Mary pours grace in a wine bar in Żabbar, Malta

The Chapel of the Assumption in Żabbar is the only chapel with the Maltese name of  “tal-Indirizz” (She who shows the Way), referring to the Blessed Virgin as to the one who leads us towards eternal salvation. In Maltese, the literal translation of “indirizz” is “address”, so the exact translation would be “she who addresses the way….”

The precise date of construction of this chapel is unknown. Although in the reports of his visit to Żabbar, in 1575, the Apostolic Visitor, Bishop Pietro Dusina does not mention this chapel, documents related to visits by bishops Tomás Gargallo and Baldassare Cagliares in 1600 and 1615 respectively, show that this chapel, along with others not mentioned by Dusina, already existed. In fact, after his visit in November 1600, bishop Gargallo wrote that the chapel had just been rebuilt and enlarged, meaning there was an older one. Gargallo also reported that the chapel “had one altar with a painting of the Madonna, and that it lacked nothing. The devotion to this chapel was so great that many people visited it to offer donations, and the lamp in front of the image of the Madonna was kept lit every day. On the eve of the feast, vespers were sung and on the feast day (August 15) a Mass was held and food was distributed to the poor”.

The Assumption of Mary into heaven, body and soul, was declared a dogma of the Catholic faith by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950. However, the tradition of honoring this event goes back much further, as the feast has been celebrated on August 15 since ancient times in both Eastern and Western Christendoms. The oldest of these texts, such as the Transitus Mariae (the “Passing of Mary”), thought to have been written in the 2nd century, possibly by a disciple of John the Evangelist, suggests that the tradition of Mary’s Assumption was well established in the early Church. Archaeological evidence and linguistic analysis of these texts further support their early origin and indicate a deep and ancient reverence for this event among the early Christians.

The Maltese are well known for their deep Catholic faith and their centuries-old devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Maltese Christian community is as ancient as those of Ephesus, Jerusalem, Corinth and Rome, thanks to the Apostle Paul – which explains its 2,000 years of Christian history. When the Apostle was shipwrecked on the archipelago’s shores, he was accompanied by Luke – the most Marian of all Evangelists. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary holds a special place in the hearts of the Maltese, where Mary is known as Santa Marija Assunta (in short Santa Marija). In fact, it is the title by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Patroness of the Maltese Islands.

The Assumption of Mary has deep roots in Maltese archipelago’s  religious tradition. For centuries, churches and chapels dedicated to the Assumption were erected all over the Islands. Devotion to the Assumption can be traced back to the early Christian era. In fact, the highest ranking church, dedicated to the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Gozo, and there are historical and archaeological indicators showing that where today we find the Cathedral, a very ancient church dedicated to the Dormition of Mary (or the Dormition of the Theotokos – the God-Bearer) was erected to consecrate a Roman pagan temple dedicated to the goddess Juno.

The August 15 is a day deeply woven into the island’s history and faith. This date holds a special place not only for its religious significance but also for its connection to a pivotal moment in World War II. On this day in 1942, the arrival of the Santa Marija Convoy brought desperately needed supplies to the starving Maltese population, turning the tide of hardship into hope. The coincidence of the convoy’s arrival on the feast day of the Assumption strengthened the Maltese people’s belief in Divine providence and cemented Santa Marija as a symbol of both spiritual devotion and national resilience.

Ex-voto offerings are tangible signs of gratitude for graces received, a tradition deeply woven into the fabric of Maltese Catholic spirituality. These humble yet powerful tokens, found in sanctuaries and churches across Malta and Gozo, testify to miracles, protection, and transformation, each one a story of faith fulfilled. In times of crisis, illness, shipwrecks, war, natural disasters or personal struggles the Maltese people have turned to God and His saints, especially the Blessed Virgin Mary, seeking divine intervention. When their prayers were answered, they fulfilled their vows with offerings: paintings, silver hearts, crutches, baby clothes, ship masts, and even entire churches built as acts of thanksgiving.

Like many chapels dotting the Maltese archipelago, the origin of the Chapel of the Assumption in Żabbar is surrounded with hallow, devotion and mystery. Strong tradition says that where the chapel stands today, there was a wine bar in which a murder was committed. The shop owner who had nothing to do with this crime, was accused of the murder. He prayed fervently and made a promise to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He vowed that if he was acquitted of the charge, he would build a chapel dedicated to her. The grace was granted and he kept his word - Votum Fecit, Gratiam Accepit.

The famous Maltese writer Kilin wrote that the chapel that he built as a promise is the apse of the chapel today. Kilin also says that the accused was the owner of a warehouse and not a liquor store. In such traditions it is not uncommon to have minor variations such as these, but it is possible that this difference stems from the fact that the building next to the chapel was used as a warehouse at the time Kilin wrote his book. A poem was also composed to preserve this gracious happening in time. In the Maltese language these verses rhyme, but it is not possible to make them rhyme in English:

The inhabitants of Żabbar (in Maltese Żabbarin) are well known for their centuries-old devotion to Our Lady, specifically Our Lady of Graces. Indeed, the oldest Maltese votive painting (mentioned in a paper authored by A. Cuschieri and J. Muscat), goes back to 1631.

This painting is  part of the collection in the museum of the Parish Church and Sanctuary of Our Lady of Graces of Żabbar. Cuschieri and Muscat also maintain that we may have older paintings, but further research is necessary, since determining dates in this field is very difficult. One has to appreciate that so far no votive paintings older than those in Naples at “Madonna dell’ Arco,” which date to the 16th century, have been identified. Therefore, relatively speaking, the ones found in Żabbar are among the oldest.  Today, God’s miracles are still poured through Our Lady of Graces. Witnesses of this are the very recent ex votos we find in the same Sanctuary museum and many other sacred places dotting the Archipelago. The feast of Our Lady of Graces of Żabbar is celebrated on the Sunday following the feast day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin and Our Lady of Victories. This feast is among the most popular in the Maltese Islands, and is celebrated over several days, reaching its climax on Sunday.

For many years, the titular painting of this chapel depicted Our Lady of Grace, seated with the Child Jesus in her arm holding a globe. The figures of the Madonna and Child were crowned with a silver crown. Saint Paul is depicted on one side and Saint Leonard, patron saint of slaves, on the other. Further down the painting shows the infant Saint John the Baptist and chains of slaves. In the background there are two angels, one playing a harp and the other holding a wreath of roses.

Originally this painting was located in the chapel of Our Lady of Grace, but when Grand Master Fra’ Hugues Loubenx de Verdala donated a new titular, this painting was placed on an altar at the side of the same chapel, and later it was taken to the chapel of the Assumption. Since this painting was highly regarded, it was placed on the high altar. Another oval painting depicting the Assumption of Mary was placed above that of Our Lady of Grace. In 1860, a wooden decorative baroque frame that was located in an old chapel of Our Lady of the Annunciation was brought to the chapel of the Assumption and placed around the titular painting. As a result, the oval painting depicting the Assumption was removed. For more than a hundred years, there was no painting on the high altar representing the title of the chapel.

In the early 1970s, the titular painting depicting Our Lady of Grace was removed and placed in the museum of the Sanctuary and Parish of Our Lady of Graces. It was replaced by a new titular painting created by Rafel Bonnici Calì in 1974. This painting shows the Blessed Virgin Mary in a white dress and blue mantle, standing on a cloud with her gaze upward, ascending to heaven carried by two angels. Under the cloud, a smaller angel is seen scattering red and yellow roses. In the lower part of the painting there is an open tomb with a veil hanging on one side.

The façade of the chapel is simple with a single door and a round window just above it. The bell tower that stands today was built at the beginning of the twentieth century. On the right side of the façade there is a carved graffiti of a tartan (ship). Next to it, there is also a cross that was a popular graffiti in places of pilgrimage. At the altar’s location there is a chapel (apse) which has a room on each side, originally built as sacristies. The chapel was enlarged in the1980s by opening two arches on the sides of the altar, connecting the rooms on each side of the apse with the rest of the chapel. More recently, these arches were closed with wooden and glass doors so that the rooms could be used as catechism classrooms. The chapel also has a niche on each side, one housing a statue of the Pietà, while the other a statue of Saint Anthony. This statue was a center of devotion. In fact, around its niche there is a place for ex votos, which were transferred to the Sanctuary museum. It also houses an ancient set of the stations of the Via Sagra. There were also five paintings by unknown artists, representing the Nativity, the Madonna of the Rosary, the Crucifixion, the Ecce Homo and Saint Peter - these too have been relocated to the Sanctuary museum, together with a pulpit with a painting of Saint Mary.

The feast of Santa Marija (the Assumption), and hence the feast of this chapel, is celebrated on the August 15. Achille Ferres mentions that in the nineteenth century breakfast was given to those who attended this feast. Today this feast is celebrated with a High Mass at seven in the morning. In the days before, an open-air Mass and social activities for families are held.

Due to the dangers that existed during the French blockade, between 1798 and 1800, the chapel of the Assumption served as the Parish Church of Żabbar, instead of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Graces, since the dome had suffered a lot of damage after being hit by cannonballs fired from the ramparts of Cottonera. This chapel was further away and sheltered from the line of fire. In addition to Masses being held, some marriages were also celebrated. Evidence of this is the request made to Bishop Labini to register in the parish books the marriage that took place between a certain Giuseppe Tabone and his wife Rosa because the Parish was in great danger.

For many years, daily Masses were held in this chapel. Today, Mass is celebrated on Sunday at 7:30a.m. Before the opening of a branch of the MUSEUM society in Żabbar, this chapel was used to hold Christian teaching lessons (Cathecism). It seems that when this branch was opened, these lessons were stopped, but towards the end of the 1980s recommenced and are still done today, and now it has the highest number of children attending for cathecism in Żabbar. The chapel also forms part of the Santa Marija Pastoral Centre within the parish of Żabbar. The aim of this centre is to take care of the spiritual, pastoral and social needs of those living in the Santa Marija area, by animating the Masses held in the chapel, coordinating catechism lessons and organising activities that take place at different times of the year.

I am of the opinion, and I am quite sure that most agree with, me that the Maltese Islands fully deserve to be called ‘The Islands of the Assumption.’  No other land or country or nation, can boast, on the scale of the size of these small islands, as many churches, chapels, chaplets, street names as our nation. And, I am also confident that no other people has such a long history of love, devotion and trust in the Blessed Assumption, even to these days.

Visiting Malta and seeing and experiencing the Marian Devotion as expressed in its temples and monuments and feasts will impress all those who are devotees of the Mother of God, and even those who are not. For all it will be a unique experience.

I would like to thank wholeheartedly Roderick Busuttil of Kappelli Maltin for his uneding support and priceless work. I am also immensely grateful towards the pastoral group and volunteers of Santa Marija tal-Indirizz church, namely Javan Grech, Bjorn Galea, Silvan Spagnol, Lawrence Pellicano, Mary Scerri, Grace Camilleri, Sylvia Pullicino, for preserving this church and for their pastoral work. Javan also revised this article meticulously and provided the images of the church.

Busuttil R., Ciantar N., Spagnol S. Santa Marija tal-Indirizz – Żabbar. Kappelli Maltin (Maltese Chapels [Small churches])

Cuschieri A. and Muscat J. Maritime Votive Paintings in Maltese Churches (Malta, 2003)

Le ‘Transitus Virginis’ ou ‘Dormitio Mariae’. Encyclopédie Mariale. Accessed October / November 2020

See the Holy Land. Tomb of Mary. Accessed October / November 2020