Our Lady of Sorrows Parish church

Our Lady of Sorrows Parish church

Countess Anna & Vincenzo Bugeja were philantropists renown for the charitable work in Malta.

Towards the end of the 19th century, St. Paul’s Bay was still a predominantly fishing village with a population of around 200 residents, which increased in summer with persons, including nobles and busness persons, who had a summer residence there.

Countess Bugeja had a summer residence in St. Paul’s Bay where the Conentual Franciscans have their convent and parish church dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows today.

The parish’s dedication to Our Lady of Sorrows unfolded when the son of another noble family (Sant Cassia) found a holy picture of Our Lady of Sorrows in a cave underneath the Wignacourt Tower and he gave this to Anna Bugeja. She requested a church to be built – which she financed – dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, which then became a parish in 1905. Countess Anna Bugeja continued to contribute towards the parish and after Vincenzo Bugeja passed away, she gave her possessions to the parish of St Paul’s Bay.