The feast of Santa Marija will be celebrated at the cathedral in the Citadel in Victoria next Saturday.
This morning, after Mass for Victoria football players, there will be a band march from the cathedral to Leone Band Club, where a bust will be unveiled in honour of the late Dirjanu Agius, who co-founded Vampa Organisation 15 years ago.
Tomorrow at 8pm, Fr Anton Grech, who is doing missionary work in Guatemala, will lead a prayer vigil in Cathedral Square.
The holy triduum will be celebrated from Tuesday to Thursday with sung vespers at 6.30pm, followed by Mass in which Fr Dione Cutajar will deliver traditional sermons in honour of the Assumption. Each Mass will be accompanied by a choir and orchestra.
On Tuesday at 9.30pm, Leone and Victory bands will hold a march in the Belliegħa area of Victoria, ending in front of Leone Band Club. This will be followed by a fireworks display.
On Wednesday, Leone Band and Beland Band of Żejtun will hold a march in the Gedrin area of the city.
On Thursday, the statue of Santa Marija will be paraded in a march known as id-dimostrazzjoni, that leaves the parvis of St James church at 10pm and proceeds through the old part of the city. Leone Band, Santa Marija Band of Żebbuġ and St Gregory Band of Kerċem will participate in the march.
At midnight, the statue will be raised on a plinth in Independence Square, accompanied by the singing of the Ave Maria.
The Cathedral chapter will celebrate Mass on Friday at 8am, followed by another Mass at 10am for children of the parish, with the participation of Exultet musical ensemble. After Mass, the children will carry a large flag from the cathedral to Leone Band Club to be raised at noon on the club’s roof.
Gozo Bishop Mario Grech will lead the procession of the translation of relics at 6pm, followed by pontifical vespers with the participation of an orchestra led by Colin Attard.
Archpriest Joseph Attard will lead a sung Mass at 7.30pm commemorating the 40th anniversary of the crowning of the Assumption altarpiece.
The Wirja ta’ Santa Marija, a traditional agricultural and industrial show, will open at Villa Rundle Gardens on Friday morning. Horses will be on display at the show on Saturday morning.
On Friday evening, Visitation Band of Għarb will give a performance in Indepence Square. This will be followed by a march in Republic Street with the participation of the Leone Band and De Valette Band of Valletta.
A ground fireworks will take place in Pjazza Savina Square on Saturday at 0.30am.
On Saturday, the bishop will lead a pontifical Mass concelebrated with the cathedral chapter. The congregation will be led by President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. She will later distribute prizes at the agricultural show in Villa Rundle Gardens.
12th May Band of Żebbuġ, Malta, and Visitation Band of Għarb will perform marches in Victoria from 11am onwards.
Horse races in Republic Street will start at 2.30pm.
The statue of Santa Marija will be brought out of the cathedral at 6.30pm, accompanied by the ringing of bells, a performance by Leone Band and firing of mortars. A procession with the statue, led by Archbishop Emeritus Paul Cremona, will proceed through the streets of Victoria, and return to the cathedral at 10.30pm.
A fireworks display will start at 7pm.