When H.L. Mgr Fra Michael Balaguer visited Balzan, a letter dated 19th March 1655 was handed to him in which the inhabitants of Balzan, whilst giving several reasons, asked the Bishop to segregate Balzan from the Parish of Birkirkara and erect this village as an independent Parish. The Bishop consented to the wish of the Balzan villagers and raised Balzan to an independent Parish on the 14th August 1655.
By 1667 there were about 550 people living in 140 houses, and the old church of the Annunciation was too small for an increasing population. Amongst the great joy and enthusiasm of the 550 Balzan residents and people from other Parishes, the Foundation Stone was laid on the 23rd December 1669. The Church was blessed on the 23rd January 1695 by H.L. Mgr. David Cocco Palmieri, and consecrated on 7th October 1781 by H.L. Mgr. Vincentius Labini.
This Church has only one Belfry, which was built in 1708, and is now furnished with six melocius bells made in Annecy, France, by Paccard. The largest bell weighs about 4 tons and ranks third in Malta after that of Birkirkara and St John’s Cathedral. The bell was blessed and installed in January 1949. The electric clock, made by Petit & Fritsen Ltd. of Holland, was inaugurated on the 25th December 1970.
The plan of the church is in the form of a Latin cross a nave crossed by a transept and a choir. It is 120 feet long and 92 feet wide in the transepts and 27 ½ feet wide in the main nave. The church’s architecture is that of a Doric order. The architecture of all the altars is of a Corinthian order, except for two which are of compost order.