Frenc Tal-Gharb

Frenc Tal-Gharb (Born:3 December 1892 - Died:19 May 1967)

Francis Xavier Mercieca, more commonly known as Frenc tal-Gharb, was born in the village of Għarb in Gozo, Malta on the 3 December 1892. He is Gozo's most famous faith healer, and an apostle of Our Lady of Ta' Pinu. His parents, Salvu Mercieca and Beneditta née Mercieca, reared a family of twelve children. Like most other families in Gozo, Mercieca's family had also a nickname; they were known as “Tas-Sajf”, literally meaning “Of Summer”.^[1]

Early life

From an early age Frenc had to work in the fields of his family. His primary education came to a halt at the age of twelve years because, as he stated his father required his services in the fields from dusk till dawn.^[2]

In 1917, his father died at the age of 75. Some members of Frenc’s family emigrated, whilst others got married.

Frenc was influenced by the kind-hearted and pious character of his mother Beneditta. During the years of World War I (1914–1918), she would often share her crops with other villagers, thus alleviating the problems of famine in other families.

The kind-heartedness of Frenc's family is also shown by the fact that they accommodated in their household two priests: Rev. Can Paul Custo`^[3] and Rev. Nazju Axiak. The latter lived with the family from 1920 till his death in 1947.^[4]

Adulthood

Frenc, who remained a bachelor throughout his life, was an active member of the Catholic Action movement which had a presence in his village. He had a great devotion towards the Blessed Virgin Of Ta' Pinu and towards the Holy Eucharist.

Frenc used to take part in village theatrical productions, better known as “teatrin”. His part, very often, was that of a clown. People used to flock to the village hall to watch Frenc.^[5]

Frenc spent most of his life working in the fields. When he returned home, he used to find a lot of people, coming all walks of life, waiting for him. They would seek his counsel and were eager to listen to his advice and to elicit from him prayers for their needs.^[6]

Frenc combined his old knowledge in old medicinal herbs, his prayers and his faith in Our Lady for his cures, and his reputation spread rapidly throughout the entire Maltese Islands and even abroad.^[7]

Very often he would anticipate the questions that people were going to pose to him. He even disclosed to some of his visitors incidents from their own past, especially their past wrongdoings. A reprimand and a call for repentance would normally follow. In some cases he even foretold the future.^[8]

Frenc in Court

Frenc, who never studied medicine and never worked in a medical environment, was considered by many inhabitants of the Maltese Islands as a healer of body and soul.^[9] On 6 August 1966, Frenc was interviewed by the late Charles Arrigo on Malta's cable radio system which was then run by Rediffusion.In this interview Frenc stated, that certain members of the medical profession, were skeptical of what Frenc was doing.He was even taken to court where, on 11 June 1938, he was charged with unauthorized medical practice. Although found guilty, he was not fined anything, due to his clean conduct.^[10] This incident did not stop the public from continuing to visit Frenc, who, now under constant police surveillance, refused to accept any visitors.

A Loophole

Someone informed Frenc about a loophole in the law: he could see people who were accompanied by a medical certificate, indicating, amongst other things, what treatment was required from him; e.g. massage of the feet. Eventually the medical profession and the law decided to let Frenc continue with his practice, even without the need of a medical certificate. He never accepted any money from his visitors; all donations were passed over to Ta' Pinu Sanctuary.^[11]

Frenc And Saint Gorg Preca

Although Frenc was never keen to cross the channel to Malta, whenever he did so, he was always inundated with several requests to visit the homes of sick people. Frenc always did his utmost to accommodate such requests.

Frenc had deep respect for Dun Gorg Preca, now Saint Gorg Preca. They knew each other. On one occasion, when Frenc went on one of his trips to Malta, we have an account by Frenc’s sister, Filippina, of an encounter with San Gorg Preca. Dun Gorg requested Frenc to accompany him for some visits to sick people. Filippina recounts how Frenc and Dun Gorg went on these visits walking along the streets hand in hand.^[12]

Frenc died on 19 May 1967 in the same house that he was born in.^[13]

People today still go to the picturesque village of Gharb and visit the house where Frenc lived. His house has been converted into a historical and folklore Museum.^[14]

Monument to Frenc Tal-Gharb

On August 29 of 2003, the late President Guido de Marco unveiled a monument to Francesco Mercieca, (better known as Frenc tal-Gharb. A number of poems were read by Jonathan Mintoff, Noel Fabri and Lorna Cassar, together with musical pieces by the Mosta Scout Group, a talk on Frenc's life by historian Rev. Dr Joseph Bezzina and some testimonial to a cure through the intercession of Frenc tal-Gharb. The life-size monument, by the Gozitan sculptor Alfred Camilleri Cauchi, was cast in bronze at the Bonvicini brothers' foundry in Verona, Italy. The monument was blessed by the local archpriest, Mgr Carmelo Gauci. Gharb mayor David Apap, Fr Bezzina and late former President de Marco made speeches for the occasion ^{[15] [16]}

References