History
In Mellieha, Mary has been venerated since the early years of Christianity. The sanctuary is the oldest in Malta.
Originally, the cave, where the pilgrimage church would later be built, was a place of worship for the nymph Calypso, a female nature goddess from Greek mythology. In Homer's Odyssey, Calypso keeps the Greek hero Odysseus with her. Odysseus is held by Calypso on her island of Ogygia for 7 years, in an attempt to make him her immortal husband. After the worship of Calypso, the cave becomes a Christian prayer space. This occurs when the Apostle Paul and the Evangelist Luke are shipwrecked near Mellieħa in the year 60 AD, while en route to Rome.
A legend lies at the heart of the pilgrimage site. The story goes that the evangelist Luke created a painting of Mary and Jesus, which later found a place in the pilgrimage church. Later research suggests that the painting may date from the 12th century.
In 402, the prayer room in the grotto is consecrated as a church.
During a journey on the Mediterranean Sea in 409, bishops visited the sanctuary of Mellieħa.
Mellieha has had the honour of receiving many high-profile visitors, including:
Belisarius (c. 500 – c. 565). This commander visited Mellieħa in 540. He was a military leader in the Byzantine Empire and played a decisive role in, among other things, the reconquest of a large part of the Mediterranean, becoming the commander of a Roman army.
Count Roger I (c. 1031-1101). This Norman nobleman conquered Malta with his men in 1091 to avoid a hostile attack from North Africa. He restored freedom of religion, and devotion to Mary increased.
-Frederick III (1341-1377), who came to Mellieħa in 1373. He was King of Sicily from 1355 to 1377.
-Martin I of Sicily (1374-1409), King of Sicily (1392-1409), comes to Mellieha in 1408.
In 1470, a pilgrimage was made to Mellieħa as Malta experienced a drought lasting 3 years.
In 1551, Barbary pirates invade Malta, and these North African pirates plunder almost the entire island. The Muslim pirates take thousands of Maltese as slaves.
The current sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieha was built in the second half of the 16th century. The rock church was the parish church until the end of the 19th century.
In 1565, the Siege of Malta took place from 18 May to 11 September of that year. It was an attack by the Turkish Ottomans on the Knights of the Order of Malta. The Islamic Ottomans believed that the Knights of Malta posed a threat to the Ottoman Empire's shipping in the Mediterranean Sea. The church in Mellieħa was then visited by García de Toledo Osorio (1514-1578), a Spanish commander and politician, who brought an end to the siege. The church was dedicated to the Nativity of Mary.
In 1614, the shrine was destroyed by Barbary pirates from North Africa and Asia Minor. Turkish Muslims also damaged the famous icon, which is said to have been painted by the evangelist Luke.
In 1644 the rock church was enlarged to accommodate increased numbers of pilgrims.
The population of Malta is suffering heavily from a drought lasting over two years. Consequently, a pilgrimage took place in 1718 to implore Mary for rain. In 1719, an arch was built at the rock church in honour of Mary, as she had made it rain.
In the first half of the 18th century, the sanctuary was expanded again. The enlarged pilgrimage site was consecrated on 22 May 1747 by the Frenchman Paul Alpheran de Bussan (1684-1757), Bishop of Malta (1728-1757).
The icon of Luke was uncovered by the French artist Antoine de Favray (1706-1798) and painted on canvas. This was done around 1750.
The parish church was completed between the years 1881-1898. It was built on top of the rock church. The church was established to meet the spiritual needs of pilgrims and due to the growth in the local population. The church is dedicated to the Nativity of Mary and is also known as Our Lady of Victories. Her feast day is September 8th and this day is a national holiday in Malta. In 1899, the image of Mary was crowned.
In the period 1941-1943, the Mallieha region was bombed hundreds of times by German and Italian aircraft. To protect themselves, many air-raid shelters were dug, including in Mellieha.
John XXIII, Pope from 1958-1963, born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (1881-1963), declares that the Sanctuary of Mellieha is one of the most famous in the world.
In 1973, the painting of the Virgin and Child is restored. The original image then comes to light. This is the icon from the early 12th century.
On 26 May 1990, the sanctuary was visited by John Paul II, Pope from 1978 to 2005, born Karol Józef Wojtyła (1920-2005). The Pope received gifts in Mellieha, including a painting of the holy icon, which was created by Gorg (George) Fenech (1926-2011). Fenech is one of Malta's greatest artists of the 20th century.
In 2015, the pilgrimage site was designated the National Sanctuary of Malta by the Maltese bishops.
Pilgrimage site
In the upper town, there are many long, narrow streets and a good number of stairs. On the edge of the upper town, overlooking the bay, lies the pilgrimage site of St. Marija. It includes a parish church, a pilgrimage church, a pilgrim museum, and the Grotto of Our Lady.
Pilgrim's Church is an ancient, rock-hewn church, later enlarged. Originally, Pilgrim's Church was a simple church in a cave. The entrance to this church is opposite the Pilgrim's Lodge Museum. Within this church, there is an old painting of Mary with Child, which is said to have been painted by Saint Luke.
In the national sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieħa, there is also a Pilgrims' Lodge Museum, which displays much of the history of this Marian site. The building, where the museum is now located, was constructed in the 18th century. The museum also exhibits many painted ex-votos, jewellery, and other artefacts. These are gifts of thanks for graces received from Mary. The museum is situated opposite the pilgrimage church.
Near the pilgrimage church is the grotto of Our Lady, named “Grotto of the Madonna”. It is an underground space on the other side of the plateau, opposite the pilgrimage church. The grotto can be reached via steep stairs.
On the edge of the centre stands the church of Our Lady of Victory, and it is said that the Apostle Paul visited here. Paul is said to have blessed the ground on which the church stands.
ACCESSIBILITY
Mellieħa is located on the island of Malta, 6 km from St. Paul's Bay.
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieha is in the street
Street of the Souls.
The address of the underground chapel “Our Lady of the Grotto” is
Triq II – Marfa.
Current information can be found at www.mellieha.com/the-sanctuary.
Experience
Mellieħa has a lower and upper town. The old centre is situated high above the bay (Mellieħa Bay). This bay has a large sandy beach named Għadira Beach. There is a lot of new construction in the lower town.
The large parish church is visible from afar, and nearby you'll find the pilgrimage church. The sanctuary is located high up in the upper town.
When I reach the large church, the doors are closed. That's not so bad, because the old rock church, which lies beneath this later built church, is the goal of the visit. It's a few steps down and then I stand on the square overlooking the bay and in the corner is the entrance to the rock church.
In front of the pilgrimage church, there is a square with a large effigy of Mary and Child on a high console. The statue is surrounded by a railing.
The pilgrimage church is a small rock church and lies beneath the current parish church, built at the end of the 19th century. I immediately go to the special space. This old church is full of beauty with many depictions of Mary. The altar is captivating with paintings, among other things, and a depiction of Mary with Child is the showpiece. It is said that the evangelist Luke created it. In this house of worship are reminders of the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1990.
In the intimate rock church, there's an opportunity to write down intentions for Our Lady, and many pilgrims make use of this.
In the pilgrimage church, there are prayer cards, and I am taking one of them. The text reads:
“Prayer to Our Lady of Mellieha:
O, Blessed Virgin, revered by our forefathers at Your sacred Sanctuary of Mellieħa from the earliest days of Christianity.
Just as they always placed their trust in You, and You gave it to them, so do we now, and we beg You to bestow Your good grace upon us as care, and heal us from our trials of soul and body.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.”
Next, I have a museum visit. It is an exhibition space where a lot is told about history and pilgrims in Mellieħa. Upon entering, I am warmly welcomed and after asking a few questions, a tour follows. Many memories are depicted and expressed in a long room opposite the pilgrimage church. Many painted ex-votos hang there, including one with Saint Nicholas, and the history of the sanctuary is discussed at length.
The Mariagrot (Mary's Grotto) is on the agenda as the third part of the pilgrimage. It's located across the street, and you have to descend quite a few steps to get into the grotto. In the beautiful, old grotto, it's busy with praying visitors. Many candles are burning by the large statue of Our Lady. What an experience this is!
Environment
In Mellieha, there is a special museum called the “World War II Mellieha Shelters”. Approximately 500 metres of excavated tunnels depict the shelter used by residents in the years 1941-1943. During those years, Malta was bombed hundreds of times by German and Italian aircraft. The tunnels could temporarily accommodate around 800 people. The museum is located on Our Lady of the Grotto Street, near the pilgrimage church.
There is plenty to visit in Malta, including the capital city of Valletta, which is 23 km away from Mellieħa. The distance to the ancient city of Mdina is 16 km.
Posted: 18 March 2024
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