Set the scene.
Archbishop Mauro Caruana wished for a Sliema church dedicated to St Gregory the Great. Its first stone was laid on 20 October 1923.
Here’s the twist.
The church became a parish on 22 December 1943. That recognition came during the Second World War, twenty years after the foundation ceremony.
Why it still matters.
Try placing the two dates alongside a wider Malta timeline. A local building’s history can overlap national events without every milestone being caused by them.
🧠 One to think about +
What does this story change about the way you see Malta today? Pick one detail you’d tell a friend — then check its source below.