A reminder that the former residence of Karmni Grima, the lady from Gharb who, in 1883 heard our Lady calling her from the tiny chapel in Ta’ Pinu, will be inaugurated as a museum on Saturday, following an extensive programme of restoration work.

The Museum will be inaugurated by the Minister for Gozo Dr Anton Refalo and blessed by the Bishop of Gozo Mgr Mario Grech.

On Sunday, the 8th of December, The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Museum will be open for the public to view free of charge, between 9.00am and 4.00pm

The restoration works were carried out through the project entitled ‘Discovering cultural and religious tourism in Gozo,’ with the support of an EU financial grant of 85% on a project cost of €400,000, under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for Malta 2007 -2013.It was on the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the birth of Grima which prompted the Ta ‘ Pinu National Shrine administration to undertake the restoration of the house, a typical Gozitan farmhouse of the nineteenth century. The house had already opened to the public in May 1965, but will now been opened as a museum which is more in line with the expectations of the visiting foreign and domestic tourist.

This financial aid also included the restoration works on 12 works of art by Maltese artist, Joseph Briffa, which are reproduced in mosaic. This artistic heritage shows twelve episodes in the life of the Madonna and were worked between 1948 and 1952. The retoration work was entrusted to Fr Charles Vella and Joanna Hili Micallef.

The project of restoration and conservation of Karmni Grima House Museum included structural work, the installation of new lighting systems with an audio-visual presentation of the life of Karmni Grima and the message she received from the Blessed Virgin, the installation of a lift so that the museum is accessible to everyone, as well as installing a solar powered electricity system.

On the 22nd of June 1883 while Karmni Grima was passing in front of the small chapel as usual every day, she heard a mysterious voice calling her: “Come … come today. For a whole year, you will not be able to return.” This event is considered as “The most notable occurrence in the history of the Gozo Diocese.”

Although terrified, Karmni obeyed and went inside the chapel, where from a painting of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary located in the chapel, Karmni heard a voice saying: “Recite three Hail Marys in honour of the three days that I stayed within the tomb.”

Karmni Grima became ill, and was only able to attend the chapel a year later. She shared this experience with her confessor of sins and with her friend and neighbour Francesco Portelli, who informed her that he also had heard similar voices.

Francesco’s mother was miraculously healed by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary shortly after the incidents took place.

Bishop Pietru Pace was advised of the incidents and after speaking to Karmni and Francesco he concluded that the voice was of heavenly origin.

To mark this special occasion Ta’ Pinu Publications is to publish a revised edition of the book by the late Bishop Nikol Cauchi about the life of Karni Grima, a biography that was broadcast on the occasion of the first opening of the museum.

The Gozo Philatelic Society together with Ta ‘Pinu is also publishing a commemorative postcard with the official MaltaPost stamp as a memento of the reopening of the Museum at Dar Karmni Grima.

MaltaPost has also said that a special hand postmark will be used at the Gharb Post Office on Saturday to mark the opening of the Museum at Dar Karmni Grima.

Photographs by Daniel Cilia.

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