“The restoration project of Lija parish church is now at an advanced stage as the second phase, which involves the cleaning and waterproofing of the roof and the cupola, is well underway. Work on the cupola lantern has recently been completed and the whole phase is expected to be finalised in nearly a year’s time.” This was stated by Fr David Gauci, parish priest of Lija, during a sponsorship presentation by Bank of Valletta towards the restoration works.

“Bank of Valletta seeks to be an active member of the communities in which it operates. Through our community programme, we support valid projects in various areas, with heritage and arts being important pillars that we regularly support,” said John Galea, manager of Bank of Valletta’s Birkirkara branch during a visit to the Lija church where he presented the bank’s sponsorship. “We are delighted to support the restoration works being undertaken at the Lija parish church. The work undertaken so far is of great importance especially since it forms the foundation that will allow the restoration of the important works of art by Giuseppe Cali to be carried out,” concluded Mr Galea.

Fr Gauci explained how the whole restoration project forms part of an overall project that includes plans for the restoration of the prestigious paintings by Maltese artist Giuseppe Cali that adorn the ceiling of the Lija Parish Church. Following a thorough assessment, it was outlined that the outer roof of the church needed to be restored and waterproofed first since damp caused by seeping rainwater was the main cause of damage to the paintings. “An ambitious project, planned out in three distinct phases, was thus mapped out. The first phase involved the restoration of the façade and the steeples. This has been completed. The current second phase will be nearly completed in a year’s time while the third and final phase involves the restoration of the Cali paintings” explained Fr Gauci. No restorer has yet been identified to undertake the eventual delicate and intricate work on the Cali paintings which have already suffered damage due to the fact that they are painted directly onto the stonework of the church’s ceiling.

“This is a very ambitious project for our parish church which was built in the eighteenth century. However, we are encouraged by the support we have been finding from our parishioners who want to see their parish church restored to its pristine condition, as well as from corporate sponsors who have acknowledged the importance of this project both for its artistic as well as heritage value,” added Fr Gauci. While the first phase cost around Lm25,000 to complete, the second phase is expected to cost in the region of Lm20,000.