My childhood church

This is the week when my childhood parish church in St. Julian’s will be dressed up in its finest outfit, thanks to some young enthusiasts who dedicate a lot of precious time in decorating every corner of this old church. It is used to be the old parish until 1968, when a larger new one was built. But in this church my parents were married,  there I was baptized, received all my sacraments, served as an altar-boy for many years and celebrated many Masses since my ordination. The original church was built in 1730, but was expanded over the years as the population continued to grow. The main painting behind the main altar was restored 2 years ago, and various other artefacts are still visible in the sacristy and used at side-altars. By 1847, the population was 1000 with 50 families in this little fishing village which was also used as a summer resort for many people. The parish itself was established in 1891, and the population exploded in the 1950s into the 1990s, becoming almost a cosmopolitan town with hotels, restaurants, high rise apartments, etc. With the mecca of entertainment known as Paceville close by, St. Julian’s has become too overcrowded. But my childhood church is quite an attraction as many outsiders come to check it out especially on the day of the feast of St. Julian, which is celebrated this coming Sunday with religious festivities held all week long, culminating with a popular procession on Sunday evening.