On 27 November 1678, Bishop Miguel Jerónimo de Molina raised Xewkija from a hamlet to the status of a village, and as the first parish of Gozo outside the town.

The parishioners, traditionally renowned for their craftsmanship and their building abilities in Maltese Limestone, expressed their wish to construct a bigger church.

The plans of Damato were based on the Santa Maria della Salute church of Venezia, but on a larger scale.

The parish celebrates the main feast on the liturgical feast of the nativity of Saint John the Baptist which fall on 24 June, and the external festivities are celebrated on the closest Sunday.

[4] [5] The church building is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.