Vittoriosa (Il-Birgu)

Vittoriosa seems to have been the second oldest parish in malta after the cathedral church. From 1530 to 1571 the church served as the conventual church of the knights of st. John, while the Annunciation church was the parish church. The present church was built between 1681 and 1697 by Lorenzo Gafà; it became the seat of a collegiate chapter in 1820.

Church dedicated to St. Lawrence, Martyr

Dedication date: 24 October 1723

Archpriest

Rev Joe Caruana

Parish Office

91, St Lawrence Street

Vittoriosa BRG 1386

Office hours

Thursdays

9.00 – 10.30 am

Tuesdays and Fridays

4.30 – 7.00 pm

Telephone

2182 7057

Fax

2166 7664

E mail

parrocca.birgu@maltadiocese.org

Parish population: 2,958

Families: 1,011

Parish Clergy

• Rev Can Joe Caruana, Archpriest
• Rev Can Joseph Caruana
• Rev Can Lawrence Bonnici
• Rev John Avellino

Honorary Canons

• Mgr Lawrence Mifsud
• Mgr Paul Raggio
• Mgr Salvatore Debrincat

Holy Masses

Sundays and feast days: 6.00, 7.00, 8.30, 11.00 am; 6.00 pm

Saturday evenings: 6.00 pm

Weekdays: 7.15, 8.30 am; 6.00 pm

Other Churches

Holy Cross Chapel

The chapel was built in 1720 on the site of the old cemetery; it received considerable damage during the war and had to be rebuilt. The statues of the good Friday procession are kept in the chapel.

Church Of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel

The church was built by the crews of the order’s galleys. These people considered the church as their own and used it for their religious duties. The church was destroyed during the Second World War, and later it was rebuilt.

Holy Trinity Church

The church was built by the noble Lucrezia Gauci Falzon in 1784; completely destroyed During the war, it was rebuilt and today it is used for meetings by religious associations.

Church Of St. Philip

The church was first built in the fifteenth century and rebuilt in 1561; bishop Labini Consecrated the church, while bishop balaguer gave it to the oratorians of st. Philip neri; When the oratorians left malta, the church was taken over by the parish. It suffered damage during the war but although the damage was repaired, it is kept closed.

Chapel Of The Sacred Heart Of Jesus at Tal-Ħawli

The Chapel was opened to serve as a centre of pastoral activity among the residents of the locality.

Priest in charge

Rev Can Lawrence Bonnici

Holy Masses

Sundays and feast days: 8.00 am (Summer); 10.00 am (Winter)

Saturday evenings: 5.00 pm

Weekdays: 7.30 am

Churches Run By The Religious

Monastery Of St. Scholastica

One of the Benedictine monasteries of mdina was transferred to Vittoriosa and when the Knights of St. John took their residence to Valletta, the hospital they had at Vittoriosa was given to the nuns as their monastery. In 1679 the church and part of the monastery were built again, and the church was consecrated by bishop labini on the 29 September 1788. The relics of the martyr, St. Veneranda, brough from Rome in 1728, are venerated in the church.

Dedication date: 29 September 1787

Priest in charge

Rev Can Paul Raggio

Holy Masses

Sundays, Feast days and weekdays: 7.00 am.

Annunciation Church

The dominicans arrtved in vittoriosa in 1528 and the church of the annunciation was given To them. From 1530 to 1571 the church served as the parish church of vittoriosa as the knights of st. John had taken the parish church of st. Lawrence to be their onventual church. The church was rebuit in 1638 and was totally destroyed three centuries later during the last war. Rebuilt again it was opened for worship in 1960.

Priest in charge

Rev Frank Borg O.P.

Telephone

2182 5198

Holy Masses

Sundays and feast days: 7.00, 8.00, 9.00, 10.00 am; 12.00

Weekdays: 6.30, 7.30, 10.00 am; 6.15 pm