The Face of Charitity: The Blessed Gerard Project
This project has the kind blessing of H.M.E.H. the Prince and Grandmaster, Fra’ John T. Dunlap; His Grace the Archbishop of Malta, Charles Jude Scicluna; the Mother Prioress Sr Agnese Zammit of St Ursula Monastery; Reverend Monsignor Brendan M. Gatt, Principal Chaplain of the Maltese Association and Fra’ Max Rumney, Grand Prior of England.
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The Project
All the founders of the great religious families in the Catholic Church have, over the ages, been declared saints. It would be a blessing for the millions who have been, and will be, assisted by the Sovereign Order of Malta if the Founder and first Rector of the Hospital in Jerusalem, Blessed Gerard, were to receive this deserved recognition by the Church. Therefore, the reconstitution of his true image has become a compelling need.
For nearly a millennium, the Sovereign Order of Malta has followed in the footsteps of Blessed Gerard. While his legacy of Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum is immortal, his physical likeness has remained lost to time until now.
In anticipation of his ‘canonisation by equivalence’, members of the Order and scientists in Malta have formed a multidisciplinary team and have successfully completed the first phase of a historic forensic endeavour: the geometric measurement and 3D scanning of Blessed Gerard’s relic skull.
The four strategic phases of the Blessed Gerard Project are unfolding as follows:
Phase 1:
Digital Preservation. The 3D scanning of the relic and the production of a precise 1:1 physical copy. This stage is now completed.
Phase 2:
Possible Reunification. Contacts have been established to reunite the skull with its mandible, which is currently held by the Grand Priory of England. The reunification will occur through the amalgamation of the scans, thereby completing the full skull structure.
Phase 3:
Facial Reconstruction. Using the skull and mandible as a biological map, experts will digitally reconstruct a realistic portrait, providing both 3D and digital renderings.
Phase 4:
Osteobiographical Analysis. An osteobiography of the skull will be undertaken, revealing previously unknown details about Blessed Gerard.
A Discovery of Profound Meaning?
A preliminary examination of the skull has yielded a revelation of immense spiritual and historical importance: Blessed Gerard likely suffered from a cleft lip.
This disability, noticeable to those he served, reframes our understanding of the Order’s origins. It is a powerful testament that the Founder of the oldest medical mission in the world was himself a person with a disability. His visionary leadership shares in the vulnerability of the poor and the sick, thereby adding a further dimension of personal commitment.
A Legacy with a Human Face
As we move towards his long-awaited canonisation, an accurate image will foster a deeper personal devotion among millions of people worldwide.
The true face of Blessed Gerard will also serve our Order as a constant reminder that our mission is rooted in the human encounter. To look upon the face of our Founder is to encounter the embodiment of the compassion we are called to offer to every person in need.
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The Blessed Gerard Project is indebted to Prof. Alex Felice KM, in memoriam
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The following is the link to the photographic record of the scanning proceedure:
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The following is the link to the photos of the re-sealing of the relic:
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On the 2nd May 2026, Dr Dane Munro and Dr Kevin Dingli presented His Most Eminent Highness the Prince and Grand Master, Fra’ John Dunlap with a printed copy of the Relic during the Order’s International Pilgrimage, in Lourdes, France.
Photos credit: Mr Emanuele Cassieri
Below: The front, left and right views of the digitally printed skull:
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