ST. JULIANS PARISH

Throughout this year the parish is undergoing a number of projects which will enhance the existent facilities of the parish. Amongst the projects that will take off this year one can mention the restoration of the Church Pipe Organ which is one of the best organs on the Island and is in need of an extensive restoration including the dismantling of the pipes and the registers. The project which will take around a year to complete will cost around 19,000 Euro.

Another extensive project which will be completed by mid May is the embellishment of a hall situated on the upper floor of the church sacristy which will become the official Parish Conference Hall. The hall will be named after the late Pope John Paul II who had visited St Julian’s Parish Church 20years ago this year (27th May 1990). The hall will be equipped with all the necessary audio visual facilities that a modern conference hall needs nowadays. The hall will not only be used by the parish groups but will also be available for anybody wishing to make use of it.

The Kuncizzjoni church which is one of the oldest buildings in St Julian’s and overlooks the picturesque Spinola Bay is also crying for a facelift. In the past few weeks the bells hanging in the belfry fell due to the eroded beams they were hanging on. The Church which is frequented mainly by a elderly citizens who attend the daily 5.30pm mass needs to be restored not only on the exterior but also interiorly. The church is adorned by a very old vaulted ceiling and has a number of old paintings dating to the very early years of the church’s opening. The parish will be embarking, together with the help of a number of private entities, to the exterior restoration project of the said church which will cost around 50,000 Euro. It is imperative that such a valuable building is not left to deteriorate but is given the necessary attention.

A long term project which is still in the pipe line and needs to have much thought and expertise invested into it is the building of a Parish Centre. St Julian’s is in need of a Centre which could serve as a hub for all the parish activities that take place on a daily basis. Presently the parish does not have enough facilities and space to host the meetings, catechism lessons, choir rehearsals, parish functions, social activities which tend to take place on a very regular basis. Therefore the Parish Pastoral council last October decided unanimously to give their thumbs up to the setting up of a team of experts to discuss and evaluate the possibility and feasibility of having such a Centre on the present church land available within the parish confines. This is obviously a very ambitious project which will entail a lot of time, energy but also a lot of money. We are aware that even though this project may take some time to complete it is absolutely necessary for the good of all the community who form part of the parish.

These are the major projects that one can mention at this stage but obviously one cannot neglect the continuous ongoing maintenance that is needed on a daily basis. One can mention for example the church lighting system which needs to be redone completely in the very near future, the re decorating of the church itself. The parish offices and parish house have undergone an extensive and much needed redecoration at the beginning of this year.


	Church Pipe Organ Parish Conference Hall Kuncizzjoni Parish Centre			Throughout this year the parish is undergoing a number of projects which will enhance the existent facilities of the parish. Amongst the projects that will take off this year one can mention the restoration of the Church Pipe Organ which is one of the best organs on the Island and is in need of an extensive restoration including the dismantling of the pipes and the registers. The project which will take around a year to complete will cost around 19,000 Euro. Another extensive project which will be completed by mid May is the embellishment of a hall situated on the upper floor of the church sacristy which will become the official Parish Conference Hall. The hall will be named after the late Pope John Paul II who had visited St Julian’s Parish Church 20years ago this year (27th May 1990). The hall will be equipped with all the necessary audio visual facilities that a modern conference hall needs nowadays. The hall will not only be used by the parish groups but will also be available for anybody wishing to make use of it. The Kuncizzjoni church which is one of the oldest buildings in St Julian’s and overlooks the picturesque Spinola Bay is also crying for a facelift. In the past few weeks the bells hanging in the belfry fell due to the eroded beams they were hanging on. The Church which is frequented mainly by a elderly citizens who attend the daily 5.30pm mass needs to be restored not only on the exterior but also interiorly. The church is adorned by a very old vaulted ceiling and has a number of old paintings dating to the very early years of the church’s opening. The parish will be embarking, together with the help of a number of private entities, to the exterior restoration project of the said church which will cost around 50,000 Euro. It is imperative that such a valuable building is not left to deteriorate but is given the necessary attention. A long term project which is still in the pipe line and needs to have much thought and expertise invested into it is the building of a Parish Centre. St Julian’s is in need of a Centre which could serve as a hub for all the parish activities that take place on a daily basis. Presently the parish does not have enough facilities and space to host the meetings, catechism lessons, choir rehearsals, parish functions, social activities which tend to take place on a very regular basis. Therefore the Parish Pastoral council last October decided unanimously to give their thumbs up to the setting up of a team of experts to discuss and evaluate the possibility and feasibility of having such a Centre on the present church land available within the parish confines. This is obviously a very ambitious project which will entail a lot of time, energy but also a lot of money. We are aware that even though this project may take some time to complete it is absolutely necessary for the good of all the community who form part of the parish. These are the major projects that one can mention at this stage but obviously one cannot neglect the continuous ongoing maintenance that is needed on a daily basis. One can mention for example the church lighting system which needs to be redone completely in the very near future, the re decorating of the church itself. The parish offices and parish house have undergone an extensive and much needed redecoration at the beginning of this year.