The official re-opening, following restoration, of the mediaeval chapel of St Cecilia on the outskirts of Għajnsielem in Gozo, took place on the morning of Saturday, 24 March. After short speeches and a presentation by newly appointed Wirt Għawdex president Franco Masini, architect/author David Mallia and Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono – who officially opened the chapel – it was blessed by Bishop of Gozo Mgr Mario Grech.

A landmark

The official re-opening of this wonderful mediaeval building is a landmark in the programme of cultural events taking place in Gozo. Everyone involved, including Wirt Għawdex, Minister Giovanna Debono and her staff and the Baron Group, which carried out the restoration work, may consider this event as another project accomplished. And they are right – another of the many projects on which both Wirt Ghawdex and the government are continuously embarking has been finished very satisfactorily.

But this event is a landmark.

It is, first of all, recognition of the fine, industrious work Maltese people can execute with professional precision. The restoration of the chapel is solid confirmation of the high level of craftsmanship of which we are capable and as a result of which this building is a heritage treasure for us and our children, and the many foreigners who come to visit us, to enjoy and appreciate. The efforts involved in acquiring what was a private property, cleaning it and using the correct materials, removing the sooty residue of an act of vandalism that took place some years ago, building the wooden floors to allow glimpses of the original flooring and illuminating both the interior and exterior of the chapel using eco-friendly apparatus, have eventually restored to the place its original raison d’etre – a place of worship, because that was what it was built for, though it may not be used as such today.

The vicissitudes of a building

The intermittent de-consecrations and re-consecrations of this chapel, which one can learn about by reading the scholarly study by Dr David Mallia, were the result of turbulent times in the chequered history of our islands, especially Gozo. However, today, like the phoenix, the building has arisen from an ugly experience and put on its original garb of a place of worship. It is an acknowledgement of our respect, not only for one of our most treasured heritage sites but also for our forefathers who were content with building a humble place for prayer and worship but saw to it that the place was built according to the architecture of the times. And this is what makes it unique – it is an extraordinary mediaeval building.

Monuments to faith

The building of monuments to faith in our islands is a very interesting characteristic of us Maltese and Gozitans. We are definitely a people of faith. Hundreds of years before the coming of Christ, our forefathers built the awe-inspiring megalithic temples that still stand as evidence of a people who believed in something – whether it was their dead (as in the case of the Xagħra Circle in Gozo) or perhaps the sun (as in the Mnajdra temples near Qrendi). Since the arrival of Christendom, the building of this chapel – together with many others built earlier and still more built later, in the countryside, hamlets, villages and Rabat (Victoria) in Gozo – is an ongoing process of this incessant perseverance of faith. It is an interesting aspect to note, especially in this year that has been dedicated by the Church to ‘faith’.

The chapel was originally built as a church to serve the daily spiritual needs of the people who lived in the area. By today’s standards – compared to the large monumental churches that dominate the centres of our villages and towns like brooding hens watching over her chicks – St Cecilia church has been downgraded to the status of a chapel, which is how it is described on the information panels affixed around the place. But it was originally built as a church.

The making of a book

As it had done for two previous publications – Mġarr ix-Xini Tower and The Gran Castello (Gozo) – Wirt Għawdex once again entrusted me with organising the writing and publication of the book that was launched at the official re-opening: The Church of St Cecilia on the island of Gozo.

I contacted David Mallia, who had written an article about St Cecilia’s church many years ago. My brother had a photocopy of this article and gave it to me to start working on it. I eventually contacted Dr Mallia who, I would learn later, was raised in the street in Santa Luċija where I lived, back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. We eventually became good friends and Dr Mallia promised to revise his original text and send it to me as soon as he could. He became very enthusiastic when I told him that Wirt Għawdex intended publishing a book based on his text and kept in touch until, by the end of February, I had his final version, corrected, scholarly annotated and meticulously prepared, without any exaggerated comments or any superficial ‘history’. Unforeseeable circumstances obliged me to hand the design and production of the book to professional photographer Daniel Cilia.

The book comprehensively places the church in its proper perspective and provides a detailed description of the building – something that only a professional and meticulous architect such as Dr Mallia could have done, and Daniel Cilia produced a magnificent design and expert photographs for the profuse illustrations.

A debate

In the very last days of the process, an unexpected debate cropped up. In the text, should we write “St” or “Sta”? When should we use the English version “Cecilia” and the Maltese “Ċeċilija”, written with Maltese phonemic characters? And should we use “chapel” or “church”?

This debate – strangely enough – took place among Wirt Għawdex members (including my brother Giovanni, in Gozo), David Mallia (in Siġġiewi), Louis J. Scerri (who had by now been pulled in to read the final text, in Naxxar), me (recovering in Mater Dei Hospital) and Daniel Cilia (in his office in Florence). Who would believe that we were all volunteers whose only aim and interest was to produce a book for Wirt Għawdex, possibly without any mistakes and not open to criticism?

The debate eventually abated and rational and scholarly decisions were taken.

The last step

The book’s photographer and designer, Daniel Cilia, was now the man on whom all the responsibility fell. He had to gather the last bits and pieces and finish the “in design” version and hand it in for printing. This was done on Tuesday, 13 March.

Regardless of the time restraints imposed on them, Gutenberg Press has done a remarkable job, for which it should be commended.

The book is an example of excellence in printing, full of annotated scholarly researched historical material, and is artistically illustrated with beautiful, colourful photographs – including all the graffiti found on the chapel walls. It is a treasure that this mediaeval monument merits and Wirt Għawdex is to be congratulated.

The A4 size book – The Church of St Cecilia on the island of Gozo, pp.56; ISBN: 978-99957-0-212-0 – is available from Wirt Għawdex sites or by sending a cheque for €10 (postage included) payable to Wirt Għawdex to: Wirt Għawdex, Dar il-Lunzjata, Wied il-Lunzjata, Rabat, Victoria, VCT 1680. Kindly supply details of the address to which it is to be sent.

For any other queries regarding the book, please write to Wirt Għawdex at [email protected]

Joe Zammit Ciantar is the PRO of Wirt Għawdex