The Church of Stella Maris is Sliema’s oldest church and forms the heart of the parish. The foundation stone was laid on 29 April 1853, and in just two years, the church was ready to welcome worshippers by August 1855. It didn’t take long for the community to make their mark, with the first titular feast celebrated just a week later. As the town expanded, so did the church, with the addition of a majestic dome in 1877. Though the church endured heavy damage during World War II, its spirit remained unshaken, and the community rallied to restore it quickly.

The church was embellished with various works of art throughout the years, most

notably the apse painting by Giuseppe Calì.

Throughout the years this church has literally developed into a vast repertoire of Marian devotional art, among which are the glorious apse painting by the Maltese artist Giuseppe Calì and the titular statue of Our Lady, Stella Maris, that was brought from Paris in 1891.