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St Helen's Basilica ( mt, Il-Bażilika ta' Sant' Elena) is an 18th-century Roman Catholic church situated in
Birkirkara is one of the 12 Maltese parishes which existed in 1436 (close to the site of Ta' Ċieda Tower in modern
National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
{{Parish churches in Malta and Gozo Collegiate churches in Malta Basilica churches in Malta Birkirkara National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands Roman Catholic churches in Malta
Birkirkara
Birkirkara (abbreviated as B'Kara) is a city in the central region of Malta. It is the second most populous on the island, with 24,356 inhabitants as of 2020. The town consists of five autonomous parishes: Saint Helen, Saint Joseph the Worker, Ou ...
, Malta. It is built on the baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
design by Salvu Borg and built by Mason Domenico Cachia. The design was inspired, and is similar, to the Mdina Cathedral by Lorenzo Gafa. It was built to replace the role of the main old Parish Church of St. Mary (still parish church of the area) that was damaged in the 1856 earthquake. It eventually became the Collegiate Church and then a Minor Basilica. The current parish archpriest is Mons Louis Suban.
History
Birkirkara is one of the 12 Maltese parishes which existed in 1436 (close to the site of Ta' Ċieda Tower in modern San Ġwann
San Ġwann is a town in the Central Region of Malta, with a population of 14,244 as of 2021. Previous to its separate administration the town used to form part of two separate localities being Birkirkara and St. Julian's.
Places and monuments ...
) the year of the Rollo drawn up by the bishop of Malta
The Archdiocese of Malta (Malti: ''Arċidjoċesi ta' Malta'') is a metropolitan archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in Malta.
History
Tradition claims that St. Paul the Apostle established the diocese of Malta in the year 60 A ...
, Senatore Mello.
The Ta' Xennu Church was built in 1575 and rebuilt in 1692 on site of the present church that was dedicated to the Assumption. The 17th-century church was demolished to make way for the present St. Helen Church when the parish church was at the time the old Santa Maria Church. A small chapel dedicated to the assumption was included and built within the design of the St. Helen Church as a replacement of the 17th-century church. The St. Helen's Church became parish church soon after its completion and then a basilica. The large garden space of Vincenzo Borg's townhouse was donated by Brared to build the church's front, stairs and main square. When Vincenzo died he was buried in the church's crypt. The church was designed by Maltese Architect Salvu Borg (1662-1733).
The parish was dedicated to St Helen, and this was also the titular saint of the church built in the 18th century and still existing today. The church is also famous for its large bell, installed around 1932.
On 5 December 1630 Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As po ...
established the collegiate chapter of church through the papal bull ''Sacri Apostolatus Ministerio''. The present church was built in the centre of the Birkirkara
Birkirkara (abbreviated as B'Kara) is a city in the central region of Malta. It is the second most populous on the island, with 24,356 inhabitants as of 2020. The town consists of five autonomous parishes: Saint Helen, Saint Joseph the Worker, Ou ...
on a much larger scale then the previous 3 churches that stood on the site. The cornerstone of the present church was laid on 27 April 1727 by Bishop Gaspare Gori-Mancini. A medal of St Helen and the names of the then Pope and bishop were also buried with the cornerstone. The church was blessed by Bishop Paul Alphéran de Bussan on 19 April 1771. The church was then consecrated by Bishop Vincenzo Labini on 20 October 1782. The church was elevated to the dignity of a Minor Basilica on 18 January 1950 by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
.
See also
*Culture of Malta
The culture of Malta reflects various societies that have come into contact with the Maltese Islands throughout the centuries, including neighbouring Mediterranean cultures, and the cultures of the nations that ruled Malta for long periods of ti ...
*History of Malta
Malta has a long history and was first inhabited in around 5900 BC. The first inhabitants were farmers, and their agricultural methods degraded the soil until the islands became uninhabitable. The islands were repopulated around 3850 BC ...
* List of Churches in Malta
*Religion in Malta
The Catholic branch of Christianity is the predominant religion in Malta. The Constitution of Malta establishes Catholicism as the state religion, and it is also reflected in various elements of Maltese culture; however, in recent years the c ...
References
External links
National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
{{Parish churches in Malta and Gozo Collegiate churches in Malta Basilica churches in Malta Birkirkara National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands Roman Catholic churches in Malta