The parish of Marsaxlokk was established when fishermen started to build houses near the sea coast in order to save time on travelling.

Thus at the end of the 19th century it was decided to build a church that would minister to the spiritual needs of the fishermen and their families.

[1] It was built as a fulfilment of a promise made by Marquess Rosalia Apap Viani Testaferrata after she was saved from a violent storm at sea.

The church was originally built in a rectangular form with the designs attributed to Dun Ġużepp Diacono.

In the 1900s the church was enlarged altering the shape to that of a Latin cross with the addition of east end transepts and a choir.