St Joseph has two feast days on the liturgical calendar. The first is March 19 –Joseph, the Husband of Mary, celebrated in Rabat. The second is May 1– Joseph, the Worker, celebrated with passion in Birkirkara.

“St Joseph is a man of great spirit. He is great in faith, not because he speaks his own words, but above all because he listens to the words of the Living God. He listens in silence. And his heart ceaselessly perseveres in the readiness to accept the truth contained in the word of the Living God,” St John Paul II had once said.

Celebrations for the feast of St Joseph the Worker in Birkirkara start early this year.

Programme

Tomorrow

7.30pm: Maltese night for all the family at Gori Mancini Street.

Typical Maltese food and drinks will be served. Entertainment will be provided by various local artists, including Renato, Malcolm Pisani, Romina Mamo, Moonshine Malta band, and many others. An exhibition of Mini cars will also be held.

Sunday

The Blood Mobile Unit will be parked at Gori Mancini Street in the morning. Blood donation is highly encouraged. Donors are reminded to present their identity card.

6.30pm: Mass for youths, celebrated by the newly-ordained priest Carlo Calleja. All adolescents and youths residing in Birkirkara are invited to take part. A celebration for youths will be held on the church parvis soon after Mass.

Monday

6.30pm: Mass for parish helpers, celebrated by the Fleur-de-Lys parish priest Martin Schembri. Mandate will be given to the persons who will carry the statue during the feast day procession. At the end of the celebration, the titular statue of St Joseph the Worker will be brought out of its niche. Afterwards, a reception for parish helpers will be held on the church parvis.

Tuesday

4.30pm: Mass for children celebrated by the newly-ordained priest Christopher Ellul. Afterwards, a festive celebration will be organised for children, during which they will carry a small statue of St Joseph. A sports rally will then be organised for all the children at Gori Mancini Street.

Wednesday

7.30pm: Mass for workers, with a special invitation to shop owners within the parish. Mass will be celebrated by Fr Joe Borg. Afterwards, a reception will be held for them on the church parvis.

Thursday

9am: Mass for the sick and elderly celebrated by the Swatar parish priest. Karm Busuttil. During Mass, the sacrament of the anointing of the sick will be administered to all those present. A reception will be held soon after at the parish centre.

All those elderly persons wishing to take part in this celebration and who require transport, are kindly requested to contact the parish office.

4.30pm: Mass for disabled persons and their families, celebrated by Fr Anthony Fitzpatrick. Afterwards, a reception will be held for them on the church parvis.

Friday

6.30pm: Mass for families celebrated by Fr Reuben Deguara, parish priest of the St Mary Parish of Birkirkara. Mementoes will be given to couples celebrating their first, 10th, 25th, 50th and 60th wedding anniversaries.

Saturday, April 30

5pm: Mass

6.00pm: Translation of the relic of St Joseph the Worker from the Boys’ Museum in Brared Street to the parish church, led by Can. Vinċenz Cachia, Provost and Archpriest of the St Helen Collegiate of Birkirkara. The St Joseph fraternity within the St Helen Parish will accompany the procession. The antiphon of St Joseph the Worker will be sung as soon as the relic enters the parish church.

6.30pm: Solemn Mass celebrated by the Provost-Archpriest Vinċenz Cachia. Vespers will be sung at the end of the mass.

8pm: Live concert of traditional band marches by the Siġġiewi Festival Brass Band and festa buffet at Gori Mancini Street.

Sunday, May 1 FEAST DAY

6.30am: Mass

9am: Mass

11am: Mass

5pm: Mass

6pm: Solemn Feast Mass celebrated by the newly-ordained priest Mark Zammit, currently serving in the parish. Vespers will be sung during the Mass.

The De Rohan Band of Żebbuġ starts a band march from Can. Karm Pirotta Street (near the former Vodafone showroom). The march will proceed to Carmel Street, Injazju Saverju Mifsud Street and Gori Mancini Street.

7.30pm: Procession with the titular statue of St Joseph the Worker, led by Fr Mark Zammit. At the beginning of the procession a prayer to St Joseph, dedicated to the needs of the parish, will be said.

The De Rohan Band accompanies the procession through Bwieraq Street, Potters Street, F. S. Caruana Street, Carmel Street, Brared Street, Anġlu Mallia Street and Bwieraq Street.

9.45pm: The titular statue arrives on the church parvis and a prayer to St Joseph the Worker, dedicated to the needs of all the workers, will be said.

10pm:The titular statue enters the parish church. The antiphon to St Joseph the Worker is sung and the congregation blessed.