Mgr. Mikiel Azzopardi was born in Valletta on the 10th February, 1910 to Toninu Azzopardi and Amalja nee’ Galea. Mikiel was the first born and was ordained priest by Archbishop Emanuel Caruana at the Mdina Cathedral on the 22nd December, 1934. After the war he started his mission by founding the Malta Catholic Action. He first worked as inspector within the Education Department and was also responsible for local religious broadcasting. During his final years he set up id-Dar tal-Providenza to offer residential care to persons with disabilities who for some reason or other could not continue living with their natural family. Mgr Azzopardi died on the 13th May 1987 at the age of 77.
Mgr. Mikiel Azzopardi together with other Maltese pioneers in this field worked hard to overcome barriers then existing within the Maltese society to enable persons with disabilities to gain the deserved respect and dignity and to allow them to have equal opportunities within the local society.