Gozo has started bracing itself for the longest week of the year. As from tomorrow, Victoria becomes the centre of festivities for the feast of Santa Marija. Between tomorrow and Friday, the city dons its very best for the celebration, the commemoration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into heaven.
Many events will be held during these five days, including the Wirja ta’ Santa Marija (the traditional agricultural and industrial show at Villa Rundle Gardens) that has been held for the past 280 years, the popular horse races along Republic Street and a host of other events.
The main venue of the feast is the cathedral in the Citadel, which this year is celebrating its 150th anniversary. One can admire the cathedral’s restored façade and view the excavations currently taking place in many of the Citadel’s streets.
Tomorrow, there will be a band march in the Belliegħa area by the Leone and Victory bands that will conclude in front of the Leone Band Club.
On Tuesday, in the Gedrin area there will be a band march by the Leone Band and the Beland Band of Żejtun.
On Wednesday, the statue of Santa Marija leaves the parvis of St James church at 10pm. The statue is carried in a march known locally as id-Dimostrazzjoni along the old part of the city with the participation of the Leone and St Gregory bands. Around midnight, the statue is raised upon a plinth in Independence Square.
On Thursday, the Cathedral Chapter will celebrate Mass at 8am, followed by another Mass for the parish children at 10am with the particpation of the Exultet Musical Ensemble. Afterwards, the children will carry a mammoth flag from the cathedral to the Leone Band Club and at noon it will be raised on the club’s roof.
Gozo Bishop Mario Grech will lead the procession of the translation of relic at 6pm, followed by pontifical vespers with the particpation of an orchestra under the baton of Colin Attard, maestro di cappella of the cathedral. Archpriest Joseph Attard will lead sung Mass at 8pm.
A band march along Republic Street with the participation of the Leone and La Valette bands will be concluded with a ground fireworks display at Pjazza Savina on Friday at 12.30am.
On Friday, the bishop will lead a Pontifical Mass concelebrated with the Cathedral Chapter. The congregation will be led by President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca in line with a tradition that goes back hundreds of years.
It is recorded that over the centuries a number of grand masters and other high-ranking members of the Order of St John – as documented by Giovanni Bonello in this newspaper last Sunday – as well as British governors and presidents of Malta, have participated in the Pontifical Mass.
The President will then visit the agricultural show at Villa Rundle Gardens and distribute prizes.
The 12th May Band of Żebbuġ, Malta, and the Visitation Band of Għarb will play marches from 11am .
Horse races, a tradition that goes back to least 500 years, will start at 2.30pm.
The processional statue of Santa Marija – sculpted in Rome in 1897 – is brought out of the cathedral at 6.30pm with the participation of the Leone Band. The procession will be led by Apostolic Nuncio Aldo Cavalli.
An aerial fireworks display starts at 7pm.
The statue will be carried back into the cathedral at around 10.30pm.