The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, perched above Mġarr Harbour in Gozo, is one of Malta’s most iconic pilgrimage sites. Inspired by the resemblance between the rocks of Għajnsielem and the Lourdes Grotto in France—where the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette in 1858—a statue of the Virgin was installed in a natural niche in 1879. Blessed by Bishop Pietro Pace in 1888, it led to the construction of the present chapel, completed in 1893 and consecrated in 1949.
Designed by architect Emmanuel Galizia in Gothic style, the church features a high spire, rose window, pointed arches, and a rib-vaulted interior. A statue of Our Lady sculpted by Carlo Darmanin, donated by Karolina Mamo in 1893, presides over the sanctuary.
The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is celebrated annually on February 11, attracting pilgrims from all over the island. Adjacent to the church was the Lourdes Home (Dar Guzeppa Debono), originally run by Dominican Sisters as an orphanage, but later mired in scandal due to confirmed abuse cases from the 1970s and 1980s.
- Address
27GW+33F, Triq Lourdes, Għajnsielem, Malta - Web
None - Visiting Hours
Unknown - What to see
Lourdes Grotto
