Historical Timeline

Historical documentation confirms the existence of a parish in Birkirkara, la cappella Sancte Helene alias Sancte Marie de Birkarkam First parish church dedicated to Saint Helen was situated in the geographic centre of what was then part of Birkirkara – now located in San Ġwann In 1402 a pre-existing church…

1551 | Birkirkara was devastated in the attack by Torghut Rais and Sinan Pasha. 1560 | By order of Grandmaster De Valette all houses in Birkirkara were vacated and used as a hospital for soldiers from an armada that passed by Malta before launching an attack on Tripoli 1565 |…

1630 | Pope Urban VIII elevates the Birkirkara parish church to the status of a Collegiate church bearing the name of Saint Helen through the Apostolic Bull: Sacri Apostolatus Ministerio, with its Provost being the founder himself, Don Filippo Borg and twelve canonries. The new canons were vested in 1635….

1709 | The titular saint of the parish church officially becomes Saint Helen. 1716 | Initiatives are undertaken for the construction of a more centrally situated church. 1717 – 1727 | Through the tenacity of Provost Giuseppe Vassallo, a lawsuit in Rome is won confiming the priviledge of mantaining the…

1798 – 1800 | Invasion by Napoleon’s French forces and the subsequent blockade of the French garrison in the Grand Harbour cities. Graffiti on the East side church terraces indicate that the church was used for watch purposes and contact with the operational quarters in the Għargħar area, of Vincenzo…

1906 – 1910 | The church dome and vaults are decorated with a fresco cycle by artist Virginio Monti. These were restored by Samuel Bugeja in 1985-1999. 1910 | Saint Helen Collegiate Church was the venue where the devout image of the Madonna tal-Ħerba, was solemnly crowned by Archbishop Mons….

Recent developments include the building of the Saint Helena Parish Centre in 1992 toat the back of the basilica’s sacristies. This contributed significantly to better parish management and created space for various pastoral initiatives and activities. The year 2000 also saw the inauguration of the revamped Chapter Hall as a…