Artistic works of renowned artists, including Domenico Cagini, Alessandro Algardi Giuseppe Cali’, Willie Apap and Esprit Barthet, are amongst a number of works featuring the figure of St. Paul and episodes from his life, which are being exhibited at the Exhibition Hall within the Ministry for Gozo.

This exhibition, entiitled ‘St. Paul – Faith and Iconography’, is being organised by the Commission for Sacred Art within the Gozo Diocese, with the collaboration of the Ministry for Gozo, on the occasion of the Pauline Year.

The President of Malta, H.E. Dr. Edward Fenech Adami inaugurated this exhibition, which was blessed by the His Lordship Mgr. Mario Grech, Bishop of Gozo. The Hon. Giovanna Debono, Minister for Gozo and His Excellency Tommaso Caputo, Appostolic Nuncio for Malta, were also present for the inauguration.

The exhibition includes works from the Archeology Museum in Gozo, from the Wignacourt Museum, from several churches around Gozo as well as a number of private collections. These works include 22 pieces of art, a number of bozzettos of paintings found in churches around Gozo and Malta, statues, sculptures, litographs and engravings, books and silver artefacts. The most important exhibits include a high relief in stone of the 12th century, a holy water stoup, the work of the Sicilian Domenico Cagini in 1474, a high relief in bronze by Alessandro Algardi as well as a work of art executed in 1960 by the Maltese artist Willie Apap, featuring St Paul’s Shipwreck, which was given as a gift by the Maltese Government to the late Pope, John Paul II, on the occasion of his first visit to the Maltese Islands in 1990.

The exhibition opens daily on weekdays between 8.30am and 4.30pm., as well as on Saturdays and Sundays between 9.00am and noon. On the 10th of February, Feast of St. Paul’s Shipwreck in Malta and a public holiday, the exhibition will be open from 9.00am to noon. Entrance is free. The exhibition will remain open until the 14th of February 2009.

A catalogue featuring the works being exhibited, together with a study by Mark Sagona, was published for this occassion and can be obtained from the Exhibition Hall at the Ministry for Gozo.

In the meantime, Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono, inaugurated another exhibition showing old and more recent photographs of Marsalforn bay. This exhibition has been mounted as part of the celebrations of the feast of the Conversion of St Paul, at Marsalforn Church, on the occasion of the Pauline Year.