File:Outside Chapel Siggiewi.jpg

English: Girgenti lies on the outskirts of Siġġiewi, a place of unearthly serenity and beauty. It is renowned for the Inquisiter’s Palace which dominates the skyline and overlooks a fertile valley and picturesque countryside. Since 1986 the area shown here, which is perched on the valley side, has been transformed into a place of worship.

In 1983, Ġuża Mifsud, a spinster from Siġġiewi, claimed that in the 1950s she had visions of Our Lady at her house in Siġġiewi. Our Lady asked her to spread devotion towards the new title “Our Lady of Consecration”. Ġuża claims that the Blessed Virgin told her, “I was consecrated to God since I was a little child but no one on earth gave me this title.”

Two years later, Ġuża disclosed that she had even seen the Holy Mother in an apparition in the valley at her family’s farmland in Girgenti. Our Lady requested that a statue is erected here which is very close to the place of the apparitions. Anton Aġius, a renowned sculptor from Rabat was commisioned to make this statue which was placed at Girgenti on 5 May 1986.

Ġuża Mifsud used to organise prayer meetings every first and third Sunday of each month during which she addressed the congregation in her typical humble and straightforward way. Her lack of schooling did not hinder her from delivering the messages she claimed to have received from the Blessed Virgin, from Jesus and also from saints. She used to preach about the love of God, the Eucharist, the Passion of Christ, brotherly love, peace, unity, modesty and on numerous other subjects. Her fortitude and the love she had for God urged her to write letters to various Heads of States including Presidents Bush, Gorbachev and Saddam Hussein encouraging them to stop war and work for world peace.

In the following years, Ġuża made various additions to the shrine which she claimed were on the direction of Our Lady. In May 1988 a stone water trough was placed on site and Ġuża claimed, “This water has been given to us as a source of spiritual and temporal grace...” The trough was blessed by Mons. Amante Buontempo. Four years later, in May 1992, a large timber cross was also erected on site to give a feeling of comfort to pilgrims in distress. By time this cross suffered severe weathering and was replaced by another timber cross in May 2007, while the original one was conserved in Ġuża's house in Siġġiewi.

During her speeches Ġuża often recalled how in the nineteen fifties she had a vision of St. Michael who had told her, “You must become a warrior to defend Malta, to defend the Eucharist and to defend the message given by Our Lady...” His statue which was blessed in February 1993 was set up with the aim to increase devotion to the archangel and help us eradicate evil from Malta and the whole world.

A statue of St. Joseph was also erected at Girgenti in November 1995. Ġuża claims to have had various visions from her patron saint. The marble plaque which was placed near the statue contains an extract from his message to Ġuża. It reads as follows: “The whole world is undergoing a great Calvary of darkness... many kind people are being killed... Pray for heavenly peace... Together with the Lord Jesus and the Blessed Virgin I am the protector of the Catholic Church... and I place the dying before the mercy of God the Father and that of His son Jesus.”

The latest addition to the shrine was the statue of the Suffering Christ by the sculptor Andrew Bugeja. It was paid by Lord and Lady of Kenfig from Wales and was blessed on June 7, 2009 by Mons. Francesco Adeodato Micallef, Bishop Emeritus of Kuwait.

Many devotees have claimed receiving special graces both spiritual and physical through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin and Ġuża Mifsud. The small bronze bell which adorns the little belfry on the adjoining room is a memento of a particular grace received. A person who was given to swearing had inexplicably dropped this habit after praying at the shrine and as thanksgiving had donated money to purchase a bell to be placed in the shrine so that by its clapper (like a tongue) it would give praise to God and atone for the impious words he used to utter with his own tongue. During each prayer meeting the bell is tolled five times in honour of the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph together with all the Saints.

Although Ġuża Mifsud passed away on October 28, 1996, yet her words still echo in the minds and hearts of many devotees of Our Lady. The Committee of the Movement of Our Lady of Consecration which was founded by Ġuża Mifsud in 1987, still organizes prayer meetings on every first and third Sunday of each month while other private meetings are organized during week days. The Committee administers the shrine in Girgenti and Ġuża’s house in Siġġiewi and is also always pleased to offer its assistance to those who visit the shrine.

The summer heat and the cold winter months do not detract from the visual and spiritual beauty of Girgenti. The shrine is visited by many people of all ages, from all walks of life both by locals and foreigners. Girgenti is a place of refuge for people in search of spirituality, comfort and peace of heart and mind.

Author: Sylvana Spiteri