Għajnsielem

About Għajnsielem

Għajnsielem, meaning "Peaceful Spring", is a municipality on the southeastern coast of the island of Gozo in Malta, including the entire island of Comino. It has a population of 3,200 residents (as of March 2014),[1] and is the first Gozitan village that greets visitors upon arriving at Mġarr Harbour towards the Gozitan heartland. Its name originated from the water spring, around which in 1700, Grandmaster Perellos built an arcade containing public washbasins and fresh water spouts. Attractions include Lourdes Chapel's sharp steeple and underlying niche of Our Lady of Lourdes, Fort Chambray and the towering Għajnsielem Parish Church.

Għajnsielem Parish

Għajnsielem Parish is devoted to our lady of Loreto and this can be seen with the 2 Churches dedicated to her and the number of shrines and houses named after her around the town. The 2 churches are located close to each other and are in the centre of the town. According to legend, the devotion to our lady of  Loreto started when a local farmer named Anglu Greach had an apparition from Our Lady and told him to make a statue of her under the title of Loreto in a particular place. As the devotion continued to grow the statue was moved and the construction of the First Church started in 1810 and was completed by 1820. As the town grew in 1867 the church was expanded and the work finished in 1877.

In 1855 Għajnsielem became a parish with the old church still serving the religious need of the evergrowing town. In 1924 the construction of the new church in a Gothic-Lombard style and in the form of a Latin Cross started. The construction of the church after much difficulty was finished in June of 1979 as was dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto. Later at the beginning of the 21st Century, the titular statue was moved from its shrine in the old church to its new Place in the new one.

The peak of the devoted to Our Lady of Loreto is the feast which is held in her name on the last Sunday of August every year. The village will is decorated with festive decorations by Għaqda Armar Għajnsielem, Marches are held throughout the week with the accompaniment of the local band St Joseph Band Għajnsielm and fireworks throughout the week by Għaqda 10 ta'Dicembru Għajnsielem.

Comino

Comino island is a small island located between Malta and Gozo measuring 3.5 square kilometres which is also a part of The town of Ghajnsielem. It was named after the cumin seed that once flourished in the Maltese islands, It is the Least densely populated island out of the Republic of Malta( 2021 only 2 people have permanent residence on the island ).  The island is visited by one policeman and one priest daily from the island of Gozo. Comino is also a Bird Sanctuary and Nature Reserve. It is easily accessible from Mgarr harbour and Cirkewwa by boat during the summer times with trips being very frequent and less so in winter times.