Dun Paul Mizzi

Dun Paul Mizzi twieled fl-24 t’ Awissu 1967 fl-isptar Blue Sisters u trabba tas-Sliema – fil-parrocca tal-Madonna tas-Sacro Cuor fejn irċieva l-ewwel sagramenti u serva bħala abbati. Dun Paul huwa l-kbir minn żewġ aħwa u flimkien ma ħuħ, kellhom trobbija sempliċi u normali għall-aħħar.

Huwa ħa l-edukazzjoni primarja tiegħu fl-iskola tas-sorijiet ta’ St Joseph tas-Sliema. Wara li temm l-iskola Sekondarja, fil-Kulleġġ Santu Wistin fil-Pieta’, għamel kors ta’ sentejn fis-Secretarial School tan-New Lyceum (illum il-Junior College). Fl-1987 daħal jaħdem bħala skrivan f’ kumpanija privata li tispeċjalizza fir-reġistrażżjoni tal-vapuri taħt il-bandiera Maltija.  Ftit snin wara huwa kien jokkupa kariga maniġerjali u fl-ahhar snin tal-ħidma tiegħu gewwa l-kumpanija kien ukoll wieħed mid-diretturi.

Ilu joqgħod San Ġiljan tmintax il-sena, wara li għamel madwar disa’ snin jgħix il-Pieta’; fil-parroċċa tal-Msida.

Beda, jħoss is-sejħa għas-saċerdozju meta kien żgħir, imma ħaseb li mhux kapaċi u ma jistħoqlux għaliha! Il-Mulej baqa’ jfakkru fis-sejħa, u fis-sena 2008 ħass mumenti qawwija.  Wara dan, tkellem mas-seminarju u beda’ l-mixja ta dixxerniment.  Parti minn din il-mixja kienet disa’ xhur ta’ esperjenza pastorali mal-mibki Fr Eric Overend ġewwa l-parroċċa taż-Żejtun fejn hemm għaraf aktar it-tifsira ta’ saċerdot djocesan.

Fil-festa tas-solennita’ ta’ San Pietru u San Pawl tal-2010 huwa ġie aċċettat biex jibda’ l-mixja fis-seminarju li kellha twasslu għas-saċerdozju. Fl-14 ta’ Ġunju 2013 ġie ordnat djaknu fil-Bażilika San Paolo Fuore le Mura f’Ruma, waqt li fl-1 ta’ Lulju 2014, ġie ordnat saċerdot mill-Arċisqof Pawlu Cremona O.P. fil-Kon Katidral ta’San Ġwann il-Belt Valletta.  Il-ħidma pastorali tiegħu wettaqha fil-parroċċa ta’ San Ġiljan fejn serva għal tmien snin bħala viċi kappillan. Tul dawn l-aħħar seba’ snin kien ukoll religious counselor tal-Iskola Nazzjonali tal-Isport f’Pembroke.

Matul iż-żmien li huwa serva bħala viċi-kappillan u kien ta’ spalla għall-kappillan, Dun Claude Portelli, li tul dawn is-snin kien marbut bil-ħidma kontinwa fil-bini taċ-Ċentru Parrokkjali.  Huwa kien ukoll imexxi l-gruppi tal-abbatini, connection teens u connections. Kien ukoll responsabli mit-tqarbin u l-pastorali tal-morda u l-ħidma pastorali fl-iskola primarja ta’ San Ġiljan.

Il-passatempi tiegħu huma il-qari, l-għawm u jagħmel eżerċizzji ta’ cardio l-gym.

Fl-8 ta’ Mejju 2022, l-Arċisqof Charles J Scicluna sejjaħlu biex ikun it-tlettax il-kappillan tal-parroċċa Ġiljaniża.  Huwa beda’ l-ħidma ufficjali tiegħu bħala kappillan fit-23 ta’ Settembru 2022.

 

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Fr Paul Mizzi was born on the 24th August 1967 at the Blue Sisters Hospital. He was raised in Sliema, in the parish of the Sacro Cuor, where he received his first sacraments and served as an altar server. Fr Paul and his younger brother had a typical childhood.

Fr Paul received his primary school education at St Joseph School Sliema. He received his secondary education at St. Augustine’s College in Pieta’. After completing secondary school Fr Paul attended a two year course at the Secretarial School of the New Lyceum (nowadays Junior College). In 1987 Fr Paul began working as a clerk for a private company that specialised in the registration of ships under the Maltese flag. A few years later Fr Paul held a managerial role within the company and toward the end of his career with the company he was also one of the company directors.

Fr Paul lived in Pieta’, in the parish of Msida, for around nine years before moving to St Julian’s, where he has lived for the past eighteen years.

Fr Paul began feeling the call to priesthood when he was young, but he doubted his ability to be a good priest. The Lord kept reminding Fr Paul about his calling, and in 2008 Fr Paul had strong spiritual experiences. Following these experiences, he contacted the seminary and began his journey towards discernment. As part of his journey Fr Paul spent nine months in the parish of Żejtun, where he gained pastoral experience and learned what it means to be a priest under the guidance of the late Fr Eric Overend.

It was in 2010 on the feast day of St Peter and St Paul that Fr Paul was accepted into the seminary as a seminarian. He was ordained a deacon in the Basilica San Paolo Fuori le Mura (Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls) in Rome on the 14th June 2013. On the 1st of July 2014 Fr Paul was ordained a priest by Archbishop Emeritus Pawlu Cremona O.P. in St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. He carried out his pastoral work in the parish of St Julian’s, were he was vice Parish Priest for eight years. He has also been the religious counsellor at the National Sports School in Pembroke for the last seven years.

Through his work as vice Parish Priest, Fr Paul helped the parish priest, Fr Claude Portelli, in several projects, including the building of the Parish Centre. Fr Paul also led the altar servers, Connections Teens and Connections. In addition, he was responsible for administering Holy Communion to the sick. Fr Paul also carried out pastoral work at the St Julian’s primary school.

His hobbies include reading, swimming and doing cardio at the gym.

On the 8th of May 2022, Archbishop Charles J Scicluna announced that Fr Paul will the thirteenth parish priest of St Julian’s parish. Fr Paul officially began his work as parish priest on the 23rd September 2022.