Chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin

The devotion towards the rural church of the Assumption of the Virgin situated at Maghtab, is already evident from Dusina's pastoral visitation of 1575. It was, in olden times, one of the most devout Marian sanctuaries. According to the Ragguaglio, this church was half a mile distant from the church of St. Peter of the cave and two miles from the parish church. In Bishop Balaguer's 1635 report, details about the painting on the main altar of the church are revealed. The painting was a triptych with the Virgin in the central panel, with St. Paul on the right volet and St. Peter the Apostle on the left one.

During the bishop's pastoral visitation in 1653, he noted that a new church had just been rebuilt some distance away from the site of the old one from the donations of the faithful. Inside the structure, there stood a stone altar together with a portable/moveable altar which was covered with a straw mat canopy. The painting above the altar was on canvas and represented The Assumption of the Virgin.

Two bishops, Buenos and Astiria, when visiting the Maghtab church in 1668 and 1674 respectively, described it as dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. Buenos, or his scribe, must have erroneously written that this church was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. The mistake was repeated again in Astiria's report. When comparing the contents of both pastoral visitations, it is evident that Astiria's report seems to have been copied directly from that of Bueno's.

In 1771, Bishop Pellerano noted that the painting on the main altar of the church, represented the Immaculate Conception. However, the bishop or his scribe could have inadvertently given a wrong dedication to this church. Pellerano noted also the presence of two paintings flanking the main altar of the church, depicting The Virgin with St. Theresa and St. Paul respectively. On top of the wooden scannel of the same altar was a marble statue of the Virgin and opposite the door leading to the sacristy, the bishop described another painting showing The Resurrection of Christ.

The chapel is the only one that has votive paintings still hanging in the sacristy. One of these probably explains thanking Our Lady for saving his son from serious injury when his donkey bolted with the boy on the cart. The story goes that he promised to rebuild the chapel in the place where the donkey stopped with his son presumably unhurt.

This chapel is still in regular use with Mass celebrated every weekend and on first Fridays.

Reference: Naxxar, A Village and its People, edited by Paul Catania and Louis J. Scerri