One of the oldest chapels in the basilica is dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria, a second-century Egyptian martyr whose remains are venerated in the Orthodox monastery of Mount Sinai. The canvas on the altar is a delightful eighteenth-century work by Giuseppe d’Arena, showing the mystic marriage of the saint with Our Lord. The polychromatic marble altar is another testimony to Maltese workmanship. The skull of St Pacificus displayed within is another relic from the Christian catacombs of Rome.

As you turn to the right you can behold the full-figure bronze monument to Bishop Joseph Pace (1890-1972), the last opus of the most important Maltese contemporary sculptor Ċensu Apap. Bishop Pace was a priest of St George’s who became one of its chief benefactors.

Another monument in this chapel is the bust of Mgr George Agius, an eminent benefactor of this basilica, who in 1956 funded the covering of its walls with precious marble. The pavement of the church is also covered in marble, dating back to 1914.

In the next chapel and its corresponding one in the other side aisle, the corners of the two small domes are adorned with the latest works of art added to the collection of the basilica: eight paintings by Gozitan artist Manuel Farrugia representing the Corporal Works of Mercy.