Plan of the Mosta Crypt and part of the ossuary.

Church plans by architect Tommaso Dingli.

Plan of the Mosta Crypt showing the tombs.

Plan of the Crypt and one of its warehouses.

Plan of the ossuary and part of the Crypt.

Plan of the Mosta Crypt’s main corridor.

Little remains of the original church in Mosta; however, sufficient evidence exists to approximate the location of the cross that once stood before it. This cross likely marked the site of an earlier church, documented by Inquisitor Pietro Dusina during his visit to Mosta in 1575. Additionally, the position of the painter who depicted the scene can be identified (both the cross and the painter’s vantage point are indicated by the small circles in the image on the left). Research confirms for the first time that the church in Mosta — likely the first commissioned from architect Tommaso Dingli — was constructed in the form of a Greek cross, unlike his other churches, which were built according to the Latin cross plan.

The door you see upon entering the ossuary once led to the sacristy of the old Mosta church. This photo gave rise to unfounded police reports, which the media sensationalized as the "desecration of a tomb within the ossuary." There is a significant difference between simply opening a door and opening a tomb. In an ossuary, there are no tombs — something that should be obvious, though apparently it wasn’t to everyone.

For research, you enter the crypt understanding almost nothing — the walls painted over, the sculpture that once crowned the church’s pilasters erased. To truly understand, you must step into the ossuary — the tall, slim yellow door — where the walls remain raw, untouched by paint. Ever wonder what those without cultural context take from research built on drawings and measurements alone? It becomes grotesquely clear when compared to my own experience: studying an ancient chapel in a cemetery, only to be accused by the police of desecrating tombs, or exploring the Delimara Fort, abandoned for years as a pigsty, yet accused of violating the mangers. Research, it seems, can be twisted into a framed-up spectacle — crafted by the corrupt police themselves.

This is a link to my article on Mosta’s old church, over 15 pages, published in the Feast Annal of 2017 — the fruit of this extensive research. Fearing character assassination, I even sent the editor a false photo of myself, worried he might not publish it if he knew my true identity.

Consider whether this research, along with the subdomain on my website dedicated to Mosta, could reflect what that sadist, fraudster, and habitual liar psychiatrist David Cassar called my "magical bizarre" way of thinking.

Another article I wrote — 30 pages, including on Mosta’s 1930s nicknames — was published in the Feast Annal of 2019. For a while, it became my last, as after reporting staff in 2020 for abusively sleeping entire nights on duty, I faced retaliation: I was locked in wards with fewer permissions, my laptop was broken, I was denied access to it for months, and my mobile screen was later smashed.

Before this revenge, also in 2019, I submitted an article on Mosta’s statues and niches. Though late and too long for full publication at the time, its first part appeared in the Feast Annal of 2023, with the remainder expected in future volumes (second part in that of 2025).

I also wrote an article on the 250th anniversary of the consecration of Mosta’s old church, published in 2024 in the annals of the Nicolo Isouard Band Club. Contrary to my intentions, it was heavily edited: sections were removed, parts made discontinuous, words altered or added vindictively, and the additional material I requested was omitted, rendering my work absurd.

For these reasons, I am now publishing the article here (link) in its original form. The editor simply denied me the opportunity to submit it to the other band club, even though my continuation on the statues and niches ultimately went unpublished that year without notice. Seeing work into which I had poured so much care and passion—on a subject that meant so much to me—reduced to silence and humiliation was devastating. As my mother used to say:“People teach you / In-nies jghallmuk.”

Mid-djarju

3 t'Awissu 2013: ghal xi l-5pm immur nipprova mfietah tal-kannierja ta' wara (kont ghamilt wahda li gietni zghira scale hazin) u nsib li kien hemm wahda tidhol izda ma daritx ghax kienet wisgha zzejjed. Mort d-dar u qtajtilha ftit mill-wisgha w meta nippruvaha ghall-ewwel kienet iebsa, nerga nipprova w iddur. Izda meta gejt biex nerga nsakkar ma stajtx ghax il-grada kienet ingibdet 'l gewwa bil-gangetta li kien hemm ghal mal-hajt. Kont se nhalli kollox ghax bzajt ngholli l-gangetta li ma tergghax tidholli f'posta izda rnexxili ndahhal idi bl-ezatt u erfajta qisha mhi xejn, sakkart u ergajt dahhalt il-gangetta f'posta, kienu xi 5:30pm.

13 ta' Novembru 2013: (din meta ftaht il-bieb minsi minn kulhadd tas-sagristija tal-knisja l-qadima) Kont gejt bil-van mix-xoghol evening f'xi 23:00. Ghamilt l-alarms 2:20 u 2:25, bqajt naqra aktar fis-sodda u nzilt kienu xi 2:35, sakemm ninzel fejn il-bieb u nigi li nohrog jsiru xi 2:45, nasal il-kennierja xi 3:00 jdoqqu. Insib karozza pparkjata propju quddiem il-kancell izda ma kien fiha hadd, u kelli nhalli l-van ftit wara. ... Bhas-soltu naghti titwila lit-3 kmamar, xeghelt id-dawl tal-fetha fuq barra l-osswarju sa l-altar. Niftah il-bieb ta' l-osswarju u nibda nisbarazza, nnehhi l-wire, dak qisu bicca minn karrettun zghir, u bicca ffurmata minn 3 injamit. Jkun hemm dik tax-xemghat jirnexxieli nressaqa mal-hajt lejn il-bieb li dhalt minnu u kien hemm 2 hadidiet zghar nitfghahhom mal-genb ma l-art. Nibda nnehhi l-gebel li kienu tal-qawwi u tqal mhux hazin ghalli kienu zghar. Ghodni nehhejt iz-2 saffi ta' fuq insib muftieh li kellu parti minnu mkissra. Nkompli nnehhi u nasal sas-sallatura. Bdejt nipprova ndahhal il-muftieh li sibt izda kien kbir wisq u ma ridx jidhol anka meta pruvajt nnehhilu ftit sadid li kellu mieghu. Ikolli nnehhi gebla ohra w ingib it-torc ha nkun nista nara ahjar is-sallatruna u forsi jirnexxieli nara x'hemm gewwa izda ma rajtx xejn ghax fis-sallatura kien hemm l-ghanqbut. Kont ga qtajt qalbi se nahbat ingib il-camera biex naghmel muftieh jien izda jien u ndur biex ingib il-camera, mal-pilastru, nsib muftieh u cuvetta (nahseb tal-bieb ta' l-osswarju). Nipprova dan il-muftieh li dahal u ndawwar u jiftah mill-ewwel minghajr problemi ta' xejn! Izda l-bieb infetah ftit ghax warajh nara li kien hemm l-kadavri, mbuttajtu kemm stajt u bdejt niehu r-ritratti. Nerga naghlaq u npoggi l-gebel mieghu izda wahda minnhom li kellha d-disinn iddecidejt li niehodha tifkira u flokha sibt ohra ffitjat tajjeb. Nsib gebla ohra bid-disin u t-tnejn poggejthom 'l barra biex inkun nista nohroghom. Hrigt iz-2 gebliet u poggejthom fuq it-tarag ta' wara l-kancell li jzomm ix-xita milli tidhol. Kont se nerga nibda nippostja l-imbarazz kif kien meta nnutajt gebla ohra bl-irhamar u garrejtha wkoll. Ndunajt li kellha l-konkos u ghidt taf kienet xi haga ricenti tar-Rotunda, xi parti minn lapida ta' qabar. Msomma nippostja kollox kif kien ezatt u qabel hrigti hazzejt il-hnejjiet kif inhuma mqassmin fuq gewwa ta' l-osswarju. Domt nilghab xi ftit sakemm ghalaqt il-bieb ta' l-osswarju ghax ghall-mument is-sallatura wehlet gewwa u ma ridietx timxi u r-rih kien qawwi li beda qisu jrid jiftah il-bieb. Msomma ghalaqt u hazzejt ukoll il-hnejjiet mill-bieb ta' l-osswarju sa l-artal.

Jien u hiereg mill-kuritur jghaddi wiehed xih ezatt hekk kif inkun kwazi wasalt fejn il-kurituri tal-gnub izda jibqa' ghaddej b'rasu baxxuta ma jindunax waqt li jien dort malajr ghall-kuritur tan-naha tas-sala parrokjali, nitfi d-dawl li kelli ma rasi (jidhirli kelli jdejja fuqhom jien u hiereg) u qghadt nistenna f'dik qisa dahla nittama li narah jghaddi mit-tieqa, kif fil-fatt ghamel. Kont se naqbad nohrog izda ddecidejt li naghti titwila mit-tieqa n-naha l-ohra tal-parking izda ghidt ahjar ndur nfittex nitlaq u hrigt mill-kancell ma kien hemm hadd kienu ezatt 4:07. Bdejt ingorr il-gebel ghal gol-van, it-3 li huma. Ghalaqt u jien u gej lura nara l-istess xih wasal fejn il-kantuniera tal-Gurbell u kien qisu waqaf jistenna. Msomma wasalt, ipparkjajt fejn is-sigar, u hallejt il-gebel fil-van. Kelli s-shorts kollu trab u anki cappast il-flok l-abjad. Hsilt idejja u saqajja, farfart is-shorts u l-flok u nnizzel ir-ritratti fil-computer. Fil-5:08 nisma l-ommi qamet. Kienu cempluli l-gurnata ta' qabel li l-vit tal-kcina tal-flat ta' fuq baqa' miftuh u ghat-8:00 mort biex nirrangah. Nzerta kienet inqalghet il-parti ta' gewwa u lestejtu f'malajr.

Dawn 2 mit-3 gebel tal-qawwi li kont sibt fl-osswarju li rreferejt ghalihom qabel u li kont hadt id-dar biex nistudjahom bil-kwiet (l-ohra nsinifikanti ghax nahseb ricenti ghandha ftit irham bil-konkos). Jekk tmur tara l-isfregju li ghamlu fl-oswarju dan l-ahhar meta sbarazzaw aktar minn nofsu mill-katavri u l-imbarazz (ara ritratti t'hawn taht), nahseb dawn il-knaten tal-qawwi kienu jispiccaw mat-terrapien maz-zibel. Jien lest intihom lura lill-knisja kemm il-darba jaccettaw li jinqala' l-paviment tar-Rotunda fejn kien hemm il-knisja l-qadima u jsir skavar ghaliha (taht dan il-paviment wisq probabli hemm diversi gebel fosthom x'aktarx bl-iskultura b'kollox minn tal-qadima jekk tiehu 'n konsiderazzjoni li biex irnexxilhom ihottuha fi zmien gimgha, kellhom bilfors jitfghu hafna gebel minnha fil-post hemm taht flok joqghodu jahlu l-hin johorguhom 'l barra). Darba jkun sar l-iskavar, jkun jista' jerga jsir il-paviment tar-Rotunda fuq kif kien waqt li jkollna muzew bil-fdalijiet tal-knisja l-qadima taht u fuq kollox ikollna xi haga unika f'Malta: knisja go knisja (peress li l-paviment tal-knisja l-qadima kien aktar fil-baxx minn tar-Rotunda, xi 120 cm jew aktar mir-ricerka li ghamilt, u addirittura hemm aktar fond peress li taht il-paviment taghha kellha mhaffrin l-oqbra, cioe ikun hemm gholi bizzejjed biex wiehed jidhol izur il-fdalijiet taghha). Kont ghamilt dan is-suggeriment lill-Arcipriet lura fit-8 ta' Dicembru 2011 festa tal-Kuncizzjoni fit-transizzjoni mill-Arcipriet Mario Tong ghal Albert Buhagiar meta kont impustajt jien stess fid-dar tal-Arcipriet xi dokumenti b'din l-ideja, izda kont qatt ma gejt ikkuntatjat, x'jitnejku.

Dawn titlobhom permess tinzel s'hemm isfel ma tkunx tal-qalba jew tkun ilek li qtajta minn maghhom, kollha arditizmu jghidulek "Hemm gew ma jidhol hadd", tikteb l-Arcipriet ha tirricerka l-arkivji jinjorak ma jirrispondikx, immagina nies bla kultura ta' dan it-tip kemm se ssib xi hadd joqghod jiftahlek u jistennik tkejjel u terga tkejjel, anqas tghaddi minuta jghidlek haffef ghax jien irrid naghlaq, jaqghtulek qalbek tkun ghadek lanqas biss bdejt biex ma tohroghomx ta' hmir pruzuntuzi li huma, huma ghomorhom kollu hemm u qatt ma skoprew xejn (l-ironija hi li dawn jiehduh 'Gieh il-Mosta', tridx tmur, u lilek jaghjruk il-"mentali", "gennata", "ara ssibx xi qabar puniku hemm isfel"). Bl-imfietah li ghamilt stajt minflok ghamilt fejn izommu d-dehbijiet u affarijiet ta' valur u kont insir sinjur minn fuq dar il-knisja nkaxkrilhom kull m'hemm bil-kumdita kollha minghajr lanqas biss jindunaw, minflok b'riskju li nlaqqghat xi marda, ghall-imhabba tar-rahal ghamilt imfietah ta' postijiet biex naghmel lir-rahal sinjur nippova niskopru xi haga mill-istorja mitlufa tieghu, u bil-limitazzjonijiet kollha li kelli nhabbat wicci maghhom, u darba maqful l-isptar irrid niddecifra qisien u hzuz li kienu ghal zmien twil ikkonfiskawli l-Pulizija u li kont hadt ta' malajr f'nofs ta' lejl mal-4 snin qabel, wiehed jista' jasal wahdu ghall-konkluzjoni rnexxilix nilhaq l-iskop tieghi. Dawk blurred huma mfietah li ghamilt (ghamilthom blurred biex ma jkunx hemm xi hadd jithajjar u jkollhom izidu turrun iehor cameras ma li ghamlu), dawk mhux blurred huma ohrajn li ghamilt jew sibt fl-osswarju u ghamilt kopja taghhom. Dawk it-tnejn ta' fuqnett huma tal-bieb li jdahhlek fl-osswarju, waqt li dak il-kbir fuq il-lemin kont sibtu jien u nnehhi l-gebel tal-qawwi li kienu qed jaghlqu l-bieb tas-sagristija tal-qadima (ma nafx ta' fejn jista' jkun) u t-tnejn ta' fejnu (wiehed minnhom kopja li ghamilt u qatt ma kelli c-cans nippruvah fil-post) huma tal-bieb tas-sagristija tal-knisja l-qadima. Darba maqful l-isptar kien gie xi darbtejn jarani l-Arcipriet ta' dak iz-zmien Dun Albert Buhagiar u kont ghidtlu b'dawn l-imfietah li kelli naghti lill-Pulizija darba arrestawni u kien ghamel kuntatt mal-Pulizija biex irkuprahom lura. Wara li kont ippublikajt l-imsemmi artiklu fl-annwal tal-festa 2017 fuq ir-ricerka li ghamilt, ta' warajh u l-qatta' dilettanti u bla kultura li ghandu ma saqajh bhal stenbhu erhilhom nezlin ha jaraw x'hemm, u darba raw li kont dhalt jien fl-oswarju u ma grali xejn (kien hemm l-ghajdut li l-ahhar tnejn li kienu dahlu kienu laqtu marda li ghodda qatlithom u minhabba f'hekk kulhadd kien jibza' jidhol), marru jizzattu jisbarazzaw l-osswarju fil-veru sens tal-kelma u ghamlu herba mill-fdalijiet tal-katavri, whud minnhom immummifikati naturalment, patrimonju ta' rahal meqrud darba ghal dejjem. Tant hu hekk li kieku tal-knisja kienu johorgu stqarrija jichdu jew ghall-anqas jikkjarifikaw dawn l-akkuzi gravi li qed naghmel hawn hekk pubblikament fil-konfront taghhom.

MatCallejaPost1: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Ca8PQmoGb/ MatCallejaPost2: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16rdbpx59s/

Dawk iz-zminijiet kont nohrog bil-leave u dan ikkonfermajtu meta zort il-kannierja meta kienet miftuha fit-2 ta' Novembru 2019 jum il-mejtin. Dawn emails fl-2019 li baghat via terza persuna lill-Arcipriet tallum (ghax jekk niktiblu b'ismi propju ma jirrispondix ala selvagga) nipprova nihodlu minn mohhu x'seta' sar minnhom (ara wkoll emails ohra aktar 'l isfel meta rrapurtajt dan l-isfregju). Dawn l-istess klikka ta' "dilettanti" hekk ikkulturati wiehed minnhom kien snin ilu sbarazza l-Oratorju Qalb ta' Gesu u rema' xeba' ritratti u dokumenti antiki. Li ma kienx ghat-Tabib Xuereb li kien joqghod faccata u li pprova jsalva li seta', ghandikun waqt li kien ghaddej it-trakk taz-zibel kollha mghagglin igaraw li jsibu ghal got-trakk, dawn ukoll kienu jispiccaw maz-zibel.

Dawn ritratti li kont hadt mill-osswarju f'nofs ta' lejl mdawwar minn katavri mmummifikati naturalment tisthajjilhom iridu jkellmuk jitolbuk il-hniena.

Mara jew tfajla b'xahar bil-malju. Dan ir-ritratt kont hadtu mit-triq minn fetha zghira li dak iz-zmien kien hemm f'tieqa li tigi n-naha tas-Sala Parrokjali

Ghalkemm jista' jkun mara, taf kien ragel membru ta' xi fratellanza mkeffen bil-muzzetta tal-fratellanza li kien membru fiha.

Parti minn id u wicc ghadu fi stat tajjeb ta' konservazzjoni mmummifikat naturalment.

Katavru iehor immummifikat naturalment.

... u iehor, fost tant ohrajn, meqruda darba ghal dejjem.

Dan ritratt minn dik li kienet is-sagristija tal-knisja l-qadima mill-ftit li rnexxili nbexxaq il-bieb ghax warajh kien mimli katavri u maz-zmien kienu zzerzqu u gew taht il-bieb. Illum kollox meqrud meta zbarazzaw parti sew minnha. Innutaw dik is-sieq mghawga fi stat hekk tajjeb ta' konservazjoni, immagina kif kien il-kumplament. Nannuwi Kola Grech li jien imsemmi ghalih, kien miet fid-9 ta' Jannar 1970 u taf allura inqala mill-qabar wara sentejn lejn l-1972, propju ftit qabel ma l-kannierja naghlqet ghal kollox fil-bidu tal-1974 u allura nissuspetta li dan seta' kien il-katavru tieghu peress li missieri jsemmi li tant kien spicca mghawweg ganc ghomru kollu jofroq il-gebel bl-imterqa fil-barriera li fit-tebut kellhom jaghmlulu mhadda taht rasu biex ma joqghodx jitbandal tant kemm kien mghawweg kif diga ghidt. Jien kont hekk b'morali tajbin li hallejt kollox kif inhu u ma mort nipprova nizzattat niftah il-bieb aktar biex forsi nara wicc nannuwi, haddiehor warajja dahal u qered kollox, dik il-vilta, imma lil dak icapcpulu taf int. Minn kellu niesu hemm gew nissuggerilu jmur jitlob il-Maghtab minflok. Impossibli l-ammont t'eluf ta' katavri li kien hemm defsuhom fil ftit oqbra li seta' kien ghad fadal vojta l-kannierja, dan id-deffien/a li qabbad forsi ghal dawk l-ftit l-iffortunati zammew minnhom ir-ras u xi riglejn u ghadam kbir u l-kumplament ghal go l-iskip taz-zibel.

Dawn il-katavri, wirt hekk imprezzabli li taghmilhom ghall-wiri f'vetrina kien verament ihossok qrib id-divin u tinduna kemm il-bniedem mhu xejn ghax meta jrid il-Hallieq isejjahlek u ma jibqa' xejn minnek, ghandi nifhem li fil-parti l-kbira spiccaw darba ghal dejjem darba sbarazzaw parti kbira mill-osswarju lejn 2018-2019 (wara li kont ktibt l-imsemmi artiklu fl-annwal tal-festa tal-2017, bhal stenbhu erhilhom iridu jinzlu hemm isfel jaraw x'hemm, u f'malajr hargu b'idea brillanti, dik li jisbarazzaw kull m'hemm, ... iehor qassis li jkun ma ta' l-armar ried jaghmlu mahzen ghall-armar). Salvaw mill-qilla tal-gwerra, imma sabu sehemhom frott l-injoranza ta' dawn il-qatta' Professuri u dilettanti. Hadd mill-Kunsill u dawk responsabbli ma nigzitu l-kuxjenza minn dan l-isfregju, jien minn go qiegh Ta' Frankuni kelli niehu hsieb nirraporta biex forsi ssir gustizzja minn dawn l-imsejkna: lill-Burials, lill-Heritage Malta, u lill-Pulizija fl-2024 imma kollox ghalxejn ghal min hu ras kbira ma tezistix gustizzja maghhom addirittura ntuhom 'Gieh il-Mosta', maz-zghir jivvintawlu l-akkuzi u jiffrejmjawh kif ghamlu lili. Jien dhalt hemm gew biex naghmel ricerka, sempliciment niehu ritratti u qisien tal-post u hallejt kollox kif inhu biex minkejja dan spiccajt akkuzat bi vjolazzjoni tal-oqbra, assassinju sfaccat tal-karattru tieghi, haddiehor dahal hemm u rahom bhala mbarazz tajbin biss biex ideffes kemm jiflah ala selvagga fl-oqbra il ftit li kien fadal vojta u taf ohrajn harguhom barra l-kennierja jekk mhux ukoll ghal ghal maz-zibel. Issa saqsi lilek innifsek minn ghamilha l-vjolazzjoni tal-oqbra - imma kif jghidu kullhadd b'xortih.

Dan Patri Krispin li hemm il-Furjana fil-kunvent tal-Kapuccini fejn kellhom l-uzanza li l-partijiet jimmummifawhom (ghalhekk baqa' b'gilda safra flok swied bhal dawk li xi darba kellna l-Mosta ghax immummifikati naturalment, ara ritratti ta' qabel). Minkejja li ma kienx Furjaniz, imma kien Ghawdxi, il-Furjanizi ghandhom bokka kbira bih u ghamluh fi hgiega mill-ftit li rnexxielhom isalvaw mill-qerda tal-gwerra. U ahna l-Mosta kellna dak il-patrimonju kollu ta' katavri u qerdu kollox, sforz l-injoranza ta' certi nies (qatt tissotovaluta l-injoranza li johroglok biha l-injorant). Dik il-vilta. Ara video "Mummies from Italy" dwar patrimonju fuq l-istess tema li ghandhom Sqallija.