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.