There first time that there was mentioning of an altar with the title of Our Lady of the Chain was during the time of the third Parish priest Don Cosmo Talavera and to be precise in the report of the Pastoral visit made by Bishop Baldassere Cagliares in February 1631. The report said that this altar had been recently made. The titular of the altar gives a clear indication of the harsh life the people lived in those days. This altar shows clearly the faith shown in Our Lady in that She could intercede on their behalf to alleviate the problem of slavery which was very common in those dark days. The altar is the first one on the right hand side of the main altar in the chapel of the Transfiguration of Christ. It is still in the same place nowadays. As was the norm in those days the painting on the altar represented not just Our Lady but the Holy Family.

     There was a period when the titular of this altar was attributed to the main altar and so this altar was at that time dedicated to St Barbara. The connection between this altar and St Barbara is recorded in the Pastoral visits of Bishop Davide Cocco Palmieri in 1686 and that of Bishop Giacomo Cannaves in 1715. As time went by this altar took back its original title that is of Our Lady of the Chain.

      The Fraternity of Our Lady of the Chain was set up in 1810 during the time of Parish priest Dun Vincenz Cachia and for some time it was referred to as the Fraternity of Our Lady of Patronage. Initially the full name of the Fraternity was: Fraternity of those who correct the blasphemers, under the protection of Our Lady of the Chain and of the Guardian Angle.’ This was collaborated by the fact that underneath the titular picture there was a smaller painting of the Guardian Angle. It is the works of the renowned Senglean artist Francesco Zahra and in now kept in the Chapter’s Hall. The main duty of the members of the Fraternity was to visit all taverns in Senglea and correct those people who were blaspheming. As time went by the Fraternity it developed into a society with special devotion to Our Lady.

      The vestments of the Fraternity’s members were made of a white garb, black cape and leather cincture. They started to wear the cincture in 1894 when they were affiliated with the Augustinian Arch fraternity of Our Lady of the Cincture. The feast of Our Lady of the Chain was celebrated on the third Sunday in November. For some time even a procession used to be held.

     Even though devotion towards St Barbara had nearly ended the titular picture was still of this saint. In 1891 the Senglea artist Guzeppi Bonnici painted the titular picture of Our Lady of the Chain showing Our Lady and some personages who knew their freedom from slavery to Her intervention. The painting of St Barbara has been placed in the sacristy where it still hanging up to the present day.  In the year 1850 the Fraternity acquired a statue of Our Lady made by the sculptor Xandru Farrugia who was probably the best student Marjanu Gerada had. In 1890 the pedestal and also a new marble altar were made. The altar was consecrated by the Senglea Bishop Mons Salvatore Gaffiero.

     During the first air attacks of January 1941 the transept on the side of the altar of the Rosary was badly hit and among the things destroyed there was the picture of Guzeppi Bonnici. Once the war was over the Senglea artist Carmelo Spiteri slightly altered another picture of the same artist Bonnici. This painting was of Our Lady of Carmelo and he altered it in such a way to be representing Our Lady of the Chain.

Decorations and ornaments

     Most of the altars of the church of Senglea had hard working procurators and so it is no wonder that they have such rich ornaments. The most known procurator of the altar of Our Lady of the Chain was Canon Dean Dun Karm Musu’ who held this office from the middle of the nineteenth century till the early years of the twentieth century. During his time as procurator the most renowned pieces of art were the painting by Bonnici and the statue’s pedestal.

     The altar has to sets of candlesticks of gilded metal which are placed on the top and second layer of the altar during the time of the feast. On the top layer of there altar there is a small painting of St Augustine Gonzaga which has a silver frame and which was donated by the Arch priest Dun Gwann Bonanno. During the feast on the top layer of the altar there are small statuettes which are placed between the candlesticks and who represent the apostles Peter, Andrew, James and John and which were made by the sculptor of statues Wistin Camilleri. The silver altar frontal was made in the early years of the twentieth century and it was designed by the Senglean designer Mikiel Degiovanni who was also the designer of the silver cover of the missal. The altar also possesses a set of silver altar cards made by the silversmith Saverio Cannataci in 1848. The emblem on one of these altar cards shows a tower as a sure reminder that originally this altar was dedicated to St Barbara who is the patron saint of the bombardiers.

      The Fraternity also possesses a standard which has its emblem embroidered in golden threads on it. The standard’s pole and the emblem found on top of the pole; the procession leader’s staff and the prefect’s medallion are all made of silver and were made in the middle of the nineteenth century.

     This Fraternity was not active for a long time and stopped functioning just before World War II. The Fraternity’s registers which were rescued from the destruction of the war are now found in the parochial archives.