ZEBBUG PARISH
HOME BULLETIN EVENTS HISTORY MEDIA CONTACT ENTITIES
 
The Bells
  In the two belfries of the church there are in all five bells. They are known among the locals as “Il-Kbira”, “ta’ qabel il-kbira”, “Il-Mezzana”, “Il-Gdida” and “Iz-Zghira”.

The main bell was manufactured in 1929. It was blessed by the Bishop of Gozo Mgr. Michael Gonzi on the 10th August 1929. On that very evening it was taken hung in the steeple. Its main benefactor was Toni Bugeja and it was made by the Baricozzi Company of Milan. There was an inscription in Latin on it which in English would read: “The Parish Priest M’Angelo Cauchi, the Rev. Guzeppi Camilleri and and the People of Zebbug, among them the glorious benefactor Toni Bugeja, dedicated to the Virgin Mary Assumed into Heaven and to St Theresa of the Child Jesus in 1929 when Bishop Mikiel Gonzi was Bishop of Gozo.”

The main bell has three coat-of-arms on it; that of Pope Pius IX, of Bishop Michael Gonzi and of Parish Priest M’Ang Cauchi. There were also on it the images of the Crucifix, of the Assumption, of Saint Anthony of Padova and of St Therese of the Child Jesus.

The main bell is rung five times daily, that is for the Pater Noster, at about eight in the morning, at mid day, for the Ave Maria and in the evening. Every Thursday, after the function in the Church, a solemn note is rung with it as a remembrance of the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Every Friday, at about three in the afternoon, the bell is rung to remind the faithful of the death of Our Lord.

The second bell was manufactured in 1815 by Ferdinand Leotta who was a Sicilian and who lived in Malta. On this bell there were inscribed these words in Latin: “Praise be to God and his Blessed Mother Mary; the faithful I call, the dead I cry; the storms I send away and the feast days in honour: the People together with their Parish Priest Fr Carlo De Giovanni Inglott have made in 1815”.

The bell known as the Mezzana (the middle one) was manufactured in 1897. There is an inscription on this bell which read in Latin and which says: “The People dedicate to the Blessed Virgin Mary Queen of Heaven on 1897”.

This bell was blessed by the Bishop Mgr. Giovanni M. Camilleri on the 31st January 1897 at the time of Parish Priest Don Bartolomeo Busuttil. There was also written the name of Luigi Boero, the same person who four years later made the bell which is known as the new one”.

The bell known as “the new one” was manufactured in 1901, was blessed by Bishop Gwann M. Camilleri and on it here are inscribed the words “Aloysius Boero MCMI”. The bell known as “the small one” was made in 1815 when Dun Karlu De Giovanni Inglott was parish priest. On it there are inscribed the words in Latin “Parish Priest Karlu De Giovanni Inglott and the Parishioners made me in 1815”.

The Parish of St Mary in Zebbug is mentioned by De Soldanis in his history of Gozo. He writes that the church was cherished by the people who visited it very often. The titular feast was celebrated every 15th of August. He mentions that the bell was made in 1515 and was praised by the bishops. The chalice was made in 1547 and together with other sacred objects, they were hidden in a well somewhere in the village. Since nobody knew where it was, these sacred vessels where never found.
 
  Previous Next  

Copyright © 2011. All Rights Reserved.
Website Administrator: Ms R. Cini