It is a malign coincidence that a chapel dedicated to Il-Madonna tal-Isperanza, which inspires much devotion among the people of Mosta, was shut on the first Sunday in October. This is the sort of homage currently being paid to Our Lady in Mosta, even in the month of the rosary.

This chapel is quite unique. It is associated with a charming legend about a lame girl in flight from raiding Muslim corsairs. The poor girl hid in a cave in the valley of Mosta and prayed ardently to Our Lady for help. In the midst of her appeal to heaven, a spider spun a web across the mouth of the cave, which web convinced the corsairs that the girl had not found refuge in the cave. They moved on, leaving the girl unharmed and free.

The point is clear. God does not abandon those, especially the weak and vulnerable, who place their trust in Him. Since this chapel was built in the 18th century during the tenure of Fr Ġwann Anġelo Sammut, a priest from Mosta, the people of Mosta have always shown unflagging devotion to this chapel.

It was therefore a paralysing blow for the people of Mosta when they were told, by the current archpriest, Fr Albert Buhagiar, a priest not from Mosta but from Tarxien, that regular Masses there will be terminated. Daily Masses at the chapel had already been stopped some time ago.

The official reason for this closure is an alleged lack of clergy. It was said that since 2004, some seven priests from Mosta had died, while the number of Masses remained unchanged, thus exerting a greater strain on the remaining clergy.

What fool will fall for this excuse? All one has to do is to check the current number of Masses and divide it by the number of priests assigned to Mosta. The result implies that no priest wants to celebrate more than a single Mass on Sunday.

Was it not at all possible to make an exception for this chapel, well known for its historical value and religious significance?