1On October 25, 1935, Archibishop Dom Maurus Caruana OSB decreed the erection of a second parish at Qormi – the parish of St.Sebastian which incidentally is the only parish in Malta dedicated to this saint. The erection of this parish had been subject to the new incumbent’s acceptance of a possible future erection of a second parish in the populous village which, according to the census of 1931, numbered 10,165 souls living in an area of 2.367 square miles.
The FirstParishChurch
The 1890 chapel has been described as a very good example of typical Maltese ecclesiastical architecture as practiced at the end of the 19th century. It was certainly well-equipped for divine service and included three altars, including the main one. The main altar-piece donated by Rev. Salvatore Agius, is an 1889 work by Lazzaro Pisani (1854 – 1932) who was also responsible for the titular painting of the altar of Christ the Redeemer, an 1888 work. The third altar-piece is an anonymous Neapolitan work donated by the Gulia family.
St. Sebastian Parish Church
The siting of St. Sebastian Church on the perimeter of the old town of Qormi has the advantage of closeness and at the same time stands freely on its own on an adequately spacious site. The approach to the West front of the church compromises two embracing arms and a gradual rise of central steps embellished with two statues of St. Peter and St. Paul by Marco Montebello.
The church has a crypt underlying the entire plan of the church proper. The crypt has been in use for a number of years, since July 1952, whilst works had been proceeding above it.
For more information, visit the parish website by clicking below:
The Qormi Bread Festival evolves around the concept of promoting the local bread-making tradition, encouraging its preservation and demonstrating its importance as a unifying factor amongst the diversity of cultures located within Malta’s surrounding region.
Qormi boasts of having the best “Hobz tal-Malti” (lit. Maltese bread) from all over the Maltese islands which tradition dates back to the Knights period.
