In the late 1800s, Dun Ġużepp Vella realised that the growing population of Nadur needed more space dedicated to prayer, so he took it upon himself to build another church for the Gozitan villagers.

He wanted to ensure the new church would serve as a place of adoration, to bring people closer to God and not divide the village into followers of different saints. So he secured a plot of land on the outskirts of Nadur to ensure the new church was not close to the parish dedicated to St Peter and St Paul. And, in order to avoid conflict between band clubs supporting different saints, as happens in various villages, he dedicated the new church to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, explained Jonathan Grech, the grandson of Dun Ġużepp's brother, Gianni.

Now, a century after the church was built and consecrated, the late priest's relatives plan to set up a foundation to restore the private family-owned church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which their ancestor worked so hard to build.

"This is not an investment but a passion passed on throughout my family's generations. The aim of the foundation is to keep the passion alive in future generations," Mr Grech said.

Dun Ġużepp had started collecting money to build the church in 1893. With the help of donations and funds given to him by his family, the church was completed in 1907 and consecrated in May 1910. Unfortunately, Dun Ġużepp did not get to see the completed project because he died in 1906 at the age of 52.

According to his documented life history, the priest died soon after a construction worker was injured while working on the church. Although the worker survived the accident, the priest took the news so badly he got sick and died.

Although private, the church is frequently open for public use. Mass is held there every day and villagers are welcome to attend adoration sessions and hear Mass organised on special feasts such as Christmas, Easter and the feast of the Sacred Heart.

Mr Grech explained that, once set up, the Dun Ġużepp Foundation would start by making structural alterations. The plan was to construct the second bell tower that was never built due to lack of funds. The foundation would then focus on restoring the works of art that adorn the church, including include various paintings and sculptures by Francesco Saverino Sciortino. The dome includes a 360 degree painting depicting the Way of the Cross by artist Ġużeppi Briffa.