Time passes and does not wait for anyone. More than 30 years have passed since the death of our beloved Carmelite Bishop Redemptus Gauci. Several people have encouraged me to write something about him so that his memory will not be forgotten.
Bishop Redemptus Gauci was born in Valletta on 27th December 1920 and was baptized in St Paul’s Shipwreck Parish Church in Valletta. He was christened Vincenzo and known to his family and friends as Ċensu. When he was 15 years old he entered the Carmelite order as a novice and on 1st January 1937 made his simple profession. He began his linguistic, philosophical and theological studies in the Carmelite Priory in Balluta at the College of St Cyril.
On 22nd January 1942 he made his Solemn Profession at the Carmelite Church in Balluta and on 1st August 1943 he was ordained priest at the age of 22. Among the pastoral tasks undertaken by Fr Redemptus, he worked in the sanctuary of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta, taught Secondary school of Mariano Apostolico which is now St Elias College and started work with the Carmelite Tertiary and became spiritual director of the Legion of Mary.
On 14th December 1945, he also became one of the first members to establish the Carmelite community in Fgura. At that time there were only four priories in Malta: Mdina, Valletta, Balluta and Santa Venera. Every religious priory offered a friar to establish this religious community in Fgura. Fr Tarcisio Licari was sent from the priory of Balluta who became the first Prior of the community, Fr Redemptus Gauci was sent from the priory of Valletta, Fr John Caruana from Santa Venera and from Mdina Brother Romeo Bezzina.
June 1949 was to be a decisive year for both the Maltese Carmelite Missions as well as for Fr Redemptus Gauci and Fr Ignatius Axisa. That year changed both the history of the Carmelite Missions and the life of Fr Redemptus as it was decided that the mission of the Carmelite Friars was to start in Arequipa in Peru.
The Archbishop of Arequipa gave the Maltese Carmelites a parish in his diocese. Fr Gauci was chosen to run this mission with Fr Ignatius Axisa who had just been ordained priest. On 6th June 1949, these two brave friars left for Peru in South America. After many stops and transport changes they arrived in Tingo in Peru to the parish which from then on was to become the home of many Maltese Carmelite missionaries.
A new life started in Tingo, a life filled with hard work and sacrifice, a life that is so synonymous with missionaries. At that time in Tingo there were 10,000 people who were all dependent on missionaries for their spiritual needs. Moreover, the missionaries also worked for the socio-cultural economic development of the poor who were constantly oppressed and robbed by the wealthy and those in power.
Apart from his pastoral work: baptisms, three Masses every Sunday, marriages, catechism and social assistance, Fr Redemptus became parish priest and later director of the Reformatory for delinquents and abandoned children. He also started the Legion of Mary in Peru.
On the occasion of the National Eucharistic Congress, Fr Redemptus wrote a book entitled The heaven on earth in Spanish about the Mass, Communion and so on. Fr Redemptus also wrote several articles in various newspapers in Malta. After six years in Peru, he came to Malta to attend the Provincial Chapter and here spoke about the needs and difficulties that the missionaries faced, and encouraged friars to join the Mission. When he returned to Tingo, together with Fr Anthony Vidal he tried to find another place to accommodate the many missionaries.
In 1958 Fr Redemptus together with Fr Seraphin Abela went to La Legua for a trial period. There they found many obstacles and problems and returned after six months. In 1960 when work began on the new church in Tingo, Fr Redemptus left for Camana a place about 200 miles away from Tingo. In 1961 Fr Redemptus came for the Provincial Chapter and Prior General suggested that the new Prior Provincial Fr Elijah Caruana should visit the missionaries. This visit of the Prior Provincial bore many fruits. Indeed after a few years the place became a Territorial Prelature of Chuqibamba of which Fr Redemptus became the first prelate. The Prelature of Chuqibamba is composed of four major provinces and spans over 20,000 square kilometres, about 65 times the size of Malta.
The Territorial Prelature was declared on 5th June 1962. On that day the Archbishop of Arequipa went to the Carmelite friars and from his pocket produced a red zucchetto which he placed on Mgr Redemptus Gauci’s head and thus nominated him Prelate of Chuqibamba. The 15th of August 1962 was a commemorative day for Mgr Gauci as well as for the people Chuqibamba. On this day he was given possession of the prelature by the Archbishop of Arequipa. Many Carmelite friars, priests and distinguished people attended the ceremony.
While in Chuqibamba, Mgr Gauci invited the Missionary Society of St. Paul (MSSP) to work in Peru who to this day are still there.
It is important to mention that Mgr Gauci had taken part in the Second Vatican Council. In April of 1967 news reached Malta that Mgr. Gauci was chosen by the Holy See to become the Titular Bishop of Ida in Mauretania. He chose to be consecrated in Malta at St John’s Co-Cathedral on 30th April. The ceremony was conducted by the Archbishop Gonzi aided by the Vicar General Mgr Emanuel Galea and Mgr Raymond D. Lamont O.Carm, Bishop of Umtali in Rhodesia.
After spending more than 28 years abroad in the missions, he had to return to Malta due to ill health. He passed away on 10th February 1978 at the Blue Sisters Hospital at the age of 58. On that day he was supposed to deliver the Panegyric at Saint Paul’s parish church in Valletta. His funeral took place at the Sanctuary Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Valletta, led by the Prior Provincial Fr. Eugene Tonna and concelebrated with about 100 priests. The Archbishop of Malta Mgr. Joseph Mercieca and Bishop of Gozo Mgr. Nicholas Cauchi together with the Apostolic Nuncio assisted in the Mass. At the end of the Mass, Archbishop Mercieca said the last prayers and blessed his corpse. He was then buried in the family tomb at the cemetery of Santa Maria Addolorata.
I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to pray for him and the missionaries. May the Lord grant us shepherds that will guide us with such dedication.
Father Hermann Duncan O.Carm
Balluta