The year 2023 also saw the Malta Airport Foundation invest in an embellishment project in the Parish Church of Saint Leonard in Kirkop, commissioning works of art for the south transept dedicated to the Holy Crucifix. Local artist Anthony Spagnol will be executing these works, which are envisaged to be an extension of the church’s existing decorative scheme with a contemporary twist. The existing paintings date back to the 1960s and are the work of Giuseppe Briffa, who is considered one of the Maltese Islands’ foremost exponents of sacred art. In order for the works of art to serve as a reminder that the exemplary life led by Saint Leonard in the Middle Ages still bears relevance today, a number of contemporary saints and blesseds, including Charles de Faucauld (1858 – 1916) and Christian de Cherge (1937-1996), who lived by the teachings of the Church even when extraordinarily difficult decisions had to be made, will be portrayed in the ceiling pendants. The lunettes on either side of the windows will depict representations of the acts of mercy, where one transept will be dedicated to the seven spiritual acts and the other transept to the corporal acts.

This ongoing project, which is targeted for completion at the end of 2024, will on an artistic level further embellish the Church of Saint Leonard and, on a more spiritual level, will encourage further reflection and spiritual growth among churchgoers.