St Mary's Church, Għaxaq

St Mary's Church formally known as The Parish Church of The Assumption of Mary, is a Baroque Roman Catholic parish church, located in the village of Għaxaq in Malta.

St Mary's Church
The Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary
Il-knisja Parrokjali tal-Assunzjoni tal-Verġni Marija
St Mary's Church
35°50′57.5″N 14°31′02.4″E
LocationGħaxaq
CountryMalta
DenominationRoman Catholic
History
StatusActive
Founded1511
DedicationAssumption of Mary
Consecrated2 May 1784
Architecture
Functional statusParish church
Architectural typeChurch
Stylebaroque
Doric (facade)
Groundbreaking1723
Completed1760
Specifications
Number of domes1
Number of spires2
MaterialsLimestone
Administration
ParishGħaxaq
ArchdioceseMalta
Clergy
ArchbishopCharles Scicluna
RectorMario Said

History

Records show that since 1511, a church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary stood where the current church stands today. When Għaxaq became an independent parish in 1626, the church became the parish church. The church was modified and enlarged multiple times, notably in 1655. Nonetheless, a new Baroque church was built instead between 1723 and 1760. The new church was consecrated on May 2, 1784.[1][2][3][4]

Interior

The church includes a number of artifacts, amongst these the titular statue of the Blessed Virgin, carved in wood by Mariano Gerada in 1808. Another statue which could be found in this church is that of Saint Joseph which was made by Fratelli Bertarelli of Milan in Italy in the year 1932 and is also carved in wood. The paintings which decorate the church's ceiling were painted by Emvin Cremona during the 1960s while other works of art date back to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries mostly painted by famous Maltese artists: Gio Nicola Buhagiar, Francesco Zahra, Rokku Buhagiar and Gianni Vella among others.

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References
  1. "Ħal Għaxaq", Archdiocese of Malta. Retrieved on 08 June 2017.
  2. "Ghaxaq Parish Church", Malta.com. Retrieved on 08 June 2017.
  3. "Ghaxaq", Malta-Canada. Retrieved on 08 June 2017.
  4. "Parish church dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Għaxaq", Times of Malta, Malta, 20 September 2011. Retrieved on 08 June 2017.
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