Ecclestia Mater – Parish Museum at Gharb, was officially inaugurated by the Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono, on Saturday The parish museum has been set-up at the Gharb Collegiate and Basilica complex and houses a permanent exhibition of Sacred Art.

The Minister said, that apart from the history of the area that the new museum illustrates, it will also be an addition to the tourist attractions in Gozo and thereby enhancing the Gozitan tourism product.

This project was carried out through the collaboration between the Ministry for Gozo, the Rev. Chapter of the Collegiate Basilica of Gharb, on the initiative of Ghaqda Folkloristika tal-Qiegha, with help from the Gharb Local Council.

The Minister praised Ghaqda Folkloristika tal-Qiegha on its initiative to put the project proposal forward to recieve the funds totalling €20,000 through the scheme for NGOs under the eco-Gozo action plan 2010-2012.

“Through the scheme Gozo NGOs, Local Councils and Administrative Committees, have been allocated an investment of €2 million in various projects all around the island,” the Minister said.

The museum will host an exhibition of sacred arts that reflects the old roots of the community of the Gharb together with the Rev. Chapter courtroom which has been recently renovated.

The exhibits cover a period of history starting from the Phoenicians to the Arabic period up to the present age. In fact Punic pottery remains found in the area of Gharb will be among the exhibits proving the early settlements in the western part of Gozo. The collection of Arabic and Jewish coins that were found in these western areas of the island are a sign of the business which was carried out from those stopping on the shores of this part of the island.

The setting up of the Visitation Parish at taz-Zejt Church and later transferred to the existing church constructed thanks to the generosity of the Imdina Cathedral Canon Fr. F. Mangion is remembered in the exhibition by the first parish registries and also by the baptismal font brought also from the Imdina Cathedral by the same benefactor.

The Collegiate Bulla emanated by the Vatican in 1774 is amongst the most interesting exhibits having been written in gothic characters.

The exhibition also hosts various sacred vestments and other sacred works of art, including a wooden-statue of Our Lady of the Rosary, the ‘girandola tal-kwaranturi’ and an altar piece made of leather coming from taz-Zejt Church.

The Ecclestia Mater provides andexhibition of all the silver treasures owned by the same Collegiate particularly its collection of old church lampieri that is unique to Gozo. The last section of the museum hosts a permanent exhibition of more than 20 paintings by both local and foreign artists. A section dedicated to the late Bishop N.J. Cauchi who was born and raised in Gharb, also makes part of the museum.

Ecclesia Mater is an open window which provides a magnificent insight of the millennial story of a people who were entrusted to working and caring for the land and were sustained through the Christian values of faith, which creates through culture, art and values a unique history for our islands. This is truly an Ecclesia Mater – a Mother Church.

The parish also contributed to this project in order to reach the requested level and aims. The project started early last year under the direction of Archpriest Mgr. Joseph Sultana, co-ordinated by the President of Ghaqda Folkloristika tal-Qiegha Mr. David Apap assisted by Fr. Joe Calleja in his role as designer and artistic curator.

Archpriest Mgr. Joseph Sultana, on behalf of the Rev. Chapter and the residents of Gharb thanked the Ghaqda Folkloristika tal-Qiegha for the thoughtful gesture and initiative so that this project was finalised, whilst thanking all the volunteers who woked hard in the past months for the Ecclesia Mater.

Also on Saturday, the inauguration took place on works carried out on The Visitation Band Club of Gharb, which had been financed through the same scheme. Works included energy saving lights, and double glazing.

The evening concluded with a concert by the Gaulitanus Choir under the direction of Mro. Colin Attard as part of a Marian musico-literary soiree’ at the Collegiate Basilica of the Visitation Gharb.

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