Santa Margerita Chapel

Santa Margerita Chapel
Façade of Santa Margerita Chapel
Basic information
Location	San Gwann, Malta
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Rite	Latin
Year consecrated	1618 (second time)
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Community Chapel
Architectural description
Architect(s)	Unknown
Architectural type	church building
Architectural style	Vernacular

Santa Margerita Chapel (English: Saint Margaret Chapel), also known as Arar Chapel, is a 16 th century chapel in San Gwann, Malta. The chapel was intentionally built for the spiritual services of farmers working the fields in the area. It was built when attacks from the sea were common. The chapel was partially damaged during World War II causing serious damages but large parts have survived. Today the church is a landmark in San Gwann and architecturally contrasts with the modern housing of the area.

The exact date when the Saint Margerita Chapel was built is unknown but it was built circa the event of the Great Siege of Malta. It was mentioned for the first time in an inscriptiom of Monsignor Petro Dusina in 1575, when he was sent by the papacy to inspect the sparse chapels on the Maltese islands. At his discovery the chapel was the property of a local man named Salvu Calleja who made sure that a mass takes place the chapel once a year on the feast day of St. Margaret. However, according to the standards required to be a chapel, by the standards of the inspecting Monsignor, it was not suitable to be a place of worship, as it was not well kept and did not even have a door. Following his orders the chapel was not to be used until a door was attached to the entrance.

In the inscription it is written:

Visitavit etiam alliam Ecclesiam ruralem sub vocabulo Sanctae Margaritae in pertinentia Bircalcariae,
constructam in contrata Arar,
quae habet altare, caret portis ligneis, rectore,
introitibus, et omnibus alija necessarijs,
sed Salvus Calleja ex devotione sua in die festivitatis in eadem celebrari facit missam rantum.
Dominus mandavit non celebrari, nisi appositis portis ligneis, quibus Ecclesia decenter custodiatur.

Saint Margaret Chapel was deconsecrated in 1605 as in the late 16 th century and in the early 17 th century attacks by the Ottoman Empire have increased and consequentially the chapel fell in disuse. It was consecrated again in 1618 by Bishop Baldassare Cagliares. Father Giacomo Pullucino has took the initiative to restore the chapel after it suferred serious neglect during its abandoning as observed by Bishop Michele Girolamo Molina in 1658. The restoration of the chapel was finalised in 1666. Pullicino died in 1680 and a permission was given to be buried inside the chapel as documented by Bishop Miguel Juan Balaguer Camarasa, the parish priest of Birkirkara. It is to note that at the time San Gwann used to be part of Birkirkara and consequentially San Gwann was originally part of Birkirkara parish, where ecclesiastical decisions were taken there. Following the death of Pullucino his family was also given permission to be interned in the chapel when they died. In 1680 Bishop Molina has made a visit of courtesy where he gave mass and offered prayers. In 1718 Bishop Joaquín Canaves gave a short visit to the chapel and celebrated mass with the community.