Paul was being transported to Rome as a prisoner on a ship that had sailed from Adramyttium in modern-day Turkey. On the journey, the ship had been damaged by storms and was driven aground in Malta. 

Paul was made welcome by the islanders. When making a fire, Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake and the locals were astonished that he suffered no ill-effects. 

Paul then healed the father of an island official, after which many islanders would come to Paul to receive healing. 

While under guard as a Roman prisoner, Paul stayed on Malta for three months, leaving for Rome on a ship that had sheltered in Malta over the winter. 

Paul is the patron saint of Malta…. and snakebite victims. 

The day is a time for family gatherings and observed by religious ceremonies and processions, particularly at the Church of St. Paul Shipwrecked in Valletta.