Paola’s Christ the King Basilica Gets a Sprucing Up, but There’s a Twist!

The Unbelievable Grant Adventure

In the heart of Paola, the talk of the town wasn’t the usual ħobż biż-żejt debates or who makes the crunchiest pastizzi. No, mela, this time Paola’s Christ the King basilica was causing all the commotion. The news spread like wildfire – the government had just coughed up a whooping €400,000 grant for the restoration of the church. But this wasn’t going to be any ordinary restoration project.

A Miraculous Mix-Up

Wacky local artist, Carmenu, known for his penchant for combining sacred art with scenes from the Marsaxlokk fish market, somehow landed the role of head designer. Uwejja, the committee didn’t know what was coming! As Carmenu unleashed his plans, the congregation was in for a treat—or a shock—depending on how you looked at it.

“People of Paola, prepare for a basilica like no other! Imagine the Last Supper, but with Jesus and the disciples feasting on ġbejniet and ħobż biż-żejt instead of bread and wine,” Carmenu declared.

While some parishioners laughed it off, thinking he was joking, others didn’t take too kindly to the idea. A special meeting was called, and that’s when things really kicked off.

When Cultural Restoration Meets Social Media

Teenager Sandrina, quick to the punch, had already live-tweeted the entire fiasco. Before the night was over, the hashtag #HolyPastizz was trending, with mixed reactions from mock horror to absolute delight among locals and expats alike.

“I didn’t choo$e the holy life, the holy life cho$e me. #HolyPastizz #Ġbejna4Jesus” – @SandrinaFenech

The committee members, with their visions of traditional restoration, almost choked on their Soppa tal-Armla as they read through the flood of tweets. An emergency session was set to discuss the newfound social media fame and to gently remind Carmenu that, perhaps, his creative visions needed a tad bit of toning down.

The Unexpected Memento

In an odd turn of events, the parish priest—who usually couldn’t even manage to find his spectacles—stumbled upon an ancient secret basement under the altar during the initial inspection phase. It turned out to be the most capricious discovery in Maltese religious history—a trove of 16th-century Mdina glasswork, presumed to be long lost!

“Eureka! Well, more like, ‘Mela! Look what we have here!'” the parish priest exclaimed, eyes twinkling behind his misplaced glasses.

While the discovery should have been the talk of the restoration, Carmenu’s artistic musings refused to die down, with tourists coming in droves to see the “artist” in action.

A Whirlwind Conclusion

The Power of Compromise was strong in Paola, and it didn’t take long for the parishioners, Carmenu, and the government to strike a balance. A minor adjustment was made: the basilica would be restored traditionally, but Carmenu was granted a small corner to unleash his creative genius, tourist bait and all.

The once quiet town of Paola burst into life with its newly restored Christ the King basilica, drawing in the curious and the faithful. As for the secret basement, it was turned into a Mdina glass exhibit, with a modern twist courtesy of Carmenu, who installed interactive LED lights that made the relics glow brighter than the famed Valletta waterfront at night.

“At the end of the day, it’s about preserving our history, embracing our quirkiness, and maybe, just maybe, enjoying a pastizz or two in the process,” Carmenu mused, his mischievous smile a perfect reflection of the day’s unexpected events.

Mela, it was official: Paola had set a new standard for how to deal with the past, the present, and the absolutely bonkers. All’s well that ends well in the little town with a basilica that got much more than just a fresh coat of paint.