Many of us have become so used to our town’s religious landmarks, that we often forget there was once a time when these buildings were still in construction!

An old image of the Parish Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which was shared on the Facebook page Gzira- from then till now, reminds us of a time not too long ago…

The black-and-white photo captures the construction process of the parish church, which is located on Manoel De Vilhena Street in the town of Gzira. Also known as the Carmelite Church, this religious building was constructed between 1921 and 1935, and was later consecrated on 23^rd May 1959.

The reason behind its construction? The population of Gzira was expanding and a larger space was much needed! This new church would replace the small chapel, Our Lady of the Stone, which was previously being used.

Wondering why the church was dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel?

Well, on July 10^th 1902, two soldiers started throwing stones at a house with a small shrine near the bridge that led to Manoel Island. The soldiers, who were drunk at the time, threw a stone that got stuck between the glass and the image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Locals received this act as a divine sign, and they preserved the image in the Stella Maris Parish Church in Sliema.

A few years later, Gzira, a neighbouring town of Sliema, built a small chapel specifically to house the image. In 1913 this chapel became a vice-parish church, which served the townspeople of Gzira under the authority of the Sliema parish.

After Gzira became a parish church and the new church was erected, the image was moved to the Parish Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, where it is still preserved to this day!

What do you make of these unexpected turn of events that led to the name of the Gzira Parish Church?