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Naxxar

Nativity of Our Lady Parish Church Naxxar was one of the ten parishes existing in 1436. St.Agatha, St Leonard and the Assumption were three chapels mentioned by Inquisitor Dusina in his 1575 report which said that all three almost adjoined the Parish Church. He decreed that the site then occupied by the Assumption was to be re-used as a cemetery. His orders however went unheeded as this church continued to function. In 1594 it was rededicated to the Nativity of Our Lady. However it was later rededicated to 'Sancta Maria Arcus'. The old parish church, dedicated to the Nativity of Our Lady, was rebuilt in a cruciform shape on the plan of Tumas Dingli and was duly completed by 1636. Early in the 20th century side aisles were added and a new facade was built. Dedication date: 11th Dec 1729.

Nativity of Our Lady parish church nowadays

19th century church

Annunciation Had Dghif In 1575 Andrea Sammut was bound to provide for the celebration of its feast. Its canonical deconsecration was decreed in 1659 by Bishop Balaguer. Assumption Had Dghif The 1575 records of Mons.Dusina state that Lorenzo Cauchi was in charge of this church, which was closed for worship by Bishop Balaguer in 1659. Assumption Xaghra Also called Our Lady of Grace, this church was built about the year 1500. Tradition says that it was first built by the Knight Xara who had made a vow to build a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary if he survived a shipwreck. The grace was granted and he was true to his vow. In 1588, Maria Bonello provided an endowment for the celebration of its feast. The Knight Pietro de Blacas presented a new altar piece when the church was rebuilt sometime about 1653. It was rebuilt in 1690 with funds provided by pilgrims who were continually visiting it.

Assumption church Xaghra

Chapel After their centre was finished, the male members of M.U.S.E.U.M. dug into the basement of the building and made space for a modern chapel.

Divine Mercy Tat-targa The Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in San Pawl tat-Targa, for the first time, celebrated various sacraments in April 2009. The shell of the church was blessed in 2003 and the San Pawl tat-Targa / Birguma community, which counts about 1,000 families, was formed. The complex also includes a parish centre. It is now complete and will be celebrating the feast, always held on the Sunday after Easter. This shrine is the only church dedicated to this devotion.

Divine Mercy pastoral centre

Holy Family Palazzo Parisio A chapel of this dedication lies in the Heritage building of Palazzo Parisio. The 17th century wooden altar was built for Grandmaster Nicholas Cotoner and bears his coat-of-arms. The palace is the venue for high class and civil weddings.

Holy Family chapel at Palazzo Parisio

Holy Family Sghajtar This Church was blessed by Bishop Mercieca on 8th Dec 1998 together with an adjacent pastoral centre used for Spiritual retreats, Catechism and seminars.

Holy Family church at Sghajtar

Immaculate Conception Had Dejf The people of Naxxar did their best to have this church built in their parish, while Ignazio Galea provided what was needed for this enterprise particularly through a bequest recorded in the acts of Notary Thomas Cauchi on the 2nd November 1706. The relics of St.Fidelis, brought from Rome in 1839, are venerated in the church.

Immaculate Conception church

Nativity of Our Lady & St.Lucy twin chapels In 1486, Leo Ebejer left monies for the erection the church of the Assumption. In 1575 the parish priest of Naxxar was its procurator. From 1588 onwards this church had its dedication changed to the Nativity of Our Lady. On Her feast, there is a procession which starts from the Parish Church to this church. It was rebuilt at the request of the people between 1618 and 1628. Paolo Schembri defrayed the expenses involved in its building. Around 1694 some changes were made to it and to the adjacent church of St Lucy.

Twin churches: Nativity of Our Lady and St.Lucy

Our Lady of the Way Loyola Novitiate In 1945 Marquis Scicluna gave the house he had in Naxxar to the Jesuits to use as their novitiate. Between 1950 and 1954 they enlarged the building and dedicated a chapel in the premises to Our Lady of the Way.

Jesuit centre Loyola Novitiate

St.Aloysius An Oratory of this dedication was raised on the site of a would be much bigger Parish church when in the early 20th century it was decided not to build a new enormous church but enlarge the existing one. St Catherine (ta' Xewki) According to A Ferres, a church of this dedication and nickname existed in 1780 but when he was writing his book in 1866, the church did not exist any more. St.Catherine Wied il-ghasel Mons Dusina mentioned the existence of a church of this dedication here in 1575. In 1602, a newer chapel was built on the foundations by Mariano Mangion but was deconsacrated in 1659 by Bishop Balaguer together with nine others in the Naxxar area because of insufficiencies or state of disrepair. From documents of 1716 on, we find it again in regular use. It was falling into disuse during the last century but lately was restored to a fair standard. Inside it contains a number of stuccos which cannot be completely restored.

Chapel of St.Catherine Wied il-Ghasel

St.George Mons. Dusina, in his 1575 report, listed a church of this dedication near the place called Tat-Targa. St.James The church was built in the 16th century but was closed by Bishop Balaguer in 1659. Twenty years later it was opened again after being refurbished. Its Heraldry and coat of arms were removed by French troops in the late 1700's.

St.James church

St.John Baptist Built in 1575, this octagonal church was closed by Bishop Balaguer in 1658. It was rebuilt in the 18th century. In WWII it housed refugees and for a time, St.Gorg Preca held conferences in it.

St.John Baptist church

St.Margaret Tal-wied Built in the 15th century, it was demolished in the 1950's to make way for a new road. St.Paul tat-Targa Built in 1538 and rebuilt in 1696 legend has it as the spot where St.Paul preached and was heard as far away as Gozo.

St.Paul church at Targa gap

St.Sebastian Built in the 16th century and deconsecrated by Bishop Belaguer, this church was also demolished in the 1950's to make way for a road. Visitation In 1608 another Visitation church was recorded. Its location was somewhere close to Maghtab.

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