Ħal Lija's parish church is dedicated to the transfiguration of Jesus, also known as Our Saviour’s Church. In 1592, Bishop Gargallo granted the title of parish to another older, smaller church, also dedicated to the Transfiguration and situated a few metres away from the present church. However it soon became evident that this church was too small to serve the community’s needs.
So in 1653 the money was raised to buy the field that would finally serve as the location for the present church. One year later, on the 20 May 1694, bishop Cocco Palmieri laid and blessed the foundation stone for the new church.
