Qala is located at the easternmost point of Gozo, and is the village furthest from the capital Victoria. Its name is both Arabic and Maltese for sheltered haven or bay, and this is reflected in its coat of arms – a Gozo boat sailing on rough seas. The village parish church is dedicated to Saint Joseph, and was built by Dun Guzepp Diacono, between 1882 and 1889. Its style is baroque as in many other churches on the island. Qala became a parish on 3 February 1872, and until 1889 the parish church was that of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady. The foundation stone of the parish of Saint Joseph was laid on 19 March 1882 and the church consecrated on 8 May 1904.