⚡The Legend of St. Paul’s Shipwreck⚡
How an apostle’s shipwreck shaped Malta’s history.
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According to tradition, St. Paul was shipwrecked on Malta in 60 AD while en route from Caesarea to Rome. This event also brought Christianity to the island, and St Paul is considered the spiritual father of the Maltese.
His shipwreck on Malta is described in the New Testament (Acts 28, 1) where St. Luke wrote, “we found that the island was called Melita.”
There is a a Roman Catholic parish church in Valletta dedicated to this event, called Church of St Paul's Shipwreck. It is actually one of Valletta's oldest churches and houses important objects like relics and a part of the column on which the saint was beheaded in Rome.
The exact site of the shipwreck is unknown, but there are theories that it happened in St Paul’s Bay, St. Thomas’ Bay or on St Paul’s Islands.
As you can see, Malta’s devotion to St. Paul runs deep, with landmarks like St. Paul’s Grotto in Rabat, where he supposedly lived, and the annual Feast of St. Paul’s Shipwreck in Valletta.
This flashfact is a reference to my JourneyJots post on Malta.
And one last thing - this publication will stay free forever, but if you feel I deserve a cup of matcha 🍵 here and there, then please buy me some - the next drink’s on me! ☕