Ghajn Qajjed

The Marquesses of Ghajn Qajjed

• Titled: Michael Formosa Gauci, 6th Marquis
• Heir: (his brother) Josef Formosa Gauci, as the Marchesino.

British crown recognition in 1878.

The Delicata family, the last to be ennobled by the Order, claimed they could not live off their rents. Their lucrative possession was the Grua field which in 1797, only rendered 116 scudi

The title survived in the Delicata family till 1917, then succeeded by the next of kin, descendants of the 2nd Marquis, Luigi Manduca-Gauci, became 4th Marquis and died unmarried in 1926.

The title moved to Luigi second cousin, once removed, the present holders, Rev Victor Formosa-Gauci S.J., 5th Marquis, also Count of Santa Sofia, his brother is the Marchesino di Ghajn Qajjied and Contino di Santa Sofia.

Appreciation - Fr Victor Formosa Gauci, SJ
Mr CarmeL Hili, of Burmarrad, writes:

Some weeks ago Fr Victor Formosa Gauci went to meet the Risen Lord.

Fr Victor was an exemplary person both as a monk and as an educator. All those of us who had the good fortune of having had him as our mentor know what a conscientious teacher he was: impeccably punctual with well prepared lessons on subjects he loved and taught well and willingly; always ready to help his wards, even after school hours.

As students, we may not have appreciated the treasure we enjoyed. We affectionately nicknamed him 'the rising sun' because whenever we gave him cause for concern we could watch his face change colour in slow stages. His genuine concern for our well-being and the discipline he maintained gave his students a solid foundation in the process of character formation.

Regardless of his academic qualifications or titles of nobility, he was never heard to refer to them at all. He was humility personified. He was uniformly obedient to his superiors and infallibly meticulous. I will never forget his calligraphy, which was everyday handwriting to him.

Much less can I ever forget the many hours of spare time spent in his company as a 12-year-old boy. He delighted in telling me about his recollections of ships, trains and trams in Malta of yesteryear and of his war experiences.

Those of his students who have followed in his footsteps to become educators retain his example as a permanent yardstick. He lives in our memories, our hearts and spirit, a reliable template to ensure a quality service in our noble profession.

Fr Victor has our heartfelt thanks and our prayers for him to enjoy his just reward for a race well run and a fight well fought in the beauty, the glory and the awesome justice of God where we may be granted to meet again. Our condolences to his relatives and to his Brothers in the Society of Jesus.

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