cancer) that occurred in 1981. Doctors had deemed the case incurable after surgery and had not prescribed any heavy therapy (chemotherapy or radiotherapy) due to the fatal prognosis. After invoking the intercession of Nazju Falzon, the patient recovered perfect and lasting health, which was clinically verified without medical explanation. Nazju Falzon was solemnly beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 9, 2001, at the Granaries in Floriana, during the sovereign pontiff's pastoral visit to Malta. He was raised to the altars on the same day as the priest Giorgio Preca and the Benedictine nun Maria Adeodata Pisani.

The spirituality of Nazju Falzon rests on a radical humility and an unconditional love of neighbor. Although endowed with a solid intellectual and legal education, he chose to fade into the background to become a simple servant of the Word of God. His refusal of the priesthood testifies to his high esteem for the greatness of the sacraments and his own awareness of human fragility. His legacy is particularly alive in Malta, where he is venerated as the patron of catechists. Pope John Paul II emphasized during his beatification that he had anticipated the modern ecumenical spirit through his respect, his listening, and his dialogue with soldiers of different confessions. His relics still rest in the Franciscan church of St. Mary of Jesus in Valletta, where many faithful continue to come to pray at his tomb.