The Mellieħa sacristan is calling on young people to help out with maintenance work in churches as his parish gears up for the 90th anniversary of the baptism of its bells.

Dedicated to Marija Bambina, the parish will next month mark the day, just under a century ago, when parishioners headed to Marsamxett to usher in the five bells.

The money to buy the bells, cast in Milan, was collected from the parishioners themselves, who were mostly farmers and fishermen.

Sacristan Christopher Bartolo, who has been taking care of the bells since 1974 – succeeding his father, Lippu – said the bells were meant to be blessed on the feast of the Annunciation, on March 25, 1925. However, the ceremony had to be postponed by a day because of bad weather.

He recalled that thousands of people assembled on the Main Square and Triq il-Parroċċa to witness the ceremony, led by Archbishop Mauro Caruana. The names and an image of the namesake saint were etched on the bells: St Francis, St Joseph, St Anthony of Padova, St Paul and Maria Vittoria.

The parish will mark the anniversary through an exhibition of photos, paintings and flower arrangements on March 21 and 22. People will also be able to climb to the steeple to see the bells. Thanksgiving Mass will be said on March 21 at 6.30pm.

Mr Bartolo, who has been teaching youths how to ring and maintain the bells, is appealing to young people to take up this skill and help out in churches.