Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist

This church, situated on the Naxxar border, on one's way towards Mosta, is quite old. In 1575, Mons. Dusina reported that it did not even possess a door. He therefore ordered Paul Borg and John Zarb, who were voluntarily paying for the celebration of Masses to provide a wooden door within two weeks on pain of a fine of fifteen scudi or the suspension of the Masses!

In 1615, the chapel enjoyed an annual rental of three tari' to be spent on the celebration of Mass on the feast day. The sanctuary lamp had to be lit every Thursday by the heirs of Joseph Sammut who had bequeathed an annuity for a period of sixty years. On April 14th, 1659 Bishop Balaguer deconsecrated the church, and its revenues as well as the main painting were transferred to the parish church. It was not longer after this, however, that St. John's reopened for religious services.

It is evident from the architecture that this was not the first church to be built on the site. The present one seems to date from the seventeenth century. The titular painting, donated by Dun James Casha, who was parish priest of Naxxar from 1720 to 1745, is probably the work of Francesco Zahra. Four smaller canvases, copies of the Preti paintings in St. John's Co-Cathedral (Valletta) represent episodes in the life of the Baptist. Above the main door, there is also a small painting of the Visitation. This painting was formerly under the titular. It was removed in 1940 to make place for a relic of St. Pacificus given to the Naxxar parish priest, Dun E. Micallef by Canon Caruana Gatt of St. Paul's in Valletta. It had been carried in procession by the Naxxar clergy from the chapel of St. Lucy, another of the lovely small churches to be found in Naxxar. The marble altar was installed in the year 1801 and other important maintenance works were carried out in the thirties of this century, by procurator Gerald Sciberras.

This church was never really abandoned. In 1730, Joseph Frendo donated a field from the rents of which the saint's feast could be celebrated, with the singing of vespers, a High Mass, and also for the lighting of the lamp on Saturdays. (Acts of Notary Joseph Gatt). And in 1751, Dun John Baptist Mifsud left the usufruct of a house in Narrow Street, Naxxar, for the same purpose and for the preaching of a panegyric and the celebration of two Masses. The celebration of Masses was frequent.

For a time during the last war refugees were housed in St. John's. For a long time, the Blessed Sacrament was kept in it, the Rosary and the Via Crucis were recited daily, and the saintly Dun Gorg Preca used to hold conferences for the M.U.S.E.U.M. Society, as he was wont to do in other small chapels away from the noise and the distractions of the city.

On the feast day, the 24th of June, the church used to be lit with coloured oil lamps. How magically beautiful were those lamps before the advent of the garish electric lighting!

There is the custom, probably originating in Spain, to light bonfires on the eve of the feast of St. John the Baptist. (It is a convenient way of disposing of old furniture!) The bonfire in front of Naxxar's St. John was something enormous, the pile of fire-wood at times rising to a height of several feet.

Another quaint custom was for little girls to carry dolls to St. John's in imitation of the Christening ceremony. A procession with the Blessed Sacrament proceeds from the Parish Church to St. John's on the feast of the Sacred Heart, the week after Corpus Christi.

There is a revival of religious activity in this church. Mass and Rosary are celebrated and recited daily, and from time to time, retreats by various religious organisations are held.

Reference: A Hundred Wayside Chapels of Malta and Gozo by Kilin