Our application to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority for an extension to the existing parish hall seems to have raised a lot of interest. Although not quite anticipated, one can understand the preoccupation of many and I would like to lay at rest any misconceptions and explain the facts as they are.

The project will not impact the existing layout, architectural style, façade elevation (from any direction), perimetre and boundary of both the structure of the church itself and of the surrounding parvis. In essence, all the project entails is the further excavation to increase the size of the parish hall under the church. This will be done by excavating under the side parvis and then roofing again over the excavated area to retain the present height and shape.

The outward appearance will be faithfully retained, no heights will be altered and the side parvis along with the small belfry and stone structures will remain totally unchanged.

The additions that will be visible only when walking on the parvis, will be the sky lights which will give direct, natural light to the new areas. These are essential since no windows are contemplated in the elevation intentionally so as to not disturb the present elevations in any way. The skylight structures themselves will be kept close to the ground so as to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

I hold great respect for Fr Peter Serracino Inglott, however, his article in The Sunday Times (July 31) is completely misleading in its assumptions. The development of the project will not entail demolishing any part of the parvis elevation.

The excavation will be done by digging from the present level of the parvis down to the level of the existing parish hall.

The newly created space will go a long way in affording us much-needed space.

At present, the quaint chapel on Manikata’s main road which preceded the present church, is being used to house the parish’s warehousing requirements. This is a sorry situation which we dearly wish to rectify once the required space is made available. It is the Manikata Pastoral Commission’s wish to ultimately also restore this tiny chapel which so aptly served Manikata’s past generations. The new space will also afford a much-needed area which will house, among others, a small conference hall, cathecism classes and other areas much needed for the pastoral requirements of a fast-growing community.

The commission, of which I am a member, and the residents of Manikata itself fully realise and appreciate the great architectural importance our parish church enjoys. To this end, the parish commission has this year embarked on a restoration project which is now nearing completion. This project has cost the tiny community of Manikata tens of thousands of euros and involved the exposure of iron mesh and steel structure in several places where rust had caused extensive damage. These areas were then treated and re-rendered.

The whole church structure, including the boundary parvis walls, were re-patched and re-painted. Ironically one would expect that such a restoration project on a “national gem” would somehow be considered on the national agenda and not have to be sponsored by one of Malta’s smallest communities.

Over the past few days, several comments have been posted on The Times’ website relating to this project, comments ranging from the obvious to the outright banal. When one considers the project and understands what is being proposed it becomes apparent that a proverbial storm in a tea cup has been created simply because many assumptions have been made.

The parish commission has done a lot throughout the years to protect this piece of architecture that is being today considered for scheduling. One would expect that in return we are not treated as mere speculators and be awarded the benefit of common sense that we will not in anyway compromise that which we hold so dear.

That said, Manikata like any other parish, has growing needs to meet the pastoral requirements of today’s modern society. The Manikata Pastoral Commision and parish priest Reginald Magri aptly recognise this responsibility and it is in this spirit that the decision for such a project was taken.

Prof. Serracino Inglott can understand this and can also understand that it would have been so much easier for one ageing parish priest and a handful of volunteers to shirk these responsibilties rather than embark on a project which will ultimately cost over €200,000 and which at the end of the day will need to come out of the very same pockets that financed the building of the “national gem” in question: those of the parishioners.