• A blood donation session will be held at the Gozo General Hospital today between 8am and 5pm.
• The Island Carting Club Malta in collaboration with Għajnsielem local council is organising a go-cart race in Għajnsielem, today from 11am to 5pm. All proceeds will go to Arka Respite Centre, which cares for people with disabilities.
• Masses at Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary will be said today at 6.15, 8.30, 10 and 11.15am and 5pm, followed by the recital of the rosary and eucharistic benediction.
• Xagħra today celebrates the eve of the feast of Our Lady of the Nativity (Marija Bambina). Xaghra Archpriest Carmelo Refalo will lead solemn Mass today at 8.30am. At 10am there will be a commemoration and re-enactment of the two sieges, the plague of 1814 in Xagħra and World War II in Victory Square. Traditional horse and donkey races will be held at 1.30pm on the main road leading to Victoria. At 6.30pm, there will be a solemn pontifical translation with a relic, accompanied by a band march by the Victory Band and a church service presided over by Gozo Bishop Mario Grech. At 8.45pm, the sixth edition of a spectacular fireworks display synchronised to music at Nuffara Hill may be watched at the end of September 8 Avenue. At 9.15pm there will be band marches by the Mnarja Band of Nadur followed by a musical programme at Victory Square and another by St Joseph Band of Għajnsielem along September 8 Avenue. At 10pm there will be band marches by the Victory and St Joseph bands through April 26, 1688, St Joseph and Church streets. At midnight there will be a feature on the feast at Victory Square.
Tomorrow at 9am Mgr Grech will lead a Pontifical concelebrated Mass, with the participation of the Cathedral and collegiate chapters. He will also deliver the panegyric. Mro Vincenzo Bugeja’s Mass A Maria Immacolata will be performed by Sliema’s Jesus of Nazareth choir, under the direction of Can. Salv Galea. The Beland and Precursor bands will play marches in the streets at 11am. The procession with the statue of Our Lady, led by archpriest Carmelo Refalo and accompanied by the Victory Band, starts at 7.30pm, while the Leone Band will perform a concert at Victory Square. Festivities close with marches by the Victory Band at 10.30pm.
• Tomorrow Heritage Malta is offering the opportunity to visit Ggantija Temples, a Unesco World Heritage Site, and its newly built visitor centre, at a discounted admission fee of €2. Prehistoric figurines and other artefacts discovered in the area are exhibited at the centre. The admission ticket also gives visitors entry to the nearby Ta’ Kola Windmill, just five minutes walk away. Opening hours are from 9am onwards.
• Il-Fergħa Ewkaristika (Għawdex) will hold an hour of adoration on Thursday from 9am to 10am at Our Lady of Pompeii church, Victoria. The rosary will be recited at 8.45am. Everyone is invited.
• The Gozo Live annual performance of short plays, poems and music will take place on Friday at 7.30 pm at Villa Rundle Garden, Victoria. Admission is free.
• Life Goes On, the first solo exhibition by Sue Nightingale, is being held by Fondazzjoni Belt Victoria and Il-Ħaġar Heart of Gozo Museum at the museum in St George’s Square, Victoria. The exhibition of paintings will be open daily between Saturday and October 5, from 9am to 5.30pm.
• The diocesan Eucharistic Movement will hold a prayer evening at Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Ta’ Ħamet) church, on Saturday at 8.30pm. Mass follows at midnight.
• The Gozo Federation Persons with Disability in collaboration with the Foundation for Information Technology and Accessibility will hold a certificate presentation ceremony on September 18 at 12.30pm at Santa Marta Hall, Triq il-Far, Victoria, for five disabled students who attended ECDL course modules 1 and module 7 in 2013 and 2014.
cspiteri@timesofmalta.com