In 1682 the small church that was on the hill of Qaliet was enlarged and in 1848 it became the vice-parish of Birkirkara. In 1854 it was enlarged again and in 1891 it became a parish. In time, the old church of Lapsi, as it was known, was too small for the people who moved to Saint Julian's and, in 1961, the construction of the new church began, which was completed in 1968. Pope John Paul II, during his visit to Malta in 1990, met the Maltese intellectuals in this church.