Fr. Raymond Francalanza OSA, Provincial Elect of the Augustinians of Malta

The men Religious Augustinians of Malta are presently preparing for their Ordinary Provincial Chapter of 2014. The Chapter is a general assembly of the Province, held every four years, in which the friars evaluate the actual life of the Province and programme its life and work for the coming four years. They also elect the new officals of the Province.

​The election of the new Prior Provincial is an important element of these preparations. The Prior Provincial is the “superior” of the Province and of all its houses, churches and missions in Malta, Gozo and abroad. The election is made by a vote taken by all the friars of the Province.  On Sunday, 1st December 2013, Fr Raymond Francalanza O.S.A, S.Th.D., was elected Prior Provincial to guide the Maltese Province as from the 6th February 2014, the day of the opening of the coming Chapter, until the next Chapter of 2018.

Last September, the Order of St. Augustine, while celebrating its international General Chapter, elected a new Prior General to lead the Order in all countries for six years (2013-2019). He is Fr. Alejandro Moral Antón O.S.A.  of Spain and will preside over the Chapter of the Maltese Augustinians in February 2014.

The Provincial Elect, Fr. Raymond, comes from Żejtun. He was born in 1965 and made his Novitiate in Tolentino, Italy, in 1985. In 1988 he took Solemn Vows in the Order of St. Augustine. Fr.Ray was ordained priest in 1990. He read for his Licentiate in Sacred Theology and graduated S.Th.Lic. in 1991 with  the thesis “The Mystery of the Church and the writings of St Augustine”.  He pursued his studies in Sacred Theology and graduated with a doctorate in Sacred Theology in 2009 with the thesis “Sign and Signification – Networks of discernment in the Church”.  

Fr Ray has been very active in the Augustinian Order and has occupied a number of positions.  In 1990 he was responsible for initial formation and vocations in the Maltese Augustinian Province.  Fr.Ray lectured several times on Augustinian thought and spirituality at the Augustinian Institute of Pietá. He held the post of Rector at St. Augustine’s College, Pietà, between 1994-2000.  In 1996 he was appointed member of the Parliamentary Commission on Education and between 2002-2010 Fr. Ray was Provincial Counselor in the Maltese Augustinian Province and served also as Vicar Provincial.  In 2006 Fr Francalanza was appointed Prior of the Augustinian community ministering at the Mother of Good Counsel Church, Paceville. During his term there, Fr. Ray gave a complete facelift to this church. He was a spiritual guide to many young people, especially those of the group “LIFT” which he founded and also to many young couples. In 2010, Fr Ray was chosen as new Parish Priest of St. Augustine’s in Valletta in 2010.