NEW ARCHPRIEST FOR ST PAUL’S SHIPWRECK, VALLETTA

Archbishop Paul Cremona O.P. has appointed Fr Mario Tong as the new archpriest of St Paul’s Shipwreck Parish, Valletta.

Fr Mario Tong was born in Hamrun on 29^th April, 1953. He received his education at Paola Primary School, the Minor Seminary and Major Seminary.

Fr Mario was ordained priest on 19^th June, 1977. He started his pastoral work as parish priest in St Joseph the Worker parish in Gibraltar in 1978. In  September 1980, he returned back to Malta and began serving as vice parish priest in Zabbar parish. In June 1981 he was appointed parish priest of Marsaxlokk where he served till 1990. Between 1990 and 1996 Fr Tong continued his pastoral work in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, in Long Island, New York. On his return to Malta he was appointed parish priest of St Joseph the Worker parish, B’Kara, until he was then appointed Archpriest of Mosta parish.

The number of parishioners in St Paul’s Shipwreck Valletta is around 1,800 gathered in 800 families.