Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in Rome was filled to capacity yesterday as a forceful river of Maltese representing a whole cross-section of society poured into every corner of the 5th century church to pay tribute to Malta's new saint on the eve of his canonisation.

Young assisted old through the threshold and the strong helped the weak as the bulging congregation sat on chairs, columns, steps, and confessionals - anywhere, in fact, as long as they could catch a view of the two-hour vigil unfolding in front of them.

A soft patter of applause could not be silenced as the train of priests filed up the church's aisle, lined by 42 imposing columns, to the grand 13th century altar.

Opening the ceremony, the American parish priest of the basilica, Cardinal Bernard Law, formerly archbishop of Boston, described the joy he felt to see "all of Malta" in the church before "the great moment of canonisation".

Cardinal Law said: "Blessed Gorg Preca is only the first canonised saint of Malta, because there are already many saints," he said to another eruption of applause.

"One verse of scripture which was a favourite of Blessed Gorg comes from St John's gospel: 'The Word became flesh' and at the same time on the eve of the canonisation you gather in the basilica which celebrates the incarnation of the word of God. Let us pray for His intercession for the mission of the... whole Church."

Thousands of Maltese voices burst into song in their native tongue as shards of the evening sun illuminated the altar as Gozo Bishop Mario Grech led the vigil, flanked by Archbishop Paul Cremona and his predecessor Mgr Joseph Mercieca.

A poster of Dun Gorg with an opaque halo was with them there too.

Carrying flags and wearing lapel badges of Dun Gorg, the crowd started arriving at the basilica long before the scheduled start of the vigil, clearly excited to be part of the celebrations ushering in Malta's first saint.

Joseph Demanuele, 32, from Hamrun and his wife Melissa felt they had to fly to Rome as a way of following in the footsteps of Dun Gorg, a holy man who inspired many through his teachings.

Joe Borg, 70, from Hamrun recounted that the founder of the Society for Christian Doctrine, MUSEUM, was modest and charitable with everyone he met.

Meanwhile, Sr Bernadette Galea, superior general of St Joseph of the Apparition in Rome, shared her memories of Dun Gorg when she was a little girl.

"He would go around on a truck with a microphone to preach the word of the Lord in village squares. My father always spoke about the man's simplicity and understanding of worldly problems," she said.

Members of Malta's official delegation - President Eddie Fenech Adami, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, Speaker Anton Tabone and President Emeritus Guido de Marco - also attended the ceremony.

Sitting alongside his wife Violet, Professor de Marco was visibly moved by the night vigil and said that he was filled with an inner happiness.

"Dun Gorg is providing another element of bringing everybody together. He is serving as a coagulant between the Maltese and their faith."

Professor de Marco recalled the time when, as a young boy facing his exams, his mother had encouraged him to confide in Dun Gorg.

"I remember him standing on the steps of the parish church in Hamrun and, when I asked him to pray for me, he caressed my head, smiled and told me not to worry," he said.

It was a long day for many Maltese yesterday as many of the groups visited St Peter's Square in Rome, where the stage is set for today's historic event.

A huge image of Dun Gorg hangs to the left of the basilica's main door, together with the three other new saints beside him - Charles of St Andrew from The Netherlands, Simone of Lipnica from Poland and Sr Marie Eugenie of Jesus from France.

Godwin Vella Clark, 58, from Zabbar, said he went to Rome because he felt he should not miss this historic moment, adding that he was overwhelmed with pride and happiness when he saw the image of Dun Gorg hanging on the façade of the Vatican yesterday.

Over 5,000 are expected to attend today's ceremony, led by Pope Benedict XVI, which gets under way at 10 a.m.

The ceremony will begin with the litany of the saints, as the Pope prays for guidance so that he may exercise his full authority to declare the new saints.

Then Cardinal Saravia Martins, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, together with the postulators, will ask the Pope to canonise the four Blesseds. After canonisation, the relics of the saints are brought to the altar and venerated before Mass continues.

There will also be a special moment for the six-year-old boy who inexplicably recovered from liver failure in 2001 - after a glove used in Dun Gorg's exhumation was placed on him - as he will receive his first Holy Communion from the Pope.

Dun Gorg, who died at the age of 82 in 1962, embarked on the road to sainthood when a civil servant, Charles Zammit Endrich, claimed his detached retina was inexplicably healed after he place a shoelace belonging to the priest under his pillow. The incident was declared a miracle due to the intercession of the Maltese priest in 2000.

The second miracle involving the baby boy, which is required for canonisation, was officially pronounced by the Pope last February.

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