The Maltese Bishop Baldassare Cagliares proclaimed the Qrendi village a parish in 1618. Prior this date, the Qrendi inhabitants together with those from the two other small hamlets, those of Hal Manin and Hal Lew, attended religious services in the near parish of Zurrieq.

In 1620, Reverend John Mary Camilleri, decided to build a parish church on the highest site in the village, at a place where two other small chapels had previously stood. The temple was completed in 1655, thirty-five years later.

Hardly had a few years past from the church’s completion when in 1677 Fr. Domenic Formosa became parish priest and decided to pull down his recently constructed church to build a bigger and larger one. The work began in 1685 and was completed in 1712, twenty-seven years later.

The Designs of the new church was entrusted to the distinguished Maltese architect of the time, Lorenzo Gafa'.

The dome and twin belfry towers on the either side characterize the crucifix form design of the church.

The transepts and the two side sacristies, with the choir and the main altar in the middle, forming the arms of the cross.

Whilst two of the four bells in the belfries were installed by 1712 in time to commemorate the church’s completion, the remaining two were to be later additions, being installed in 1788 and 1798 respectively, during the time that Fr. Antonio Mizzi was parish priest.

Despite the fact that construction works on the church’s building was completed by 1712, the church was to be consecrated seventy years later by Bishop Labini, on the 13th October 1782.

In the year 1882, on the initiative of a local priest, Fr. Celestino Camilleri, who was also a renowned botanist, the remains of St. Celestino were brought over from Rome and permanently displayed for all to see in the choir’s altar behind the church’s main altar.

Ever since the Church’s completion, distinguished local artists and craftsman have contributed in many ways to adorn this beautiful shrine.

The Titular painting, representing the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven, located at the back of the main altar, is the distinguished work of the eminent Maltese artist, Giuseppe Cali'.

This magnificent oil painting measuring some 378 cm by 196 cm, was commissioned in 1919 when Cali' was nearly 70 years old, being originally destined for the Mqabba Parish Church and later acquired by the Qrendi Parishioners to add to its collections of church treasures.

Cali's painting replaced that of another Maltese Maestro, Rokku Buhagiar, who had originally been commissioned with a painting under the same title for the first church and which now hangs in the right sacristy.

Works by another fine Maltese craftsman, Emmanuel Buhagiar are the highly decorated frames of the fourteen Stations of the Cross together with the Lectern that is located in the choir behind the main altar.

The statue of the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven, or as it is better known, Santa Marija, is carved out of a solid tree trunk and was commissioned in 1840 by the Maltese sculpture, Antonio Chircop.

Prior to its completion, a 16th century statue of the Immaculate Conception, brought over from Cospicua by Reverend Antonio Mizzi, parish priest of the time, was used during the procession on the feast of the Assumption in Qrendi.

The feast of Santa Marija is celebrated on the 15 August.

This statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was commissioned by the Maltese sculpture Karlo Darmanin in 1878, whilst the parish priest Fr. Pietro Paul Xuereb introduced the festivities of Our Lady of Lourdes in Qrendi during the same year, shortly after Our Lady’s apparitions in Lourdes, France.

The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is celebrated on the last Sunday in June

This altar in the left transept is dedicated to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. The painting resembles the work of Giannikol Buhagiar, an 18th century artist.

The Santa Maria Convoy is another of the works commissioned by the Gozitan artist, Paul Camilleri Cauchi.

The works represents the arrival on the 15^th August 1942 at the Grand Harbour of the damaged tanker Ohio, one of the tankers that arrived safely to Malta bringing much needed food and supplies during “Operation Pedestal”

On the four main columns, which support the church’s dome, are the Biblical figures of Ruth, Rachel, Abigail and Sefora, four women from the bible. The biblical paintings are the work of the Gozitan artist, Paul Camilleri Cauchi.

RUTH

RACQUEL

ABIGAIL

SEFORA