Knisja Arcipretali Santwarju Mosta

Informazzjoni dwar ir-Rotunda u festi f'Malta

 

Il-Bomba fuq il-knisja:

The Bomb that fell on the church:
 
FIL-HAMIS TA'
L-OTTAVA  TAL-GHID IL-KBIR
ID-DISA' JUM
MIX-XAHAR TA' APRIL
TAS-SENA
1942
F'JUM MILL-IKTAR ISWED
FIT-TIENI GWERRA DINJIJA
META MALTA GIET IBBUMBARDJATA
MILL-QAWWA TA' L-GHADU
IL-KNISJA
ARCIPRETALI
F'GIEH
OMMNA MARIJA MTELLGHA S-SEMA
FIL-MOSTA
FIL-4.40 TA' FILGHAXIJA
GIET MILQUTA MILL-BOMBA
LI MA SPLODIETX
U MINGHAR MA NTLAQAT HADD
MILL-KNATAN
LI NIZZLET MAGHHA.
DISGRAZZJA IKBAR GIET EVITATA
BIL-PROTEZZJONI MATERNA
TA' MARIJA ASSUNTA
U BIR-RAGUN KOLLU
IL-MOSTA TIBQA TFAKKAR DAN IL-JUM
TA' KULL SENA BIEX DEJJEM TIFTAKAR
FL-IMHABBA UL-PROTEZZJONI
TAL-PATRUNA TAGHHA.
 
Kevin Muscat
 

 

 

L-ghadu ma kienx kuntent b’hajjiet in-nies biss.  Halef li, galadarba kien qed ibati biex jirkeb u jirbah lil gziritna, jaghmilha borg gebel, itellef sbuhitha u ma jhalliha qatt terga terfa’ rasha.  Il-Gvernatur Sir W. Dobbie fil-bidu tal-gwerra kien ha dan il-messagg:  “Il-monumenti storici taghkom, il-kattidrali u l-knejjes qed jigu mgarrfin u mzebilhin mill-barbari”.  Dak il-kliem inghad fil-25 ta’ Mejju, 1941, izda liema kliem seta’ ntuza sena wara meta l-ghadd ta’ djar, palazzi u knejjes imgarrfa kien bla qies?

Fid-9 ta’ April, 1942, waqt hbit mill-ajru ghall-habta ta’ 4.40 p.m., l-ghadu kellu jolqot vittma li min jaf x’fissret u x’ghadha tfisser ghall-poplu tal-Mosta. 

Kien il-Hamis u, bhal kull Hamis iehor, kelllha ssir l-Ora Santa.  Kien hemm hafna nies (jinghad madwar tliet mitt ruh), fosthom hafna xjuh u morda li, billi ma kenux jifilhu jinzlu fix-xelter, kienu jserrhu rashom mill-kenn tal-knisja.  L-ghadu, li la kellu lejl u lanqas nhar, deher riesaq fil-hin li kellha tibda s-Siegha.  Xi ftit nies lahqu dabbru rashom ghall-kenn tal-blat izda l-hbit kien ghal gharrieda, tant li hafna  baqghu fil-knisja.

Tliet bombers germanizi qabdu r-rotta ghal fuq Ta’ Qali, izda, issikkati minn fighters inglizi, hattew il-bombi fuq ir-rahal biex idabbru rashom.  Wahda minn dawn il-bombi li kienet tizen 500 libbra, sfrondat il-koppla, habtet xi darbtejn mal-hitan u fl-ahhar striehet f’nofs il-knisja.

Fit-tempju waqghet dalma kbira bit-trab u l-laqx li waqghu.  Wara li ghadditilhom l-ewwel hasda, dawk l-imsejkna li kienu hemm gew fittxew il-bieb.  Grew qalb ic-cnagen biex jehilsu mill-ispluzjoni li kienu qed jistennew minn waqt ghal iehor.  Ix-xelter tal-pjazza mtela daqs bajda, kulhadd imbnikkem u mwerwer jistenna tifqigh ikreh.

Izda ma kienx miktub li t-tempju ta’ Marija, wirja u xhieda tal-fidi ta’ missirijietna, jisfa herba f’dak il-jum.  Bombi ohra, whud izghar, sabu ruhhom fuq iz-zuntier u l-frontispizju, izda ma ikkagunawx ksara kbira.

Aktar tard dakinhar il-Gvernatur Dobbie, li gie fuq il-post, ordna lil Mons. Sciberras biex jaghlaq il-knisja waqt li baghat l-ajjutant tieghu stess biex icempel ghall-Bomb Disposal Officer.

Meta l-bomba nifdet il-koppla habtet mal-lunetta ta’ Kristu mal-Appostli.  Din il-lunetta saritilha hsara konsiderevoli u wara giet irrestawrata mill-pittur, il-Kav. Rafel Bonnici Cali.  Imbaghad tgerbbet ‘l isfel mal-hajt u tramblet bil-mod il-mod sakemm waqfet ftit passsi boghod mill-pulptu. 

Skond xiehda li ghadhom hajjin, ftit qabel ma waqghet il-bomba l-fidili hassew li ghandhom iwarrbu min-nofs u jingabru malajr fis-sagristijiet u l-kuriduri li jwasslu ghalihom.  Qatt qabel ma kienu ghamlu hekk u kien samnalla ghax skansaw il-gebel kollu li waqa’ mill-koppla. B’hekk wiehed jara l-grazzja straordinarja li Alla u l-Madonna ghogobhom jaghtuna u li taghha kull Mosti ghandu jibqa’ rikonnoxxenti ghal dejjem.  Kull sena nhar id-9 ta’ April inkantaw TE DEUM lil Alla b’radd il-hajr.

 

 

The Axis enemy was not happy enough of destroying peoples’ lives. It swore that it would turn the island into a heap of rubble and to ruin its beauty forever. At the beginning of the war, Governor Dobbie received this message: ‘Your historic monuments, your churches and cathedrals will be smashed and mocked by the barbarians.’ This was said on the 25th May 1941. But what could have been used a year later when the number of destroyed  houses, palaces and churches was very great?

On April 9th 1942, during an aerial attack at 16.00 the enemy had to strike another innocent victim that meant a lot to the people of Mosta and still holds a special place in their hearts.

It was a Thursday afternoon during the Ora Santa and the church was full of worshippers, amongst them many elderly and sick people who could not get down in a shelter and took refuge in the Rotunda. As the attack began some people went down to the nearest shelter but the majority remained in church as this attack was an unexpected one.

Three German bombers were flying near Ta’ Qali but they were trapped by British fighters and threw bombs over Mosta to escape away. One of them, a bomb weighing 500 pounds pierced the dome, hit the walls twice and ended up on the church floor.

At that moment darkness fell in there; among the puff caused by the dust and stones that fell. After the fright, those inside the church ran away as they thought the bomb was going to explode soon and in a few moments the War Shelter in Rotunda Square was full of people fearing that the horrible moment was going to happen. However this Marian temple built with the sacrifice and a mirror of the people’s faith escaped this fate. Other bombs fell on the façade and frontispiece but the damage caused was minimal.

Later Protestant Governor Dobbie came to the Rotunda and ordered Mgr.Sciberras to close the church while he sent his assistant to phone the Bomb Disposal Officer.

The bomb hit the painting of Christ with the Apostles; it was later repaired by Rafel Bonnici Cali. It  then fell along the wall and went rolling on the floor until it stopped near the pulpit.

According to witnesses who are still alive; a few moments before the bomb fell the congregation felt it should disperse and soon gathered in the sacristies and the corridors leading into them. This was never done but it was a good thing to do as they managed to escape the stones that fell from the dome. All this is a good proof of the help given by God and the Virgin Mary to save this temple from destruction. Every year thanksgiving is offered to them with the chanting of the ‘TE DEUM’.