Christianity has a deep and rich history in Malta, and it has been a central part of the island's cultural and religious identity for centuries. The Maltese Islands are known to be very religious. In fact, the church has ruled the country and its politics for many years. Today, the church is still a very strong organization and influences the Maltese lifestyle and decisions made by the government.
St. Paul's ShipwreckMalta became a strong Christian Country during St. Paul’s shipwreck in 60 A.D. It is said that St.Paul’s Ship was wrecked on the Maltese shore. The little island were they swam to from the wreck is now called St. Paul’s Island. This resulted in St. Paul becoming one of three Patron Saints of Malta. Now, the 10th of February is one of the Island’s public holidays. It is to commemorate St. Paul and his experience on the Island. During St Paul’s time in Malta, Publius, the leader of Roman Government in Malta converted to Christianity and became the first Bishop of Malta. St Paul, St Publius, and St. Agatha were the Patron Saints of the Rock. St Agatha’s story is a very sad. It is believed that she was tortured for being a Christian by the man who wanted to marry her but she refused him. During the torture she did not give up and kept praying, eventually becoming a martyr in 251 A.C. |
Churches on the Island
You will notice that Malta is a Christian nation as soon as you land on the island. This is due to the amount of churches easily seen from the Island's Horizons. There are 359 in total on this tiny Rock (313 in Malta and 46 in Gozo). If you follow the Church’s dome you will be closer to the town or village you are wanting to reach.
Most of the towns in Malta have two Churches. So, preparing for the Village Festa is always a very important yet competitive event for the locals.
The first church on the island is St Lawrence in Vittoriosa (Birgu, one of the three old cities of the island). It was built in the 17th century by the Maltese Architect Gafa. It was donated by Count Roger who visited the Rock in the 11th Century. This church was used by the Knights of St John’s before building Valletta. They eventually made it their Capital City.
The Miracle Church
The most Iconic church and dome on the Island belongs to the Church in Mosta. It is extremely recognizable. The Mosta Church is also known as the Miracle Church. This is due to the fact that during WWII, three bombs were thrown during a mass full of church goers. Two of them deflated and one did not explode until they managed to remove it from the church. No one was injured. The Dome is one of the most prominent in Europe and it is the 3rd largest unsupported Dome in the World! I highly suggest visiting the Mosta Dome if you visit the Rock!
