Saint Publicus - Valletta, Malta
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 35° 53.642 E 014° 30.758
33S E 456015 N 3972304
A statue of Malta's first saint and bishop, Saint Publicus, is located along the Lascaris Watefront (Xatt Lascaris) in Valletta, Malta
Waymark Code: WM11P39
Location: Malta
Date Posted: 11/24/2019
Views: 4
A stone statue of Maltese bishop, saint, and martyr St. Publicus depicts the Maltese saint wearing ecclesiastical garments of a bishop with a mitre headdress and staff. He is standing on a circular 8' high base. A dado on the base is inscribed:
SUA ECC REUMA
PUBLICIO MARIA DI CONTI SANT
ARCIV VESC DI MALTA
CONCEDE GIOR 40 D'INDULG A CHI RECITERA
UN PAER AVE GLORIA
INNANZI QUEST EFFIGIE DI S PUBBLIU M.
IMMAGGIE 1857
IT IS HERE THAT
COUNT PUBLICO MARIA SANT
ARCHBISHOP OF MALTA
GIVES A 40 DAY INDULGENCE TO WHOM THAT RECITE
A PATER AVE GLORY
BEFORE THIS EFFIGY OF SAINT PUBLICO M.
IMAGE 1857
Saint Publicus was born in Malta in 33 AD. According to Maltese lore he was the first person to bring Christianity to Malta. According to the Acts of the Apostles 28:7-10, he helped St. Paul when Paul was shipwrecked on Malta and was described as as "the chief official of the island". He converted to Christianity, became a Bishop of Malta and then Bishop of Athens. He was martyred in Athens, Greece early in the second century.
Saint Publicus is the patron saint of Floriana, Malta and, along with St. Paul, is the patron saint of Malta. He was canonized in 1634.
Publico Maria di Conti Sant was the Archbishop of Malta from April 12, 1847 to September 25, 1857 when he resigned. He died on October 20, 1864.