Homily by Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi
Today is a day of thanksgiving and joy. We gather to celebrate the restoration and inauguration of this small chapel, dedicated to Saint Joseph, in the Archbishop’s Palace – a sacred place that has witnessed prayer, silence, and the faithful service of generations.
The Chapel project draws attention to two Bishops of Malta – the Maltese Bishop Baldassare Cagliares, who built the palace and its chapel in 1622, commissioning a little-known but important artist to paint the titular altar painting of The Holy Family with the young St John the Baptist; and the French Bishop Paul Alpheran de Bussan, whose aesthetic sensibilities led him in the 1730s to update the archiepiscopal palace in the High Baroque idiom.
Through the care and dedication of expert hands and minds, and the patronage of a French donor, Madame Marie-Amèlie Gleizes-Dewavrin – to whom we are so grateful – the beauty of this chapel has been renewed. And the true purpose of this chapel remains unchanged: it exists so that hearts may be restored, lives renewed, and faith strengthened.
The Gospel we have just heard, which is Sunday’s gospel, may seem at first not so much linked to such an occasion. Jesus speaks about fear, persecution, and the courage to acknowledge him before others. “Do not be afraid” (Mt 10:26.28.31) he says repeatedly. Three times in this short passage, the Lord invites his disciples to overcome fear, and to place their trust completely in the Father’s loving care. However, this message is as relevant today as it was when Jesus first spoke it.
Restoration of God’s people
A restored chapel is more than an artistic achievement. It is a visible sign of an invisible reality. Stone, paint, glass, and ornamentation can be renewed, but their purpose is to point beyond themselves. They remind us that God continues his work of restoration in his people. Every time we enter or pass in front of this chapel, we are invited to allow the Lord to restore what is damaged within us: our hope when we are discouraged, our faith when it is weak, our love when it has grown cold.
The Gospel reminds us that such renewal requires courage. Fear often prevents us from becoming the disciples God calls us to be. We fear rejection, criticism, misunderstanding, failure, or change. Yet Jesus says: “Do not be afraid”.
The confidence he offers is not based on our own strength. It rests on the Father’s providence. Not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Father’s knowledge (cf. Mt 10:29). Even the hairs of our head are counted (cf. Mt 10:30). These words reveal a God who is not distant or indifferent, but intimately concerned with every detail of our lives.
A testimony of trust
This truth is beautifully reflected in the life of St Joseph, to whom this chapel is dedicated. The Gospels record no spoken word of Joseph. Yet his entire life was a testimony of trust. When God called him to accept Mary as his wife, he obeyed. When danger threatened the child Jesus, he rose in the night and fled into Egypt. When circumstances were uncertain, he listened and acted with faith. Joseph faced situations that could easily have filled him with fear, yet he allowed trust in God to guide him.
For this reason, St Joseph remains a powerful model for all who bear responsibility in the Church and in society. He teaches us that true leadership is not domination but service; not self-promotion but fidelity; not seeking recognition but seeking God’s will.
It is fitting that within the Archbishop’s Palace there stands a chapel dedicated to him. The mission of the Church requires many decisions, many responsibilities, and many challenges. But every pastoral ministry must begin where Joseph’s calling began: in attentive listening to God and in humble obedience to his word.
Appreciating beauty
Today this restored chapel invites all to rediscover the value of beauty.
The beauty of this chapel should therefore lead us to something deeper than admiration. It should lead us to contemplation. Beauty in the Church is never an end in itself. It is a pathway to God. It lifts the mind, opens the heart, and awakens the soul to the presence of the divine.
Living witnesses
Jesus concludes today’s Gospel with a challenge: “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven” (Mt 10:32). This chapel stands as a public acknowledgment of faith. Its very existence proclaims that God is worthy of our worship and that Christ remains at the centre of our lives. Yet the Lord asks for more than beautiful places. He asks for living witnesses. The most convincing testimony to Christ is found in renewed disciples.
As we bless and inaugurate this sacred place, let us also renew our own dedication to the Lord. May this restored chapel become a place where fear gives way to trust, where anxiety yields to hope, where hearts are opened to grace, and where many discover anew the loving presence of God.
Through the intercession of St Joseph, faithful guardian of the Holy Family and patron of the Universal Church, may we all grow in courage, wisdom, and holiness. And may this restored chapel continue for generations to be a sanctuary of peace, and a sign that God never ceases to restore and renew his people.
✠ Joseph Galea-Curmi
Auxiliary Bishop of Malta
