In 1809 during his pastoral visit, Mgr. Ferdinand Mattei noticed that the people of San Lawrenz had started to form a separate community. The people were becoming more reluctant to go to Gharb. For the first time the bishop ordered that a mass should be celebrated in the chapel dedicated to Saint Lawrence every Sunday and on feast days.

On 18 January 1869 during the reception held on the occasion of the possession of the new archpriest of Gharb, Dun Saver Portelli, this new archpriest expressed his wish to build a larger church in the contrada of San Lawrenz. He also wanted to build a spacious parish square in front of it. This plan was immediately approved by Doctor Felic Mercieca. In those times a mass was celebrated daily in the chapel by Dun Gwann Formosa. In 1886 the first Missjoni l-Kbira took place. Everyone agreed that a larger church was essential. The only problem was the money. The rector of the Missjoni l-Kbira, Dun Joseph Hili received 102 scudi from a certain Peter Paul Galea in Valletta which about 137 scudi were collected from the villagers themselves.