The Chapel of Our Lady of Consolation

The main painting by Stefano Erardi of the last quarter of the seventeenth century, depicts Saint Mary with the Child Jesus standing on her lap and holding the cincture, a belt which is a symbol of the Madonna’s presence and encouragement. Several saints are also in the picture – Saint Anne, Saint Joachim, Saint Joseph, Saint Nicholas of Tolentino and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. In the lower part, one can observe Saint Augustine and his mother Saint Monica, receiving the cincture.

The two lateral paintings are by Giuseppe Calì of 1883. That on the right depicts Saint Monica receiving the news of the conversion of her son Saint Augustine. In the same picture, in the distance, the scene showing Augustine’s baptism by Saint Ambrose in Milan on 24 April 387A.D.

The left picture captures the blessed death of Saint Augustine. Possidius indicates that Augustine spent his final days in prayer and repentance, requesting that the penitential Psalms of David be placed in front of him so that he could read them.

The two marble monuments found in this chapel show the George Grognet de Vassé, who designed the present church, and Archpriest Don Paolo Xuereb through whose efforts this church was granted archipretal status by the Vatican.