Restoration work is in progress on the stone statue of St John the Baptist in Xewkija. The statue, located at the Xewkija primary school area, was made by Agius Stone Works of Malta in 2006.

It was paid for by youth committee within the Precursor Philharmonic Society of Xewkija and blessed by then archpriest Mgr Carmelo Mercieca on November 24, 2007.

For many years, the statue faced damaging weather elements, including strong winds and motor traffic emissions.

Working on the project are Jason Saliba, Joseph Teuma and Peter Paul Azzopardi, under the direction of Raymond Bonello of the Gozo Ministry’s restoration unit.