St.Philips (Porto Salvo) Church

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Location: St. Philip’s Church Pjazza Francesco Zahra

This church was first built in 1596 but was later enlarged and in 1686 became as we know it today. As soon as the sailors and the Knights entered the port, they used to see the church of Porto Salvo and thank Our Lady for having arrived safe back home. In fact, when one exits the church through the main door, one sees the mouth of the Grand Harbour.In 1662 a group of devout Senglea priests of St. Philip Neri wanted to live in this church under the rule of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri and obtained the necessary permits to do so. They started being called Philippines or Oratorians and because they gave an excellent service to the Senglean people the church soon became known as the church of St. Philip. When the Philippine monks ceased to exist, the last one being Fr. Gellielu Raggio who died in 1928, the Bishop put the Madonna of Porto Salvo church under the responsibility of the clergy.

During the Cholera, the convent next to the church served as a hospital and when the parish church of Senglea was bombed in the Second World War, the church of St. Philip served as a parish church until the parish church was completely rebuilt. Upon the reopening of the parish church in 1958, Archbishop Gonzi left the care of St. Philip's church to the Jesuit monks. In 2008 the Jesuit monks withdrew from Senglea and Archbishop Mercieca placed the care of the church in the hands of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

On the same spot where today one finds St Philip’s church, once stood another church of Porto Salvo. This church was built in 1596 to cater for the spiritual needs of the fishermen of Senglea. In 1662, this church was handed over to the Oratory of St Philip Neri and it was decided that it should be demolished to build a bigger church. The construction work started in 1670 and the new church was completed by 1690. Although the official name of the church remained Porto Salvo, the locals started calling it St Philip’s church after the patron of the Oratory. Various works of art are found in St Philip’s church including the painting of Maria Porto Salvo blessing the Grand Harbour which is the work of Stefano Erardi. During the Cholera epidemic, St Philip’s church served as a hospital to quarantine poor infected victims. In the Second World War, the Senglea Parish church was destroyed during the aerial bombings. Nonetheless, St Philip’s church remained intact and served as the Senglea Parish Church between 1943 and 1957 while the Parish church was being rebuilt. The Regatta boat races held in the Grand Harbour originated as part of the external festivities of Porto Salvo. The winners were awarded with a Palio (a linen banner) on the Church Parvis by the Rector.

Din il-knisja hija ddedikata lill-Madonna li marret iżżur lil Santa Eliżabetta (Il-Viżitazzjoni). Tissejjaħ il-Madonna ta' Porto Salvo għaliex fi żmien il-Kavallieri knejjes iddedikati lil Viżitazzjoni kienu wkoll magħrufa bħala ta' Porto Salvo billi kienu jitolbu lil Madonna twassalhom lura mill-vjaġġi tagħhom qawwijin u sħaħ kif hija waslet qawwija u sħiħa għand Eliżabetta.

Din il-knisja nbniet għall-ewwel darba fl-1596 iżda tkabbret u fl-1686 saret kif nafuha llum. Il-parti l-kbira tan-nies tal-inħawi li kienu baħħara u l-Kavallieri malli jidħlu l-port kienu jilmħu lilha quddiemhom u jroddu ħajr lill-Madonna li wasslithom lura bis-sliem. Infatti jekk wieħed joħroġ mill-bieb prinċipali tal-knisja u jħares quddiemu jara l-bokka tal-Port il-Kbir.

Fl-1662 grupp ta' saċerdoti Sengleani devoti ta' San Filippu Neri xtaqu jgħixu f'din il-knisja skond ir-regola tal-Oratorju ta' San Filippu Neri u ġabu l-permess meħtieġ biex jagħmlu dan. Huma bdew jissejħu Filippini jew Oratorjani u minħabba s-servizz eċċellenti li kienu jagħtu lill-poplu Senglean il-knisja ma damitx ma bdiet tkun magħrufa bħala l-knisja ta' San Filippu. Meta l-patrijiet Filippini spiċċaw, fil-fatt l-aħħar wieħed kien Dun Anġelo Raggio li miet fl-1928, l-Isqof ħalliha f'idejn il-kleru djoċesan. Fi żmien il-Kolera, il-kunvent biswit il-knisja serva ta' sptar u meta l-knisja parrokkjali tal-Isla ġġarfet bil-bombi fl-aħħar gwerra, il-knisja ta' San Filippu serviet bħala knisja parrokkjali sakemm reġgħet inbniet mill-ġdid. Mal-ftuħ mill-ġdid tal-knisja parrokkjali fl-1958 l-Arċisqof Gonzi ħalla l-kura tal-knisja ta' San Filippu f'idejn il-patrijiet Ġiżwiti. Fl-2008 il-patrijiet Ġiżwiti rtiraw mill-Isla u l-Arċisqof Merċieca poġġa l-kura tal-knisja u tal-poplu tal-madwar f'idejn s-Salesjani ta' Don Bosco.

Fl-istess post fejn illum wieħed isib il-knisja ta’ San Filippu qabel kien hemm knisja oħra ta’ Porto Salvo. Din il-knisja nbniet fl-1596 biex taqdi l-bżonnijiet spiritwali tas-sajjieda tal-Isla. Fl-1662, din il-knisja ġiet mgħoddija lill-Oratorju ta' San Filippu Neri u ġie deċiż li għandha titwaqqa' biex tinbena knisja akbar. Ix-xogħol ta’ kostruzzjoni beda fl-1670 u l-knisja l-ġdida tlestiet sal-1690. Għalkemm l-isem uffiċjali tal-knisja baqa’ Porto Salvo, in-nies tal-Isla bdew isejħulha l-knisja ta’ San Filippu b’dedikazzjoni għal patrun tal-Oratorju. Diversi opri tal-arti jinsabu fil-knisja ta’ San Filippu fosthom il-pittura ta’ Maria Porto Salvo qed tbierek il-Port il-Kbir li hija xogħol Stefano Erardi. Matul l-epidemija tal-Kolera, il-knisja ta’ San Filippu serviet bħala sptar fejn il-vittmi foqra li jkunu infettati kienu joqgħodu kwarantina. Fit-Tieni Gwerra Dinjija, il-knisja Parrokkjali tal-Isla ġiet meqruda waqt il-bombardjamenti mill-ajru. Minkejja dan, il-knisja ta’ San Filippu baqgħet intatta u serviet bħala l-Knisja Parrokkjali tal-Isla bejn l-1943 u l-1957 waqt li l-knisja Parrokkjali kienet qed tinbena mill-ġdid. It-tiġrijiet tad-dgħajjes tar-Regatta li jsiru fil-Port il-Kbir oriġinaw bħala parti mill-festi esterni tal-Porto Salvo. Ir-rebbieħa kienu jirċievu Palju (strixxa tal-għażel) fuq iz-zuntier tal-Knisja mir-Rettur.