San Pawl

Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Church

With the increase of summer residents in the early 1900's, St.Paul Shipwrecked Sanctuary became too small for this area. Marchioness Anna Bugeja provided for the building of a church and gave it to the Franciscan Conventuals. It became a Parish Church in 1905 and was considerably enlarged in 1968-1979. The architect was E.L.Galizia. It contains paintings by G.Cali'. Its dedication date is the 8th April 1979.

Chapel (at Castello dei Baroni)

At Wardija, there is the restored palace of Castello dei Baroni from the time of the Knights, which the Grandmaster used as a hunting lodge. It is in private hands and used mainly for wedding receptions. January 2010 it was opened to the public as a historical building. It incorporates its own chapel.

Immaculate Conception Wardija - Wied Qannotta

This chapel, commissioned by Noble Grazia Monpalao, was erected during the 16th century and up to the 17th century was dedicated to the Nativity of Our Lady. By a decree of Bishop Canaves, given on the 30th June 1717 after rebuilding, its feast was from that time on, to be celebrated on the 8th December and the church rededicated to the Immaculate Conception. The altarpiece of the new church, painted before 1744, in fact used to represent this dedication. This chapel is nowadays derelict and bare inside crying for restoration. Nearby in the same valley there is an unconsecrated private Chapel which is a miniature of the original with a room and belfry added at the back. 

Our Lady of Carmel

This church was built in 1854-55 and blessed in 1856. Its length was doubled in 1927 with the funds donated by Marchioness A.Bugeja who also funded the Parish church. The Franciscan Conventuals running the parish church took over its administration in 1929. Some overgrown trees close to the facade were removed in 2014. 

Our Lady of Grace Wardija - tal-Imrieha

A private chapel built in 1867 adjacent to the house of Count Manduca. This chapel was blessed by Rev George Caruana, Canon of the Mdina Cathedral in his capacity as delegate of Archbishop Gaetano Pace Forno. Its nickname tal-Imrieha comes from its position perched on top of Wardija hill in the way of prevailing winds.

Our Lady of Grace Wardija - tal-abbandunati

This church was built by Fra Ramon Perellos before he was elected Grandmaster. Dun Antonju Manso consecrated it on April 18, 1690. It is commonly known as Our Lady of the abandoned a title given to the church by the Grandmaster himself. Stefano Erardi painted its altarpiece. French soldiers ransacked this church during the occupation of 1798 when they even slashed the Erardi altarpiece. It was saved by the peasants of the area and later properly restored. Count Manduca whose family now owns the property, paid for various improvements in this church. Mass is celebrated here on Saturdays, Sundays and feasts nowadays. 

St.Anne Pwales

In 1575 an older church dedicated to the Nativity of Our Lady stood in a garden owned by Tomaso Xara. The church, which we now see, remained closed for a long period but was reopened in 1672 when Laurica Galea and Agata Xerri established an ecclesiastical living in it. Bishop Alpheran de Bussan decreed its deconsecration in 1731, but it was reopened by Bishop Pellerano in 1771. It suffered considerable damage during the French occupation in 1798 when some French soldiers slashed the titular picture with their bayonets and fired their rifles on the facade. It seems that after the departure of the French, those in charge of the church put up a picture of St.Anne instead of the ruined one, in this way changing the dedication! It was renovated in the 1930's and the walls buttressed. Nowadays the Franciscan Conventuals take care of it. 

St.George Wardija

Built in 1843, this church is not the first one on the site. The titular picture painted by Mr.Falzon shows the beheading of St.George, the Martyr of Cappadocia. The attached farmhouse bears the inscription: Casino Mifsud 1825.  Lately this chapel was totally restored.

St.John Baptist Wardija - tal-Hereb

Built at Wardija overlooking the bay before 1610 when it was deconsecrated after being desecrated by Muslim pirates, it used to serve as a mission church for Mellieha. Glormu Scerri rebuilt it as stated by Bishop Caligares during his Pastoral Visit of 1617 and it was again rebuilt in 1852 by the family of the owner Count Nikol Sciberras Bologna. During WWII the adjacent house was hit and demolished but not the church.

St.Joseph the Worker Xemxija

The Capuchins opened their first church on Xemxija heights in the 1930s. This was just part of a residence that they took over which as time went by was not enough for the increasing congregation. In 1959 they built a large rounded church, which could take a sizable number of people. This soon had to be demolished in 1988 after the land on which it was built started to subside. Construction works on a new church of a totally different design started in September 1992, the foundation stone being laid in February 21, 1993 by Fr Philip Cutajar. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on June 25, 1994.

St.Martin Wardija - La Verna House

Built in 1466 and restored in 1566, it was taken over by the Capuchin Franciscan Friars in 1786. With the adjoining buildings it used to serve as their retreat house. Nowadays it is in private hands.

St.Nicholas - Wardija

Mentioned with other churches and ancient settlements in a 17th century document.

St.Paul Shipwrecked tal-Hgejjeg

A Byzantine Christian church stood on the site where the Wignacourt tower now stands. The Arabs demolished it but it was rebuilt in 1090. A later building was still standing around 1610 and rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake. Grandmaster Alof Wignacourt dismantled it to make way for the coastal tower but rebuilt another one in today's location about half a Kilometer away. It is of rectangular design inside with an outside loggia. Its architect, Vittorio Cassar also designed the Wignacourt Tower itself. Seriously damaged by enemy action in WWII, the church was reconstructed to the original design of Cassar, re-opened and blessed in 1956. Its paintings were saved because they were moved to a safer place for the duration of the war. The building and paintings were recently restored. Actually this church used to fall under the jurisdiction of the Rabat St Paul Collegiate and only lately are the St Paul’s Bay Franciscan Friars taking care of it.

St.Simon Wardija

Built by Grandmaster Perellos, it was deconsecrated in 1616. After being rebuilt, the new chapel was blessed by Canon Dun Felic Cutajar on 22 April 1868. This small but beautiful neo-gothic chapel stands beside Qannotta castle and dominates the valley. Sadly it is deteriorating rapidly and the grounds are overgrown with huge weeds. It is said that its titular, which was painted by Silvio Micallef, represented St Simon holding a large Saw. No one seems to know where this painting ended up.