• A blood donation session will be held today from 8am to 1pm at the Gozo General Hospital’s Outpatients Department.
• The feast of St Margerita will be celebrated today in Sannat. Gozo Bishop Mario Grech will lead a concelebrated Mass at 9am. Għarb archpriest Joseph Sultana will deliver the homily. The Missa in honorem S. Margaritae by Mro Charles Camilleri will be performed, under the direction of Mro Joseph Debrincat. Horse and donkey races will be held at 2pm in Sannat Street, Sannat. Archbishop Emeritus Paul Cremona will celebrate Mass at 5.45pm and lead vespers at 6.30pm. A procession with the saint’s statue, led by Don Giuseppe Cicala, archpriest of St Margerita parish in Pozzallo, Sicily, will leave the parish church at 7.45pm, accompanied by Santa Margerita Band. La Stella Band will perform a concert on St Margerita Square. The procession returns to the church at 10pm. Festivities will end with marches performed by the Ite ad Joseph Band at 10.30pm.
• A Bible study meeting will be held tomorrow at 7.30pm at St Anthony church, Għajnsielem.
• A two-day workshop on addiction, substance use and associated behaviours, led by Australian expert Dr Matthew Berry, will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday. It is being held in collaboration with Oasi Foundation as part of activities to mark its 25th anniversary. For details call 2156 3333.
• Jobsplus Gozo (ETC) is organising a free short course in food handling (Cat. B) on Wednesday from 4 to 8.30pm and Saturday from 8.30am to 3pm. The course will be held at University of Malta’s Gozo Campus, Mġarr Road, Xewkija. Places are limited. To book, call Kenny Grima on 2220 1963, 2220 1957.
• Għaqda Armar Diċembru 13 will hold a barbecue on Wednesday at 7.30pm at Daħlet Qorrot Bay, Nadur. Tickets are available from committee members or call 2756 0360.
• MUSEUM superior Joe Fenech will hold a prayer and catechesis meeting at Our Lady of Pompeii church, Victoria, on Thursday from 10 to 11am. All are invited.
• Fr Marcello Ghirlando will celebrate a healing Mass at St Anthony Church, Għajnsielem, on Friday at 7pm. Singer Mario Caruana will animate the celebration. There will be adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from 6 to 7pm. All are welcome to attend.
• The diocesan Eucharistic Movement will hold a prayer evening at Don Bosco Oratory chapel, Victoria, on Saturday at 8.30pm, followed by Mass at midnight.
• 1551 in Concert, commemorating the Ottoman Turk invasion of Gozo and attack on the Citadel in July 1551 after an unsuccessful attempt to conquer Malta, will be held on Saturday at 8.30pm in the ditch at the Citadel, Victoria. Two choirs, an orchestra and soloists will perform under the direction of Antoine Mercieca. There will also be ballet performances by Dance Narrative, Sarah Grech School of Dance and the story of the invasion narrated by George Camilleri and Lily Said. The event is organised by Gozo Creative Theatre Club and Fondazzjoni Santa Ċeċilja, in collaboration with the Gozo Ministry and the Malta Tourism Authority, under the patronage of President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.
• DCapital’s Band will perform live at Marsalforn Bay on Saturday from 9pm onwards.
• Victoria Scout Group will hold a barbecue and camp fire at Dwejra on August 3 at 7.30pm. Tickets are on sale until August 1 from the scouts’ HQ (Tel. 2155 6497), the Group Scout Leader on 7955 5844, the scouts’ campsite at Dwejra, Bookworm Stationery, Republic Street, and Office Club Stationery, Dr Anton Tabone Street, Victoria.
• This year’s Gozo Ceramics Festival will be held at Xlendi on August 6 from 7.30pm onwards.
• Night at the Flicks, an evening of artistic productions by local film makers organised by Three Generations Down, will be held on August 13 from 6 to 11pm at Citadel Cinema, Victoria. Entrance fee is €5 per person with all proceeds in aid of Puttinu Cares.
• A fast-track course for ECDL standard certification will be run at the ECDL Test Centre at the Minor Seminary, Victoria. The certification is a prerequisite for a recent call for clerks and principal officers in the public service. For more information call 9925 5304 or e-mail ecdl@gozoseminary.com.
charles.spiteri@timesofmalta.com