Anecdotes about the Virgin Mary

"The voice that called from the chapel of Ta' Pinu"

Gozo (Malta) (1883)

On the island of Gozo, in the Maltese archipelago, stands the national shrine of Our Lady of Ta' Pinu, a basilica beloved by all the Maltese people. Its name comes from an early guardian of the original chapel, Filippo (Pinu) Gauci, hence the name "Ta' Pinu."

The tradition that brought fame to the place dates back to 1883. A peasant woman, Carmela Grima, was passing by the old chapel when she heard a woman's voice calling her and inviting her to come in and pray. The call was repeated, and the news spread; soon, accounts of graces and healings attributed to the intercession of the Virgin venerated in that chapel began to emerge. Devotion grew to such an extent that the current grand basilica, a center of pilgrimage for all of Malta and Gozo, was built upon the humble original structure.

It is important to distinguish between tradition and history. The existence of Carmela Grima, the episode of the 1883 apparition, and the rapid flourishing of devotion are firmly rooted in Maltese memory. The supernatural nature of the voice, however, belongs to the realm of faith, and details not supported by solid documentation should be presented with caution. Where there is no certainty, it is honest to say that it is not documented. What is well-attested is the development of the shrine as a national basilica and a place of pilgrimage, visited by the Popes.

The Rosary naturally accompanies the Marian devotion of Ta' Pinu, without there being a singular episode that specifically links it to the origin of this devotion.