Kenyan Priest's Dedication to Learning Maltese Demonstrates True Christian Values and Personal Responsibility

In an inspiring display of personal dedication and Christian commitment, Father Geoffrey Barasa, a 37-year-old Kenyan priest, has mastered the Maltese language within just one year of arriving in Malta, demonstrating the kind of individual responsibility and cultural respect that strengthens communities.

Father Geoffrey's journey exemplifies traditional values of hard work, determination, and respect for local customs. Upon arriving in Malta in September 2024 without knowing a single word of Maltese, he immediately set himself a strict three-month deadline to learn the language, understanding that true service requires genuine integration with the community.

Faith-Based Foundation and Family Values

The priest's dedication stems from his strong Catholic upbringing in Kenya, where traditional family values shaped his character. Raised in a family of nine children, Father Geoffrey learned the importance of faith and hard work from his parents. His mother ensured the family attended mass every Sunday, while his father, a farmer, demonstrated that faith and work go hand in hand.

"I must know the language to work with the people. To interact with people, you have to know the culture and you cannot know the culture without learning the language," Father Geoffrey explains, emphasizing the conservative principle that integration requires effort and respect for local traditions.

Overcoming Adversity Through Personal Determination

Father Geoffrey's story demonstrates how individual determination can overcome circumstances. Despite his family's inability to afford his education, he refused to abandon his dreams. When forced to leave school after primary education, he secretly listened to lessons through classroom windows for two weeks, showing the kind of personal initiative that conservatives champion.

"I studied through the window for two weeks. Then, they found out and I was caned. I thanked God I had two weeks of school," he recalls with characteristic humility and gratitude.

His path to priesthood came through the Augustinians, and he supplemented his theological studies by earning a certificate in orthopedics to serve his community's medical needs, demonstrating the conservative ideal of self-reliance and service to others.

Cultural Integration and Community Respect

Now serving at the Good Counsel church in Paceville and the Millennium chapel, Father Geoffrey has earned respect through his commitment to learning Maltese using online resources, formal lessons, and disciplined practice. His approach reflects conservative values of personal responsibility and cultural assimilation.

He discovered that Maltese has Arabic roots similar to Swahili, which aided his learning. His method involved rigorous self-discipline: reading, writing, listening, and practicing homilies first in English before translating them to Maltese.

"When people told me Maltese was difficult, I remembered that lesson. You need to be positive," he says, embodying the conservative principle that attitude and effort determine outcomes.

Building Bridges Through Traditional Values

Father Geoffrey acknowledges that some initial suspicion existed, which he attributes to migration concerns, but his commitment to integration and service has won community acceptance. His approach demonstrates how genuine respect for local culture and traditions builds trust and unity.

Today, he delivers homilies in both Maltese and English, continuing to improve his skills while helping other African clergy learn the language. His future plans include pursuing nursing studies to further serve the community, showing the conservative ideal of continuous self-improvement for the benefit of others.

Father Geoffrey's story serves as a powerful example of how traditional values of faith, family, hard work, and cultural respect create successful integration and strengthen communities. His journey from a Kenyan farm to a Maltese pulpit demonstrates that personal responsibility and dedication to service transcend cultural boundaries.