He managed to convert an entire nation.
When your country is mentioned in the Bible, you know it’s a big deal. And it’s thanks to this Biblical story that Malta has this public holiday today.
Today is the feast of St Paul’s Shipwreck, which kicks off the first of the public holidays on the calendar. On this day, Malta highlights the shipwreck and the birth of Christianity on our islands, way back in 60D. And lucky for us, it’s one of the few religious feasts that is also a public holiday.
The story
So, back in the year 33AD (or maybe 36AD…no one knows for sure), a man named Saul was riding to Damascus and was until then untouched by Christianity. But, as dramatic things go, a beam of light jolts from the sky, blinding him and throwing him to the ground. But it was because of this higher power intervention that he would go on to travel to various places, including our islands, changing the religious beliefs of the locals. From then on, he became known as Paul.
Fast forwarding to 60AD, a brutal storm hit in the Mediterranean as Paul’s ship was on its way from Crete to Rome. You can guess what happens next. Yup, St Paul is shipwrecked on our islands, survived a poisonous snake bite in the process, and managed to convert the island from paganism towards Christianity and Roman Catholicism. And boom – the rest is history.
Valletta’s celebrations
It’s a big day for the capital too, which celebrates St Paul religiously. If you’re heading over, you should pop by the Church of St Paul’s Shipwreck. It’s always beautifully decorated and a mass is typically held in the morning to commemorate the day, celebrated by the Bishop and attended by the President and various politicians. Nonetheless, the full celebration will fall on the 24th February this year, since carnival celebrations are on the same weekend.
Other spots to visit
As you may have noticed, there are lots of places around the islands that are named after the saint. That's how popular St Paul is. Apart from the church in Valletta, there’s also St Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat, St Paul’s Grotto also in Rabat, the entire town of St Paul’s Bay and obviously St Paul’s islands just off the coast of St Paul’s Bay.
How will you be spending the day?