The feast of Santa Marija will be celebrated at the Comino chapel today, Saturday, August 26. 

Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma will be sailing on a dinghy to bless all marine vessels which happen to be at San Nikola Bay at 4.30pm and Santa Marija Bay at 5.15pm. All marine drivers will be given a memento. A solemn Mass will then be celebrated in front of the chapel at 6.45pm. Seats will be available.

The Saturday Mass at the chapel is very popular with Maltese and Gozitans who happen to be sailing or camping there, especially in summer. 

Mgr Joseph Attard, the rector of the chapel, is calling today’s occasion Komunita, Ħbieb tal-Baħar fil-Mulej ‒ Kemmuna (Friends of the Sea in Jesus Christ community ‒ Comino). For those who would like to take part, a charter boat will leave Gozo at 5.30pm. For bookings, call 9984 7099.

The chapel of St Mary was first mentioned in a map dating from 1296. However, the location of this original chapel is not known. The present chapel may have been built on the exact site of the medieval chapel.

The original chapel must have been ravaged on numerous occasions by pirates that attacked the island due to its defenceless shores. In fact, there was no defence on Comino prior to 1618. As a result, its population abandoned the island and settled in Gozo.

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