In 1943, following the end of World War II, Fr Tarċis Agius, a very dynamic priest, was appointed Vicar Curate of Marsascala church. At that time the population of Marsascala consisted of fishermen, farmers and herdsmen who earned their living from the Drydocks. In summer, well-to-do fami­lies from Cottonera and other parts of the island, including Żabbar and Żejtun, moved to their summer residence in Marsascala.

A certain Spiru Vella  from Vittoriosa, who for some time resided with his daughter in Marsascala, told Fr Tarċis that he had made a vow to St Anne that if his three sons – George, who worked at the Drydocks, Ċensu, who was with the Navy, and Joseph, who worked with the NAAFI – survived the war, he would pay all the expenses for a new statue of St Anne for the titular feast of the village, even though Marsascala was not yet a parish.

On hearing the news, Fr Tarċis was overjoyed and in no time he left for Italy to order the statue of St Anne from Ferdinand Stuflesser 1875 sacred art studio in Ortisei, province of Bolzano.

Vella made a vow to St Anne and would pay for a new statue

The statue arrived in Malta on a ship at il-Menqa in Marsa from where it was transported to Marsascala on September 6, 1947, on a landing barge kindly lent by the Commodore Superintendent of HM Dockyard.

The people of Marsascala, whose population was around 500, gave the new statue of  St Anne a rousing welcome. Various boats sailed out at sea to welcome the landing barge between the two entry points of the bay and accompanied the statue to the foreshore at Siberia as hunters fired a fusillade of gunshots in a salute. Accompanying the statue on the barge were Fr Tarċis and other volunteers.

Fr Tarċis and Joseph Zammit (right) admire the new statue of St Anne at il-Menqa in Marsa where it was off loaded from a ship via Italy.

At Siberia, the statue was lifted on a truck accompanied by parishioners who chanted Marian hymns. When the statue arrived in the square, Fr Tarċis blessed it  and delivered a speech, while Vella, who was accompanied by his sons and daughters, recounted his vow episode. The statue was then carried to the church in La Senglè Street.

On July 11, 1948, Carmel Grima from Żejtun (known as tal-Qutu) donated a gilded pedestal for the statue of St Anne. It was designed by V. Bonello of Valletta. The pedestal, at a cost of £300, was also sculpted by Ferdinand Stuflesser Studio. It was unveiled by Fr Tarċis and blessed by Rev. Canon Paul Azzopardi.

Additional historical information was provided by Emanuel Peresso.

Marsascala parish will be commemorating the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the statue of St Anne in this picturesque village with a Thanksgiving Mass celebra­ted by Archbishop Emeritus Mgr Paul Cremona, together with parish priest Roderick Camilleri and the clergy on Saturday at 7.45pm. Fr Camilleri invites the village community, as well as anyone who at some time or other resided in Marsascala, and their families, to attend the celebration.

The new statue of St Anne carried on a decorated truck in the Siberia area soon after it arrived on a landing barge in Marsascala Bay.