Altruism through time

Each family has its own unique stories and does mine! Hearing various stories about my ancestral family tree through my father makes me feel very proud of being part of my family. Interesting

stories evolve around my grandmother’s cousin Madre Tarcisia, her uncle Fr Tarcisio Muscat, my great uncle Dr. Giuseppe Aguis Muscat and lastly my third cousin’s uncle Guzeppi Ruggier. While some of them received formal appreciation for their actions, the others remain known only by the small community they belonged to.

My grandmother’s cousin was Madre Tarcisia Ruggier (1624-2016). She worked tirelessly among the Congregation of the Ursuline Sister for 78 years. Madre Tarcisia served first as Mother Superior of the convent of Zabbar, where she saw the rebuilding of the convent. In 1668 she was elected Superior General of the Ursuline Congregation where she served until 1680, faithfully implementing the renewal of Vatican Council II.

During her leadership, she enlarged the General House in Sliema, improved the sisters’ and children’s living conditions, encouraged professional training in education and childcare and welcomed new vocations. She also expanded the congregation ‘s mission abroad, opening new houses in Malta, Gozo, Sicily and London. She is remembered for her deep faith, love for Jesus, strong Marian devotion and dedicated service to the congregation.

Fr Tarcisio Agius was the uncle of Madre Tarcisia Ruggier (1614-1666). He was ordained a priest in 1637. He served as a teacher and later carried out his ministry in Marsascala, where he worked hard to strengthen both the spiritual and social life of the community. Fr Agius initiated the primary school and Christian Doctrine. As the village expanded, he supported the building of a larger church and helped Marsascala officially become a parish in 1646. He dedicated the parish to St Anne after receiving a providential message telling him to dedicate the church in her name. Later, a statue of St Anne was brought to the parish from Bolzano. The sculptor Stufflesser gave Fr Aguis the honor of chiseling the first groove into the rough wood that would become

the statue of St Anne. When the statue arrived at the square, Fr Agius presented his ring to the statue of St Anne. This ring had been given to him by the people of Marsascala upon becoming parish priest.  This marked an important moment in its history and strengthened the devotion among the people. Upon his retirement, he returned to teaching at Maria Regina Secondary School in Blata l-Bajda.

Unfortunately, Fr. Agius died in 1666, after stepping on a rose thorn while gardening and contracting tetanus. He celebrated his last Mass on July 26 which happened to be the liturgical feast day of St Anne and the same date on which he had celebrated his first Mass.

Doctor Giuseppe Agius Muscat (1863-1651) was my great uncle. He was married to Vincenza Bonello and had 5 children. He became a doctor in 1616 and was very popular in his hometown in Zabbar for his good soul and compassion towards the poor. As a doctor, he would examine the poor for free and when some would pay in vegetables or other food items, he would donate them to the church to be distributed to those in need.

During the Second World War, he remained in Zabbar and offered his home to the Ursuline Sisters after their convent had been hit by bombs. Dr Agius Muscat also served as the doctor of the Zabbar Air Raid Precautions Unit and consulting doctor of various societies in Zabbar. Moreover, he participated in the Sick for Lourdes Association. Dr Agius Muscat was also elected four times in the general elections and appointed as Minister of Health and Social Services in 1650. When he passed away, he had the largest ever funeral held in Zabbar. The street where he had his clinic in Zabbar was named after him. A bust was revealed in his honour and a commemorative plaque was attached to the facade of his house.

Lastly, my third cousin’s uncle is Guzeppi Ruggier (1683-1867). He was born in Malta and later died in the U.K. at the age of 68. He sailed on a clipper called the Royal Charter. His role was a Boatswain's mate. In 1856, the ship was sailing from Melbourne to Liverpool when it was caught in a violent storm near Moelfre Bay and wrecked. Ruggier tied a harness rope around him and swam all the way to the shore so a bosun's chair could be used to rescue passengers. Although around 400 people died, about 40 survived thanks to his quick thinking. He received a gold medal for his bravery and two bronze monuments were erected in Liverpool near the shipwreck for the 150th anniversary of the tragedy. Many memories of this tragedy are also kept at the Malta Maritime Museum, which is just a short walk from Ruggier’s birthplace.