The main church in the parish of Naxxar in Malta, dedicated to the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was recently elevated to a collegiate church by his Excellency the Archbishop Mons Charles J. Scicluna, who issued the decree on the 28th of August, 2019.

The parish of Naxxar is today the third largest in terms of population with over 15,500 people. It is also one of the oldest parishes in Malta, being the first parish established in the countryside of our island, thus ranking third in the parish hierarchy after the cathedral church in Mdina and the parish church in Vittoriosa. The year of its establishment is not known but it was definitely established by the beginning of the 15th century. It is also mentioned together with nine other localities in the list of parishes that the Bishop Senatore de Mello drew up in 1436. The present church was built between 1614 and 1630, and embellished and adorned several times along the years.

The request to elevate the church to a collegiate one was made on the 21st September, 2018 by the archpriest the Rev. David Gauci in the name of the other priests of the parish. The reasoning behind this request was based on the fact that the parish is one of the oldest in the diocese; that the Pauline traditions relating to the shipwreck and subsequent christianisation of the Maltese is here very strong, considering that the then village was the nearest to the shipwreck area; that all Pauline sites relating to the shipwreck were for many years within the parish boundaries; the very etymological explanation of the name Naxxar is derived from the word ‘nassar’, translated to ‘one who christianizes’. Moreover at San Pawl tat-Tarġa, an area within the parish, there has always existed the tradition that St. Paul preached to the islanders, to the people of the area. From here the motto of the parish, ‘Prior Credidi’, which in Latin means ‘among the first to believe’.

The photos refer to the thanksgiving mass that was celebrated by the College of Canons in the Collegiate Church of Naxxar, on the first anniversary of issuing the decree. Praise be to God, who through these events, invites us to reflect on our faith and the Christian witness that we give to our brethren.