The feast of St Paul is approaching - 10^th February marks the date that St Paul was shipwrecked in Malta during a storm, where he ended up converting Malta to Christianity.

But he was not the only saint who apparently landed in Malta. Together with him, there was St Luke.

It is said that the first thing that St Luke did while he stepped in Malta during the year 60 A.D. was paint the figure of Our Lady on the bare rock of a cave in what is now known as Mellieha.

Eventually, many years passed but by 409AD the cave was turned into a church and consecrated many times. It was in fact one of the first ten parishes in Malta.

Nonetheless, many historians have presented a different theory. They say that the icon has Siculo-Byanzatine origins and was therefore not painted by St Luke.

It has nonetheless been a popular pilgrimage destination. In fact, Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt used to visit this Mellieha sanctuary every Saturday.

Even the beloved Pope John Paul II visited and prayed at this sanctuary during his visit in 1990.

Have you ever visited?