Description
Tradizzjoni antika tgħidilna li San Luqa penġa x-xbieha tal-Madonna fuq il-blat għeri ta’ Għar fil-Mellieħa fis-sena 60 wara Kristu. Tradizzjoni oħra ssaħħaħ dan u tgħid li fis-sena 409 wara Kristu għadd ta’ Isqfijiet għaddew iżuru u ikkonsagraw dan l-istess Għar. Żgur imbagħad fl-1436, fiż-Żjara Pastorali tal-Isqof Senatore De Mello, dan il-Għar-Cappella tal-Mellieħa jissemma bħala li kien ilu jeżisti bħala wieħed mill-ewwel għaxar parroċċi ta’ Malta. Maż-żminijiet id-devozzjoni lejn dan is-Santwarju, iddedikat lit-Twelid tal-Verġni Marija, kibret ħafna u pellegrini minn kull naħa tad-dinja ġew iżuruh u jitolbu l-għajnuna tal-Madonna. Ġew ukoll ħafna isqfijiet u nies magħrufa u fl-1990 ġie l-Papa Ġwanni Pawlu II u talab quddiem l-Ikona qaddisa. Dan is-Santwarju hu post qaddis u ta’ ġabra fejn il-bniedem isib is-serħan tal-moħħ, tar-ruħ u tal-ġisem. Illum hu magħdud fost l-20 Santwarji Nazzjonali Marjani Ewropej rappreżentati ġewwa Lourdes.
According to an old tradition Saint Luke painted the figure of Our Lady on the bare rock face of a cave in Mellieħa in the year 60 A.D. Another tradition strengthens this and we find that in the year 409 A.D. a number of Bishops visited and consecrated this same cave. In the year 1436, during the Pastoral Visit of Bishop Senatore De Mello, it is certain that this Cave-Chapel of Mellieħa had from many years earlier been in existence as one of the first ten parishes of Malta. In time, the devotion towards this Sanctuary, dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, flourished and pilgrims from all over the world came to visit it and beseech Our Lady’s help. Many bishops and famous people visited the Sanctuary and in 1990 Pope John Paul II prayed in front of the holy Icon. This Sanctuary is a holy place where man can find peace of mind, body and soul. Nowadays it is listed among 20 National European Marian Sanctuaries represented in Lourdes.
