The Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady ( mt, Knisja Parrokjali tal-Immakulata Kunċizzjoni) is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

Ħamrun Hamrun (; ) is a town in the Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 9,244 as of March 2014. The people The townspeople are traditionally known as ''Tas-Sikkina'' (literally meaning 'of the knife' or 'those who carry a knife') or as '' ...

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. It was built between 1958 and 1963 and it took over the role of an oratory dedicated to the

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...

which had been established in Ħamrun in 1923. It has been a parish church since 1968.

History

An oratory dedicated to the

was established in

by Paul Burlo on 15 May 1923. Initially set up within a private dwelling, its location was moved several times over the next two decades. After Burlo died in 1950, the priest Edgar Vella took over the oratory and made plans to construct a permanent church. With assistance from Archbishop

Mikiel Gonzi Sir Michael Count Gonzi, (born Mikiel Gonzi: 13 May 1885 – 22 January 1984), was Roman Catholic Archbishop of Malta from 1944 until 1976. He had been enthroned as Bishop of Malta in December 1943, and was consecrated as the first Archbish ...

and pastor Matthew Chircop from the St Cajetan parish, Vella acquired a plot of land which formerly contained railway tracks of the

Malta Railway The Malta Railway was the only railway line ever on the island of Malta, and it consisted of a single railway line from Valletta to Mdina. It was a single-track line in metre gauge, operating from 1883 to 1931. The railway was known locally in ...

to build the new building. The new church was designed by the architect

Ġużè Damato Ġużè or Joseph Damato (13 December 1886 – 25 May 1963) was a Maltese architect who designed a number of churches and other ecclesiastical buildings during the 20th century. He was a pioneer of the use of reinforced concrete in Malta, and his ...

and it was built by the stonemason Geraldu Camilleri. The first stone was laid down by Bishop Emanuel Galea on 23 March 1958, and by the end of the year the basement was completed and it was being used to celebrate Mass. The building was almost complete by the time of Vella's death in 1962, but works halted soon afterwards due to a number of unpaid debts. The priest Joseph Mifsud Bonnici was later appointed to resume construction, and the building's finishing touches were made with the assistance of local volunteers. The church was inaugurated by Bishop Galea on 14 August 1963. The area in which the church was built had developed rapidly in the years following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. The building became a vice-parish church in 1966, and later a

on 1 January 1968. A parish centre and a house for the pastor were built adjacent to the church in the 1970s, and work on the church's interior was fully completed in the 1980s. It was officially consecrated by Archbishop

Joseph Mercieca Joseph Mercieca ( mt, Ġużeppi Mercieca, 11 November 1928 – 21 March 2016) was a Maltese prelate who served as the second Archbishop of Malta from 1976 to 2006. He is credited with restoring stability in the Maltese church following the dispu ...

on 28 May 1988.

Architecture

Externally, the church is built in a classical style and it includes a small

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

dome and a single bell tower. It is about long and wide, and it includes a single altar set in front of a sanctuary which consists of three large niches. Two

sacristies A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is usually located ...

are located at the rear of the building.

Artworks

The church's sanctuary contains a mosaic of the Immaculate Conception which is based on Bartolomé Esteban Murillo's 17th-century painting ''

The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables ''The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables'' or ''The Immaculate Conception of Soult'' (original titles ' or ') is an oil painting by the Spanish artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. It was painted 1678 and measures . Looted by Marshal Jean-d ...

''. The mosaic was produced by T. Sarti of

Pietrasanta Pietrasanta is a town and ''comune'' on the coast of northern Tuscany in Italy, in the province of Lucca. Pietrasanta is part of Versilia, on the last foothills of the Apuan Alps, about north of Pisa. The town is located off the coast, where the ...

and it was inaugurated on 25 June 1983. The sacristy contains a copy of Murillo's painting made by the Franciscan sisters of Egypt, and this had been the church's altarpiece before the mosaic was installed. Prior to this there had been another altarpiece which had originated from Paul Burlo's oratory. The church also contains a titular statue of the Immaculate Conception which was made by R. Zanzio & Co in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in 1903 and which was donated to the church by the Archconfraternity of Saint Francis of

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 wa ...

in 1985. Two other titular statues had also been located within the church prior to 1985, the first of which had been ordered by Burlo for the oratory. The church also has statues of Saint Joseph and

Our Lady of Sorrows Our Lady of Sorrows ( la, Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens), Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows ( la, Mater Dolorosa, link=no), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names ...

; the latter is the work of the sculptor Wistin Camilleri.

References

External links

* {{Parish churches in Malta and Gozo 1963 establishments in Malta Church buildings with domes Ħamrun Limestone churches in Malta Roman Catholic churches completed in 1963 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Malta