Underneath the sanctuary dedicated to St Joseph in Rabat, there is a crypt whereby Fratelli and Consorelli, as members of the Archconfraternity of St Joseph, are referred to have been buried.

This crypt burial custom continued until the 1970s, after which burials within churches were stopped. However, from the beginning of the 21^st century, permission was given for the transportation of the remains to churches, following burial in a cemetery.

Since the crypt started to be used again, work has taken place to keep it in a dignified state.

The paint was stripped off, showing the limestone beneath. In the crypt, there are two stone altars since the crypt was dug during two different periods. The first room was excavated in 1670 when the chapel dedicated to St Joseph above it was rebuilt; here one finds a sculpture of St Joseph with the souls from Purgatory.

One of the altars in the crypt.

The second part extends beneath the oratory, nowadays known as the sanctuary of St Joseph. This was excavated in 1839, as suggested by the date under the opening that leads to the sanctuary. Another altar, together with a stone statue of St Joseph holding the child Jesus, is found here.

During the past few months, extensive work was done to further embellish the crypt.

On Monday, November 7, at 6pm, a mass dedicated to the souls of the persons buried in this location will be said in the crypt. On Wednesday, November 9, another mass will be said in the sanctuary dedicated to St Joseph (within the Ta’ Ġieżu church in Rabat), with suffrage for the souls of the dead members of the Archconfraternity of St Joseph, L'Isle Adam Musical Society and 19th March Pyrotechnic Factory.

When mass is over, a procession will take place, starting from the sanctuary and ending in the crypt with the blessing of the graves.

The Archconfraternity of Saint Joseph advises that on Saturday, October 29, from 5 to 7pm and on Sunday, October 30, from 7am to noon, the crypt beneath the sanctuary will be open to the public.

The crypt will also be open to the relatives of the buried members during the whole month of November.