Monday, 1st February 2010: HE Mgr Mario Grech, Bishop of Gozo, appointed Jimmy Xerri Ph.L. as the new Archpriest of Nadur parish. Mgr Xerri, a priest from the parish of St. George, Victoria, has, for the past 15 years been a missionary in Brazil. Mgr Jimmy Xerri succeeds Mgr Salv Muscat, who had been the Archpriest of Nadur parish from November 1982.

Jimmy Xerri was born on August 30, 1957, in New South Wales, Australia, the son of Frank and Geswalda née Vella. He was baptised on September the 15th, 1957, at the parish church of Our Lady of Mt Carmel, of the Carmelitan friars of Wentworthville, where he was named James George.

Though born in Australia, where he received his primary education in a school led by the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart, Fr Jimmy grew up in Gozo. When his family returned to the island, young Jimmy continued his studies at the Sir Arturo Mercieca Primary School in Victoria, and later on at the Ninu Cremona Lyceum Complex.

In 1974 he began his course at the Seminary of Gozo which was his formation to being ordained a priest. The intermediate year was taken in Melbourne, Australia, in the parish of St. Bernardette, North Sunshine. He received his ordination in the Cathedral church of Gozo, on Saturday, the 27th of June 1981, by HE Mgr Nicholas G. Cauchi. He went on to celebrate his first solemn Mass in the parish of St George in Victoria.

After his ordination, Fr Jimmy went to Rome and took a course of philosophy. When he came back to Gozo he spent four years as director of the St. Joseph Orphanage, Ghajnsielem. At that time he also lectured in History of Philosophy at the Gozo Major Seminary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. For about eight years Fr. Jimmy was also the secretary of Bishop Nicholas G. Cauchi, as well as carrying out secretarial work at the school of the Minor Seminary.

For many years Father Jimmy also conducted pastoral work at the Good Shepherd church, Tac-Cawla. Here he was known for his homilies and had a great heart for everyone and was much loved by children, youth, adults and elderly. Not only was he involved in organising the meetings of the Catholic Action Group, but also often arranged drama and different activities with the young people there.

It was from here that felt the call to leave home and took off to Brazil to carry out missionary work in this country. He was the pastor in Maceió and for some years occupied the post of Rector at the Seminary of the same city. His last appointment in Brazi, was as parish priest of St Sebastian, Messias, in the Alagoas state.

Besides the books that he had published when he was still in Gozo, including ‘Towards a Christian Culture’ in 1993, which has for many years served as the best collection of syllabus textbooks on Religion at advanced level, Fr Jimmy has also published five other books in Brazil. 

Illum it-Tnejn 1 ta’ Frar 2010, Mons Isqof Mario Grech ħatar lil Mons Jimmy Xerri Ph.L. bħala l-Arċipriet il-ġdid tal-parroċċa tan-Nadur. Mons Xerri, saċerdot mill-presbiterju tal-parroċċa ta’ San Ġorġ, Victoria, Għawdex, ilu għal dawn l-aħħar 15-il sena missjunarju fil-Brażil.
Mons Jimmy Xerri qed jissuċċiedi lil Mons Salv Muscat li kien ilu Arċipriet tal-parroċċa tan-Nadur minn Novembru 1982.
Mons Jimmy Xerri twieled nhar it-30 ta’ Awissu 1957 fi New South Wales, l-Awstralja, minn Frank u Ġeswalda neè Vella. Gie mgħammed nhar il-15 ta’ Settembru 1957 fil-parroċċa tal-Verġni Marija tal-Karmelu, immexxija mill-patrijiet Karmelitani f’Wenworthville, bl-isem ta’ James George.

Beda l-edukazzjoni primarja tiegħu fl-iskola tas-sorijiet Franġiskani tal-Qalb ta’ Ġesù , u meta l-familja tiegħu irritornat f’Għawdex, kompla l-edukazzjoni fl-iskola Sir Arturo Mercieca u mbagħad Ninu Cremona fuq livell sekondarju.
Fl-1974 beda l-kors tiegħu fis-Seminarju ta’ Għawdex li kellu jwasslu biex jiġi ordnat saċerdot. Is-sena intermedjarja għamilha f’Melbourne, l-Awstralja, fil-parroċċa ta’ St Bernardette, f’North Sunshine. Huwa rċieva l-ordinazzjoni presbiterali fil-knisja Katidrali nhar is-Sibt 27 ta’ Ġunju 1981, minn idejn l-E.T. Mons Nikol Ġ. Cauchi. Iċċelebra l-ewwel quddiesa solenni tiegħu fil-parroċċa ta’ San Ġorġ, fil-belt Victoria.
Wara l-ordinazzjoni, Dun Jimmy mar Ruma u hemm ħa l-kors tal-filosofija. Lura f’Għawdex hu għadda erba’ snin bħala direttur tal-Istitut San Ġużepp, f’Għajnsielem. F’dak iż-żmien kien ukoll lecturer tal-Istorja tal-Filosofija fis-Seminarju Maġġuri tal-Qalb ta’ Ġesù. Għal madwar tmien snin kien ukoll segretarju tal-Isqof Nikol Ġ. Cauchi u ħadem ukoll bħala segretarju fl-iskola tas-Seminarju Minuri.
Ghal snin twal Dun Jimmy wettaq ukoll ħidma pastorali fiż-żona tar-Ragħaj it-Tajjeb, f’Taċ-Ċawla. Hawn hu kien magħruf għall-omeliji tiegħu u għall-qalb kbira li kellu għal kulħadd u kien maħbub ħafna mit-tfal, żgħażagħ, adulti u anzjani. Mhux biss kien jorganizza l-laqgħat tal-Azzjoni Kattolika, imma wkoll spiss kien itella’ drammi u attivitajiet ta’ kull xorta flimkien maż-żgħażagħ.
Kien minn hawn li ħass is-sejħa li jħalli pajjiżu u telaq lejn il-Brażil biex iwettaq ħidma missjunarja f’dan il-pajjiż. Għadda żmien f’parroċċa f’Maceiò u għal xi snin okkupa l-kariga ta’ Rettur fis-Seminarju tal-istess belt. Dan l-aħħar kien kappillan ta’ San Sebastjan, f’Messias, fl-istat ta’ Alogoas, Brażil.
Barra l-kotba li kien ippublika meta kien għadu Għawdex, fosthom ‘Lejn Kultura Nisranija’ fl-1993, li baqa’ jservi għal snin twal bħala l-aħjar ġabra tas-sillabu tar-Reliġjon fuq livell avvanzat, kemm ilu l-Brażil Dun Jimmy ippubblika ħames kotba