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The arrival of Father Espedito Tabone in
Ghajnsielem in 1955
galvanized the latent energy of the villagers who donated
their resources, financial and physical and moral so that
they could see the completion of their life-long dream...
the completion of the new parish church dedicated to Our
Lady of Loreto.
During the possession
ceremony, Mons Espedito Tabone openly declared that he
intended to see the completion of the new parish church
before retiring.
Ghajnsielem became a parish
by a decree issued by Pope Pius IX on 1st April 1855 but
by the turn of the century the population of the village
started to increase and the old parish church was deemed
too small for the needs of a growing village. The idea
to built a larger temple was made by Parish Priest Dun
Frangisk Mizzi. Work on the new church started on 4th
June 1922 and the foundation stone was laid in a special
ceremony on 14th September 1924. Unfortunately the
building proceeded at a snail's pace and rather
haphazardly due to several factors. |
 |
 Little
did the villagers know that the building of the new church would
dominate their hopes, frustrations and finally the fulfilment of
their ambitions after over half a century in which they bore the
responsibility for a project which few thought they would see
completed. When the first master mason retired, it took years to
find a replacement. Than the second world was brought the
project to a standstill. But with the arrival of Mons. Espedito Tabone
Things began to change for the better. He resolved to bring
the project to a conclusion and he succeeded. It took fifty five years to complete
this temple.The first difficulty that Mons. Tabone faced was
the financing. But by 1962 he had already collected Lm6000 which
went directly to a fund which sponsored the construction costs.
Encouraged by the positive response of the Ghajnslemizi, work
started again on 8th August 1962 under the direction of Guze D'
Amato. The project
was completed in 1979 with the
blessing of the bell tower in June 1979. The church itself
had been blessed a year earlier, on 29th August 1978.
The possession ceremony in 1955
Archpriest Espedito Tabone (center)
with Dun Joseph Zerafa,
Hon. Amabile Cauchi, Amabile Xuereb and Joseph Cauchi
Archpriest Espedito Tabone
during a concelebrated mass during the feast
of Our Lady of Loreto (year unknown)
It is interesting to note that Mons
Tabone also made important renovation works at the Old Parish
Church. Before
leaving his post Archpriest Tabone donated the main altar to
the community of Ghajnsielem. It was designed by Guzeppi Farrugia
and executed by Themistocle Sarti (Pietrasanta, Lucca, 1980).
The altar was blessed on 10th December 1980.
Archpriest Tabone ended his tenure on the 8th of January 1981
after 25 years and 26 days. He even managed to leave a balance
on Lm11,950 on the parish account, a huge sum in those days.
Mons Espedito Tabone was awarded the
'Gieh Ghajnsielem' during a ceremony at the Lauretana
Parish Center on 13th December 1998.
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