The Blessed Virgin of Ta' Pinu (Maltese: Il-Madonna ta' Pinu) is a Marian devotion originating on the island of Gozo, Malta. The devotion centers on a venerated 17th-century painting of the Assumption of Our Lady housed in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta' Pinu. ## π History & Spiritual Significance The devotion traces its origins to June 22, 1883, when Karmni Grima, a peasant woman from GΔ§arb, heard a mysterious voice while passing the small chapel of Ta' Pinu calling "Ejja...ejja!" ("Come...come!") in Maltese. Entering the chapel, she heard the voice again from a painting of the Assumption, instructing her to "recite three Hail Marys in honour of the three days that my body lay in the tomb." For two years, Karmni kept this experience secret. When she finally confided in her friend Francesco Portelli, he revealed that he too had heard a voice at the same chapel, asking him to honor the hidden wound on Christ's shoulder from carrying the cross. Shortly after these revelations, Francesco's mother was miraculously healed through the intercession of Our Lady of Ta' Pinu. Bishop Pietru Pace investigated the events and concluded that the voice was of heavenly origin. The miracles multiplied, and many believe that prayers offered at Ta' Pinu saved Gozo from a plague that struck Malta in the 19th century. The humble chapel was transformed into Malta's National Shrine, drawing pilgrims from across the world. Pope Pius XI granted a decree of coronation on May 24, 1935, and the venerated image was crowned on June 20, 1935. Three popes have made pilgrimage to the shrine: John Paul II in 1990, Benedict XVI in 2010 (who offered a Golden Rose), and Francis in 2022. ## π―οΈ Veneration The devotion has spread wherever Maltese emigrants have settled, particularly in Australia and the United States, where shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of Ta' Pinu have been erected to preserve religious traditions and connection to homeland. Pilgrims visiting the shrine are encouraged to recite three Hail Marys as requested by Our Lady, honoring the three days her body rested in the tomb before her Assumption into heaven. ## π Feast Day The principal feast is celebrated on August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.