Merrimu - Our Lady Ta Pinu Shrine
A cross and religious sculptures sit on the hillside which provides lovely panoramic view across Bacchus Marsh and the Avenue of Honour.
Opening Hours:
The Shrine is open from 7am to 8pm everyday of the daylight saving season (including public holidays) 7 days a week and from 8am to 6pm winter time.
Welcome to Our Lady of Ta' Pinu Shrine
You may wish to know more about the history and devotion of the Blessed Virgin known as "Our Lady Ta' Pinu", which originated in Malta. There was a small Chapel on Gozo, the sister island of Malta, built around the 14th century by a rich family nicknamed "The Gentile Family". It is good to know that well-to-do families in certain European countries used to build small chapels on their property to fulfil their religious obligations and at the same time financially support a priest friend of their family. According to the records contained in the pastoral visit of Bishop Dominic Cubelles held in 1545, this small Chapel was "recently" rebuilt. This period was a difficult time for Malta. It was frequently attacked and ravaged by the Corsairs, fierce people who hailed from North Africa. During this time, the shores of Malta and especially those of Gozo were relatively defenceless. It was very easy, therefore, for the Corsairs to step onto Maltese soil and steal and destroy anything that could fall into their hands. The Chapel was not spared. In 1575, an Apostolic Visitor, Monsignor Peter Dusina was sent to Malta by the Vatican to investigate the state of the Church in Malta. This Prelate having found the Gentile Family Chapel in ruins ordered its demolition, but, according to a local story, when the builder gave the first blow with his pick he broke his arm. This event was taken as an omen that this small church needed to stand there for future generations. A few years later, the Chapel, together with the surrounding fields, became the property of a certain wealthy young man whose name was "Pino" (a shorter name for "Philip") who paid for the restoration of this Chapel. Later on he commissioned the painting of an image representing the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven to whom the Chapel was already dedicated. This painting was done by an Italian artist named Amadeo Perugino and was finished in 1619. This painting is still preserved with great veneration at Ta' Pinu Shrine in Gozo, Malta. From then on this Chapel came to be known as "Ta' Pinu", which means "of Philip.
In 1883, a young spinster, Carmela Grima, quite often used to go to work in the small fields her family owned close to this Chapel; on her way back home, she used to enter the Chapel to recite some prayers to Our Lady. On 22nd June, 1883, while returning home from her fields around 10.00am, she was in a hurry and decided not to enter the chapel as usual but say her prayers on the way. All of a sudden she heard a voice calling her, "Come, come". At this call she was frightened but the call was heard again. "Come because it will be a year before you will be able to return". Carmela now realised that the voice was coming from the Chapel. She therefore turned back and went to the Chapel expecting to see some vision. She entered the Chapel but there was no vision at all. She recited the usual prayers and turned to leave. Now the voice was heard again saying, "Recite three Hail Marys in honour of the three days my body remained in the tomb". This time she realised that the voice was coming from the Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She recited the three Hail Marys and proceeded happily towards her home. Following this she was unable to return to her fields due to an illness that kept her housebound for more than a year.
Two years later, she revealed this information to a friend of hers, Francesco Portelli. He also had received some messages from the Blessed Virgin in this Chapel regarding the hidden wound Jesus sustained by carrying the cross to Calvary. In the meantime, Vincenza, Francesco's mother, fell sick and was on the brink of death. Francesco, together with his brothers, made a vow to Our Lady Ta' Pinu, that if their mother was cured, they would light oil in front of her image. Vincenza was miraculously cured in a few days. Soon the news about this miraculous cure, and the call of the Blessed Virgin to Carmela, spread all over the island. At this, people began to flock towards this Chapel to ask for special graces from Our Lady. In the meantime, the Ecclesiastical Authority became aware of all this and called Carmela and Francesco for investigation. They were both interrogated three times, on separate occasions, by their Parish Priest Can Francis Xavier and also by the Bishop himself, Msgr. Peter Pace. After studying Carmela and Francesco's statements with scrupulous attention, they both agreed that both Carmela and Francesco were not hallucinated nor hallucinating. These vents were recorded also in the Pastoral Visit made by Bishop Peter Pace two years later and are preserved in the Bishop's Curia in Gozo. From then on, thousands of people from all of the island of Gozo, from Malta and also from neighbouring countries flocked to this sacred place, some of them to thank Our Lady for graces received and others to implore Her to help their special needs.
The Church Authorities soon felt the necessity for a bigger church to receive and give necessary help to pilgrims flocking to this place. However, due to various problems it took 30 years before Church Authorities could present and approve the plans for a larger church. The construction of the new church began in 1919 and was completed in 1931. In 1933, the new Shrine was raised to the honour of a Minor Basilica. In 1935 the Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary was crowned by Cardinal Alessio Lepicier after a special decree given by Pope Pius XI and signed by the then Secretary of State, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, later Pius XII.
In 1990, Pope John Paul visited the Shrine, prayed fervently in front of the Miraculous Image of Our Lady and lit the perpetual lamp in front of Her. Then he concelebrated Mass with two Cardinals, nine Bishops and over 300 priests and decorated the Image of the Blessed Virgin with five golden stars studded with precious stones. In the same year a group of devotees of Our Lady of Ta' Pinu living in Australia decided to commemorate each year, on 22nd June, the Call that the Blessed Virgin made to Carmela Grima. They also commissioned a painting of a replica of the Image of Our Lady Ta' Pinu. The painting was made in Malta by Chev. Paul Camilleri Cauchi and sent to Australia in 1991. The painting was accompanied by Msgr. Benedict Camilleri, Rector of Ta' Pinu, Shrine in Malta. During his stay in Australia, Msgr. Camilleri led a few religious celebrations in honour of Our Lady of Ta' Pinu, both in Melbourne and in Sydney. Before leaving Australia, Msgr. Camilleri felt that a Marian Centre dedicated to Our Lady of Ta' Pinu should be erected in Melbourne to cultivate and increase devotion to our Lady among the Victorian people. He therefore made a request to the local Church Authorities as well as those in Malta to open a Marian Centre in Bacchus Marsh, a town 55 km west of Melbourne. Having obtained their blessing, an application was made to the local Council for the necessary building permits. After overcoming many difficulties, permission was finally granted to proceed with the project. A loan without interest was obtained to purchase the required land. A monument to Our Lady was erected at the entrance of the complex. Then followed the building of a small chapel, a replica of the Chapel in Malta where Our Lady spoke to Carmela Grima. A few years later, life-sized statues representing the Way of the Cross, made in Vietnam, were erected and blessed by His Eminence Cardinal Pell, then Archbishop of Melbourne. He contributed also for two of the 14 Stations, one in his family's name and the other in the name of the Archdiocese. A Way of the Rosary consisting of five blocks that each represent four Mysteries of the Rosary, expressed in bas-reliefs made in Malta, were erected and blessed by The Most Reverend Denis J. Hart, Archbishop of Melbourne. A church is expected to be built in the near future, when there are enough funds to meet the expenses of such a splendid undertaking.
The messages Our Lady gave to Carmela and Francesco are very important messages to our spiritual life. The "Three Hail Marys" in honour of the three days the body of the Blessed Virgin Mary was in the tomb, before her assumption into Heaven, have a double meaning. First, it is the only private revelation we have about the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. This is a very important revelation for the Dogma of the Assumption that was declared by Pope Pius XII in 1950. Secondly, it is an assurance for us that after this life there is another life in Heaven where we shall enjoy the presence of God for all eternity as a reward for the good we live on earth. in addition, the invitation to Francesco Porttelli to say an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory to the Father in honour of the hidden wound Jesus suffered on his shoulder by carrying the cross must serve as a warning to us that to achieve this heavenly reward we must work for it. Jesus suffered a hard passion for our redemption. Now it is our turn. As it is hard, not to say impossible, to achieve this by oneself, we need some powerful person to help us and surely it is our Blessed Heavenly Mother, given to us by Jesus himself while dying for us on the Cross. She loves us so much as well and is always ready to help us. The Second Vatican Council recalls Mary's role in the mystery of Christ and of the Church saying, "Her presence in the Old Testament as mother of the expected Messiah, Her Immaculate conception, her virginal motherhood, her presence in the life of Jesus and her Assumption into Heaven. By reason of the part Mary played in the redemption of the world, she became our mother in the order of Grace. The Blessed Virgin is invoked by the Church as Advocate, as Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix and Mediatrix. These, however, neither take away nor add anything to the dignity and efficacy of Christ of one Mediator". She is the sign of hope in the present church. Through the gift and role of Her Divine maternity, Mary is united with the Son, the Redeemer, with His singular graces and offices. By these, the Blessed Virgin is also intimately united with the Church. As St. Ambrose taught, "The Mother of God is a model of the Church in the matter of faith, charity and perfect union with Christ. For in the mystery of the Church, herself rightly called Mother and Virgin, the Blessed Virgin stands out in eminent and singular fashion as exemplar of both virginity and motherhood. At the foot of the Cross, the Blessed Virgin united herself more closely to her Son's desire to save the whole world". As such a good mother she will never refuse to present to her Son, Jesus, our humble prayers no matter-how bad we are, as long as we do recourse to her help and are determined to please her in our daily life.
Therefore, with contrite and humble hearts, let us turn to his loving and powerful Mother, let us put ourselves under her protection, beg her to present our poor prayers to her Son, Jesus, so that at the end of our earthly pilgrimage we surely obtain what was secured by the passion our Lord Jesus Christ suffered for us, "The salvation of soul".
SPECIAL DEVOTIONS
Every First Sunday of the Month: 2.00pm, Rosary Procession followed by Holy Mass and Eucharistic Devotion at the Shrine.
15 Wednesdays preceding the Feast of the Assumption of The Blessed Virgin into Heaven (Begin in 1st Wednesday of May), 11.00am Holy Mass followed by Rosary.
Commemoration of Our Lady's Call to Carmela Grima on the closest Sunday to 22nd June (The Commemorative Day), 2.00pm Procession with Our Lady's icon followed by Holy Mass.
Espousal (Marriage) of Our lady to St. Joseph on 23rd January. Holy Mass and Blessing of Children at 6.30pm, Monday to Friday; on weekends at 2.00pm.
Pilgrimages are welcome at any time. For more information about the pilgrimages and other activities to be held at the Shrine, please call (03) 5367 7006.
Location
15 Flanagans Drive, Merrimu 3340 Map
✆ (03) 5367 7006
Email Enquiry
Web Links
→ www.tapinu-australia.org
→ Our Lady Ta Pinu Shrine Australia on Facebook
