“They serve great fish here and as service goes, the staff are very polite,” Fr Louis Mallia explains, when I ask him why he chose Tal-Familja. “Whenever I want to take someone to a good restaurant, I bring them here,” he adds.

As is to be expected from a restaurant in Marsascala, this place specialises in fresh fish, shellfish and typical Maltese cuisine. One of its plus points is the ample parking, which is an asset for any restaurant.

As we are seated, we are immediately brought some delicious traditional appetisers – bigilla, salami and galletti.

Born in Zebbug, Gozo, Fr Louis comes from a family which was totally immersed in the traditional, religious culture of village life.

His grandfather, George Mallia, was an artiste in the true sense of the word – a talented musician, he played both the organ and the violin; he also set up a drama company and an orchestra for the village. As the sagristan, the running of the Church was also in his hands, including the decorations for the village feast and taking care of the band for the traditional march.

With the Church playing such a large role in their family life, it is not too surprising that Louis became a priest and his sister became a cloistered nun.

He decided to join the Missionary Society of St Paul (MSSP) when young priests from this order came to his village and impressed him by the more modern image they represented of the Church.

At 18 he joined the order, but as soon as he began his studies, something else happened which was to change his life forever.

“I was in my first year of philosophy when someone pointed out to me that my neck was swollen. It turned out to be a tumour which, within three months, grew so ferociously that I was in danger of dying.”

He says this matter-of-factly, trying to downplay the episode, stressing he only wants to tell me about his illness because of how it affected him afterwards.

“I think life is one lesson after another. At the time, here in Malta they told my family (but not me) that the cancer was too advanced and there was no hope. They said I would lose my vocal chords and the muscles in my neck. In fact, my neck was slit open from side to side when they operated (he shows me the still visible stitch scars). I suppose I was too young to understand how serious it all was. I was sent to the Royal Marsden in the UK and met a very nice consultant who spent about three hours talking to me about the procedure, the implications and possible consequences.

“He knew I was studying to be a priest and how important my voice was. Finally he said to me: ‘Let’s pray to the Lord, so that He will do what I cannot.’ We spent about half-an-hour praying, can you imagine? This very busy man, with all those patients to see, and he spent all that time with me – it was mind-blowing!”

The operation took 10 hours. Fr Louis spent a week in ITU, with no voice, breathing through a pipe in his trachea. This was followed by another month convalescing in the hospital. It was a long, painful struggle towards recovery.

He hurries through this part of his story, wanting to get it over with so that he can get to the crux of the matter… what he learned during this time.

“In that month I felt that life is so worth living and so beautiful, and that you have to make it beautiful. I was close to death; so many things could have gone wrong. But I was overwhelmed with this profound feeling of how wonderful life is, how you should not hurt yourself or others; that you should try to make this world a better place for everyone. I feel that experience instilled in me a new spirit, which has stayed with me throughout my life. Although it was a difficult time, and I was in constant pain, it was also a wonderful time. I never worried about was going to happen to me.”

Fr Louis is living proof that in our worst possible moments, we are helped to find inner strength from a force greater than us.

His treatment continued for another eight years, requiring countless trips back and forth to England, but today, at the age of 42, Fr Louis is fully recovered.

“When I look back I don’t feel any bitterness about what happened to me. I only remember the lesson which I learned. My illness gave me a renewed enthusiasm to live life to the full. Going through something like that is also very liberating – I think any time you go through something traumatic you become more free. Man’s life is made up of a series of these episodes which can help to free him. The moment you realise that you are no longer afraid of death, and that you are going to live your life for as long as you can, that’s inner freedom.”

Needless to say, this major life lesson has helped Fr Louis in his pastoral duties as well. After being ordained, he was asked to take over the Centru Animazzjoni Missjunarja (CAM) founded over 25 years ago by Mgr Joseph De Piro. This non-profit organisation helps people know more about the missions in Peru, Pakistan and the Philippines, as well as to raise funds and organise projects for these areas. There has always been a core of laypeople who are dedicated to helping the missions, but Fr Louis wished to use broadcasting, to better effect in order to promote the work being done.

First, however, he went to Peru, one of their most established missions, and spent four months there.

“With missionary work, there are different roles you can take. You can be on the front line, actually working in the missions, or you can help in a more concrete way by donating money for their projects or you can help by praying and creating awareness among others. I was in the latter category.

“ I had gone there with a camera to film what they were doing because I felt Maltese people needed to know. I filmed them receiving the containers sent from Malta and showing where the things were going.

“We always choose to work with people in the outskirts, who live in extreme poverty. When you see for yourself how much good the Church and laypeople are doing, and how much they are respected for building schools, clinics and kitchens, it is impressive. It was another life lesson for me. At the time there was a lot of terrorism and there was an outbreak of cholera as well, so when you are in the midst of all that poverty (rather than seeing it from afar) the reality of it hits you. At the same time you witness the goodness of these people and the dedication of missionaries who have given their life for this work.”

Fr Louis speaks with great admiration about these poverty-stricken regions where, despite their hardship, the people are kind-hearted and gentle.

“It is a melting pot of humanity and although it is like walking into an open wound, you are made to realise what is important in life. You go back to basics.”

Is this need to go back to basics what draws laypeople to become missionaries?

“Yes. You go there and it’s as if you have been stripped of everything – which is cruel and beautiful at the same time. You have to start “getting dressed” from scratch, acquiring a new culture, a different outlook and a different mentality. The language, the people, those who become your friends, are all new. The experience makes you learn who you really are, spiritually. You start asking yourself a lot of questions and trying to find the answers. Why is there all this poverty? What can I do in the face of all this misery?”

There may be those who feel that the work of a missionary is just a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed to alleviate poverty, but Fr Louis firmly believes that whether you make a difference to just one person or a hundred, the significance is the same.

“In Malta we have lost the meaning of what it is to live simply, but missionary work can re-awaken one’s appreciation of life. When you realise that you have been useful in a concrete way, it is a powerful feeling; it is much more meaningful than simply sending a cheque or saying a prayer.”

I ask Fr Louis what he learnt about himself while in Peru.

“That I can live simply; that spirituality is a vibrant thing which does not need structures. In Latin America you realise how joyful it is to actually live your faith within their community. I discovered my own fears in the face of their harsh inexplicable reality but at the same time I found in myself a depth of generosity which helped me confront these fears.”

I could listen to Fr Louis’ eloquent explanations forever – thank God he never lost his voice.

Laypeople usually go to a mission for a year, which is not something just anyone can do. Those who volunteer undergo extensive training in preparation for the new culture in which they are about to immerse themselves. Romantic notions of what missionary work means must be left behind, as Fr Louis tries to ensure that their feet are firmly on the ground.

“There will be very difficult moments as you leave your world behind and step into the shoes of these people and their struggles. For example, you may encounter a woman with five children who falls ill and can not take care of them. You also have to deal with the huge injustices in the way people are treated.”

So if you are overly sensitive, this is not the right work for you…

“Well, you have to be sensitive, because you would not go otherwise, but you have to be strong enough to help them.”

Some people might criticise the fund-raising carried out for these faraway countries, arguing that charity begins at home, but Fr Louis begs to differ.

“While we have an obligation to help people who are in need in Malta, we are also a part of the world, and to help those who are in other countries is just as fulfilling. We cannot isolate ourselves just because we live on a small island.”

We take a break from our conversation as our lunch arrives. Naturally, we had both ordered fish, taking the recommendation of the owner to sample the fresh sea bream. This came with generous helpings of grilled aubergines, salad and roast potatoes.

As we continue our conversation about the meaning of acquiring freedom from within, Fr Louis asks me a question.

“Where do you get your real joy, from your work or because the real joy is within you? Even if your work is difficult, no one can take your personal joy away from you because it is yours. Throughout your life you can achieve small liberties which eventually make you feel spiritually free, even if you know you are going to die tomorrow.”

Next it is time to talk about his other passion – a love of filming, directing and producing. It all started when PBS accepted his proposal for the CAM team to produce a programme about the missions. He admits that, with no real experience, it proved to be a difficult task. When the Church’s new radio station RTK brought over someone from the BBC to conduct a crash course in radio production, Fr Louis applied. For the next six years he had three programmes a week on the radio, on social issues.

Armed with the footage he had filmed in Peru, he approached Fr Joe Borg, then responsible for the Media Centre, and asked him whether he would be interested in turning it into a TV series. Fr Borg told him to go ahead and take care of it himself. Although he had been helping out in the production of Xhieda, producing something completely by himself was a different story. It was a baptism of fire, with Fr Louis spending an entire summer at the PBS studios putting the whole thing together, learning through trial and error and almost on the verge of giving up on several occasions.

It was another learning experience during which he discovered he enjoyed the medium of television but wanted to be properly trained. Eight years ago he went on a six-month course on television and radio production in Ontario and came back with a more professional outlook. Since then he has produced many more documentaries and is now a producer on Sejjahtli and Haddiehor, two socio-religious programmes.

For this season, the programmes will include clips filmed in the Holy Land, where the gospel was read in the actual locations mentioned in the Bible.

“It was an overwhelming spiritual experience to be physically present in the places you have read about for so long and where Jesus Himself lived, died and was resurrected.”

For Fr Louis, television is a powerful tool which can be effectively used to spread the word of God. In fact, he describes it as “the new pulpit”.

“I believe that religion should not remain in the sacristy and the Church should reach out to people and not just preach. Priests tend to behave as if they know it all, which is absolutely not true. We have to speak to people through the realities in which they are living today. Through our TV programmes we try to promote our missionary work as well as evangelise here in Malta. The fact that we are on the two political stations, Super One and NET TV, is also significant. Within our limitations, we can promote sound values which our society desperately needs. Our discussions are by laypeople and we try not to judge or condemn anyone.”

He feels that the programmes are achieving their aims, citing as an example when a woman was “complaining” about the fact that Haddiehor was on a Sunday morning. “She said: ‘I have to sit down and watch it because it doesn’t even seem like a religious programme!’ For me, that’s a compliment,” Fr Louis adds with a smile.

• 1989-Ordained priest MSSP

• Director of Centru Animazzjoni Missjunarja

• Director of Cam Productions International

• Trains laypeople for missionary work

• 1992 – 1998 Producer/presenter with RTK

• 1999 - Studied TV and radio production in Ontario

• Producer/director of Sejjahtli and Haddiehor