Francis Xavier Fenech (17 March 1892 – 13 May 1969) was a Maltese prelate who became the first bishop of

Jhansi Jhansi ( ) is a historic city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. (Toshan) Balwant Nagar was the old name of Jhansi. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand, on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. He was born in

Floriana Floriana ( or ''Il-Floriana''), also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a Floriana Lines, fortified town in the Port Region, Malta, Port Region area of Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014 ...

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

on 17 March 1892. He studied at St Aloysius College in

Birkirkara Birkirkara (abbreviated as B'Kara or BKR) is a city in the Eastern Region, Malta, Eastern Region of Malta. It is the second most populous on the Malta (island), island, with 24,356 inhabitants as of 2020. The town consists of five autonomous pari ...

. At the age of 19 he joined the

Capuchin order The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. OFMCap) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFMObs, now OFM), the o ...

where he was given the name of Francis Xavier and followed a course of philosophy and theology. He was ordained to the priesthood by Giovanni Maria Camilleri the Bishop of Gozo on 25 May 1918. After his ordination he was assigned to work in the parish of Marsa. In June 1923 Fenech left

for Daman to Bombay, present day

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

. He spent six years in Bandra, Zaroli, Itarsi and Shampura. In April 1929 he was stationed in

in order to develop this territory into a diocese. The territory of Jhansi was separated from the Diocese of Allahabad in 1940 and created into an Apostolic Prefecture. Fenech was appointed as the Apostolic Administrator of the dioceses of Allahabad and Lucknow because their bishop Joseph A. Poli was taken prisoner in a concentration camp. In 1946 Fenech was appointed as the first prefect of the Apostolic Prefecture of Jhansi. In 1954

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...

elevated the Prefecture into the Diocese of Jhansi and appointed Fenech as its first bishop. He was consecrated on 28 November that year by Archbishop

Mikiel Gonzi Sir#British and Commonwealth honorifics, Sir Michael Papal nobility#Papal counts and countesses, Count Gonzi (born Mikiel / Michele Gonzi: 13 May 1885 – 22 January 1984), was Roman Catholic Archbishop of Malta from 1944 until 1976. He had b ...

at the St John's Co-Cathedral in

Valletta Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...

."Bishop Francis Xavier Fenech, O.F.M. Cap. †"
''Catholic Hierarchy''. Retrieved on 16 March 2014. During his time as bishop he worked tirelessly in improving the diocese's structure and established a diocesan clergy. He also founded many charities, schools and hospitals. On 8 May 1967 he retired as Bishop of Jhansi and was appointed as titular Bishop of Muzuca in Byzacena. Fenech died on 13 May 1969 of Cerebral Haemorrhage in

. He was buried in St. Jude's Shrine of

(

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fenech, Francis Xavier 1892 births 1969 deaths Maltese Roman Catholic missionaries 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in India People from Floriana Capuchins