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Church of St James the Greater
Knisja ta' San Ġakbu
The church in 2015
36°2′41.285″N 14°14′22.719″E / 36.04480139°N 14.23964417°E / 36.04480139; 14.23964417
Location	Victoria, Gozo, Malta
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Church
Founded	18th century
Dedication	Saint James the Greater
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Specifications
Number of spires	1
Administration
Province	Malta
Diocese	Gozo
Clergy
Rector	George Borg

The Church of St James is a Roman Catholic church building in Victoria, Gozo, Malta, situated in Independence Square, the centre of the town.

History

The present church dates from the 20th century but part of the church, particularly the sanctuary, dates to the 18th century. The original building was used as a parochial church for the eastern part of the island of Gozo during the night hours at a time when the only parishes on the island were those of St George and the Collegiate of the Assumption, the present cathedral. Two other chapels were adjoined to the original church, one dedicated to the Holy Cross and the other to St Mark. This is recorded in inquisitor Pietro Dusina's 1575 report.

Following the 1551 corsair raid on Gozo, led by Sinam Baxa, the church suffered extensive damage and had to be rebuilt. It was deconsecrated in 1657 by Bishop Balaguer and a new church was built in its place by order of Grand Master Ramon Despuig. It was finished in 1740. The church was used for the blessing of the crops on the feast of St Mark. This custom started in 1847 and ended in 1968. The church was consecrated on January 18, 1942. It was partly demolished in 1979 because of damage to the structure, and had to be rebuilt.

The church building is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.

Works of art

The altarpiece, depicting St James, dates back to 1742. There are two side altars, one dedicated to St Barbara and the other to St Teresa of Avila and St Rose of Lima. The paintings are said to have been painted by Francesco Zahra. The church is most famous for the statue of Our Lady of Sorrow which is taken out of the church on the Friday before Good Friday and taken into procession around the streets of Victoria. The statue was brought from Munich in 1879.

See also

• Culture of Malta
• History of Malta
• List of Churches in Malta
• Religion in Malta

References

1. Bezzina, Joseph. "Main Attractions" Archived 2014-10-19 at the Wayback Machine, Victoria Local Council, Malta, 2011. Retrieved on 14 April 2014.
2. "St James Church". Retrieved on 14 April 2014.
3. "Church of St James" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 27 August 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 10, 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2015.

v t e Victoria, Gozo
History	Invasion of Gozo (1551) Saverio Cassar Gozo (independent state)
Architecture	Fortifications Cittadella Churches St Mary's Cathedral St George' Basilica St Francis St James Nativity of Mary (Savina) St Augustine St John Bosco St Martha Annunciation Cana Movement Good Shepherd Manresa Our Lady of Grace Our Lady Help of Christians Immaculate Heart of Mary Our Lady of Pompei St Barbara Old St Joseph Immaculate Conception Nazareth Chapel Palaces Cagliares Palace Bishop's Palace Museums Gozo Museum of Archaeology Gozo Nature Museum Gran Castello Historic House Old Prison Heart of Gozo: Il-Hagar Museum War shelter under the Cittadella War Shelter under Triq id-Dejqa War Shelter under St Augustine's Square Gardens Villa Rundle Theatres Teatru Astra Teatru Aurora Oratorju Don Bosco Other Gozo Aqueduct Banca Giuratale Gozo Central Public Library Gozo Public Library
Sport	Victoria Hotspurs F.C. Oratory Youths F.C. S.K. Victoria Wanderers F.C.
Main category

• 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Malta
• Roman Catholic churches completed in 1740
• Victoria, Gozo
• National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands