|
 Karmni
Grima was considered to be a saintly woman. She was
born at Gharb on the 2nd February, 1838. She was
born to Thomas and Antonia Apap. Karmni lived in
poverty, working in the fields and completely
unknown to the general public up to the age of 45.
On the 22nd June 1883 while crossing in front of the
small chapel dedicated to Our Lady Ta' Pinu, a
mysterious voice called her: "Come ... come today.
For a whole year, you will not be able to return".
With a sense of fright and hesitation, Grima looked
into the chapel, and from the painting of the
Assumption of Our lady, she heard an invitation with
the voice that seemed to be that of Our lady:
"Recite three Hail Marys' in honour of the three
days that I stayed within the tomb". After more then
a year Grima heard the voice again and received some
prophecies. A man named Francis Portelli, also heard
a similar voices.
Grima and Portelli were thoroughly examined by
ecclesiastical authorities and found reliable.
Surely the small and abandoned chapel became a
shrine. Many from Gozo and from over Malta began a
organize pilgrimages to honour Our Lady and ask for
temporal and spiritual favours. Grima spoke to her
confessors of other supernatural apparitions and
revelations. When asked, she confirmed on oath the
truth of all that she was declaring.
For the last 15 years of her life, Grima was
bed-ridden but always accepted from the hands of God
all the inconveniences of old age. At that time, Ta'
Pinu was no more a small chapel. The splendid
Basilica that we know today was being built.
Today the house where Grima lived has been
transformed to into a museum that remind all
visitors of her of the Ta' Pinu shrine. Karmni Grima
died at the age of 84 on the 25th February 1922. |
