Work is well underway on the Ecclesiastical Museum in Mellieħa, as more than half of the project has been completed. Works on this museum are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Chris Bonett together with the Administrative Secretary of the Archdiocese of Malta Michael Pace Ross and the Archpriest of Mellieħa Fr Joe Caruana visited these works in the building of the Pilgrims in Mellieħa.
This project is being carried out by the Foundation for the Cultural Heritage of the Archdiocese of Malta with an investment of almost € 300,000, partly financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
It was explained that in the past this building was used as a resting place by pilgrims who came to visit Our Lady of Mellieħa after a very long journey, when there were no means of transport as we have today. This building is being transformed into the first Ecclesiastical Museum in Mellieħa. As a result, infrastructure work is currently underway as rooms are in a state of disrepair.
Visitors to this museum will be able to see the history of the Mellieħa Sanctuary and there will be exhibits of ecclesiastical objects and antique furniture used in the Sanctuary, including an old pulpit and confessional. There will also be a commemoration of ecclesiastical items that were used during the visit of Pope John Paul II in May 1990, including the chair that was used during the papal visit.
Parliamentary Secretary Chris Bonett stated that once this museum is completed, it will be added as another tourist attraction in this locality and will further strengthen Mellieħa’s position as a tourist center. Dr Bonett said that € 4 million is being invested through the European Regional Development Fund to be used by the Archdiocese of Malta to carry out restoration projects in thirty-three parishes in Malta, including this project. The aim is to carry out primarily the conservation and restoration of the ecclesiastical cultural heritage.
Michael Pace Ross said that through this project, to which the Melliħin are also contributing, the Church is giving new life to this historic place. He stressed that such buildings should be restored and their use changed to suit today’s times.
Fr Joe Caruana thanked the parishioners of Mellieħa who with their donation, as well as through European funds, in Mellieħa there will be this museum which will be an attraction for all those who care about the history of Mellieħa. church.
