The Shipwreck of St. Paul

The apse at St Paul's church in Valletta, showing his conversion.

February 10 is the celebration of the Shipwreck of St Paul on the shores of Malta. It is a holy day in Malta. The main church dedicated to the shipwreck of St Paul that happened in 60 AD, is situated in Valletta. The above is a painting of the restored apse in the same church. The account of this event is recorded with minute detail by St Luke in chapters 27 and 28 of the Acts of the Apostles. The most popular verse in the entire Bible for all of the Maltese people is certainly this one: "Once we were on land, we realized that the island was called Malta. The inhabitants showed us extraordinary kindness by lighting a fire and gathering us all around it."

The statue of St Paul by Melchiore Gafa, being carried procession.

This is the day when the entire country of Malta stops in thanksgiving to the Lord for an event that turned our lives around. St Paul brought Christianity to Malta, and it has survived the Romans, the Arabs, the Normans, the Spanish, the French and the British, all of whom had their own beliefs and influences. And yet the Maltese people remained strong in their adherence to their faith. Granted that materialism and consumerism, as well as the invasion of social media, have taken their toll on many countries in Europe, and Malta, though not unblemished, has withstood the waves that have driven Christianity off the agenda of so many Catholic European countries. I pray this year that Catholicism continues just as strong in the decades to come. An artistic statue carved of wood by Melchiore Gafa is carried in procession through the streets of the capital city Valletta on the evening of February 10, and thousands of Maltese faithful will witness this manifestation of faith.
San Pawl Missier taghna, itlob ghalina (St Paul, our Father, pray for us)