On the outskirts of the hilltop village of Gharghur is Malta’s smallest 'church'. It’s not technically a church at all, to be precise, rather a miniature copy of the village parish church. However, such is the devotion that has gone into building this structure that it is now celebrated with an annual traditional feast in honour of the Madonna tal-Gebla l-Kbira (Our Lady of the Large Stone) in reference to its geographic location.

The mini-church started out as a shrine in the late 1950s in the corner of a field owned by fireworks manufacturer Bertu Fenech. Together with his friend Karmnu Micallef, Bertu wanted to give thanks to Our Lady of Sorrows for keeping him safe from harm while preparing fireworks. 

Over the years, the shrine grew and was embellished with pebbles and sea shells from the nearby beaches. The two men then set their sights on building a replica of Gharghur’s parish church which is dedicated to St Bartholomew. The mini-church which stands at just over 2.5 m in height comes complete with wooden doors, twin bell-towers with mini bells inside and replica mini street lanterns on either side of the building. Above one of the doors there is a small hand-painted inscription declaring “this was built by Bertu and Karmnu”. 

A niche housing the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows was also built nearby and more pebbles and seashells were used to create original signage. When the project was completed, a thanksgiving mass was said in the field followed by a small festa. The mini-church was blessed by the local parish priest in 1996.

The feast soon became an annual celebration, and it has now become a tradition which will once again be held this year on 14th September. Bertu and Karmnu have now both passed away, but Bertu’s nephew Victor Camilleri has inherited the field with its unique characteristic and it is now his responsibility to ensure the annual feast takes place. Victor, who is a builder by trade, had helped in the construction of the mini-church in the first place, so he too has contributed in creating this landmark.

The location could not be more idyllic, standing as it is on the edge of the village in Mgr Luigi Catania Street overlooking the valley between Gharghur and Birguma with distant sea views. The area is a peaceful oasis further enhanced by benches, which are perfect for a contemplative stop.

The mini-festa starts at 7pm with mass followed by traditional Maltese music, old village games and of course, fireworks.