We’ve got a birthday to celebrate! Mellieha’s parish church dedicated to Marija Bambina is celebrating 91 years tomorrow since its consecration by Bishop Mauro Caruana in 1930.
The Archdiocese of Malta’s website gives an insight into this stunning parish’s history. “Mellieha was one of the 10 parishes mentioned in a document of 1436 but ceased to be a parish when the locality was no longer inhabited for fear of corsair raids,” they note, saying that the Our Lady sanctuary still remained a place for devotion.
“Mellieha became a parish again in 1844. On 5th September 1883, the Parish Priest, Rev Francis Maria Magri blessed the first stone of the new church. The new church was blessed by Bishop Pietro Pace on 5th September 1897,” and it was later consecrated on 18th February 1930. It was Rev Francis that dreamt of such a project considering that the population began to grow in later years and the sanctuary was just too small to accommodate the town’s people.
The church stands on a glorious hill, boasting incredible views of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern part of the island. It’s definitely a must-see spot on the islands, guaranteeing a breath-taking view (and hey, it’s totally Insta-worthy, too!).