St Mary of the Angels Friary, Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq

The Franciscan friars arrived in the area of Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq in 1947, when they acquired a house close to the chapel of Saint John Evangelist ante Portam Latinam, built in 1759 in the limits of the parish of Ħal Għargħur, where the Franciscan students would go for holidays. The chapel stood on the ancient road linking St. Julians to St. Paul’s Bay, and on the road into Magħtab leading to Naxxar and Salina. The friars would celebrate the feast of the Porziuncola on 2 August. When Fr. Alfons Marija Camilleri was Minister Provincial (1955-1961) he came out with the idea of building a retreat house, the first of its kind in Malta. Although he met with opposition since there were other projects of restoration going on in the Sliema and Valletta friaries after the war damage, Fr. Alfons entrusted the work to the Procurator of the Province Fr. Benjamin Galea. On 20 May 1959 he blessed and laid the foundation stone in a simple celebration attended only by the architect Ġużè D’Amato, Fr. Benjamin and some other benefactors. Archbishop Mikiel Gonzi approved the plans of the new retreat house called Porziuncola Retreat House. It was inaugurated on 29 June 1964 when the first fraternity settled in with Fr. Benjamin Galea as superior. The first retreat was held on 14 July. On 2 August 1974 a large statue of St. Francis by the sculptor John Bonnici was placed at the entrance to the retreat house. On 28 January 1977 the house became a Guardianate and a small friary adjacent to the retreat house was built. Porziuncola Retreat House continued its mission until 2020, when the Province decided to close it down and it was rebuilt as a home for the elderly while retaining its name Porziuncola. In the meantime the Franciscans were doing pastoral work in the area of Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, which was growing first into a summer residence and then into a residential locality. On 17 October 1964 Mr. Francis Bezzina Wettinger and John Parnis England donated to the friars a plot of land in the area known as “Tal-Għul”. In 1969 a provisional chapel was built where the friars celebrated Mass for the local faithful. On 30 October 1969 permission was given to erect the new church on the plans drawn by Architect Joseph Ellul Vincenti. However, it took a long time to arrive at the laying of the foundation stone. It was during the time when Fr. Raymond Camilleri was Minister Provincial (1990-1996) that the new church was built. The foundation stone was laid and blessed on 2 August 1992, and the church was built through the hard work of Fr. Gabriel Micallef and Fr. Ġorġ Aquilina. It is dedicated to Saint Mary of the Angels of the Porziuncola. On 2 August 1995 the church was officially blessed by Fr. Raymond Camilleri. On 2 August 2000 it was consecrated by Archbishop Ġużeppi Mercieca.

Historical information: Ġorġ Aquilina OFM, Il-Franġiskani Maltin (Ta’ Ġieżu), Malta 2011.