Apostolic Administrator Mgr Charles Scicluna will on Wednesday bless St Mary Magdalene church in Merchants Street, Valletta.

The church underwent extensive restoration work and clean-ing both on the interior and exterior following years of neglect and deconsecration.

The church was built by Grand Master Antione de Paule between 1623 and 1636 and belonged to the cloistered nuns of St Mary Magdalene whose monastery once stood adjacent to the church. It was renovated twice: by Grand Master Nicola Cottoner in 1660 and in 1748 by Grand Master Pinto de Fonsceca.

With the arrival of the French in 1798, Napoleon Buonaparte ordered the nuns to move out of the monastery in a letter addressed to the Madre Badessa Diodata Novi. The French took all the monastery’s wealth and properties and the nuns had to move to St Catherine’s monastery where the last Magdalene nun died in 1846.

The church suffered years of neglect and deconsecration

The church later served Catholic soldiers stationed in Fort St Elmo as well as navy families from the Camerata barracks across the road. The monastery was destroyed by enemy action in 1941 during World War II and it was never rebuilt. A government primary school was built instead.

The church was left to deteriorate and along the years it served for various purposes other than religious functions, even as a storage garage for carnival float builders.

The church will now be handed over to the Dominican parish for pastoral use following discussions and a decree by Archbishop Emeritus Paul Cremona last June.

The Dominican Community of Valletta invites parishioners and all the faithful to attend the inauguration of the church on Wednesday at 6pm.

The blessing will be followed by Mass.