Malta yesterday took a momentary breather from politically charged events as many people flocked to Valletta to celebrate the feast of St Paul’s Shipwreck.
Their buoyant spirits were reflected in the clear skies and sunny weather that emerged after several days of rain.
As, this year, Easter will be celebrated early, on March 31, the feast of St Paul was brought forward from its usual day of February 10.
Archbishop Paul Cremona led a Pontifical Mass inside the richly adorned church of St Paul’s Shipwreck, with President George Abela, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Labour leader Joseph Muscat leading the congregation.
Fr Karm Mercieca said all those who kept God in their lives would never be shipwrecked.
In his panegyric, lasting well over an hour, the elderly priest prayed that St Paul take care of families who have neglected God and were consequently breaking down.
“God has a great plan in store for us: that of a future filled with hope. He is capable of bringing about wonders despite our pride.”
He proceeded to quote lines from the poems of Dun Karm Psaila, Frans Camilleri and Ġorġ Pisani to illustrate how Malta was always singled out and blessed by God.
“As long as we keep both our feet on solid ground, we have before us a sure road.
“Hail our father, the great St Paul. Hail Malta,” he concluded, to rapturous applause.
Mass was animated by the Saulus choir, led by Albert Scicluna, which performed from the gallery.
A number of feast-goers gathered in the street outside the church as people filled the aisles and flowed out of the front entrances.
A set of 13 brilliantly hued valances, many of which were newly restored, decorated the stretch between Merchant Street and Mediterranean Street.
A full gun salute, organised by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna to mark the feast of St Paul’s Shipwreck, was fired from the Saluting Battery at the Upper Barrakka Gardens.
Wearing themed tops, Valletta enthusiasts accompanied the band marches and, later, in a more sombre environment, the procession with the statue of the patron saint and the treasured relic of the right wrist bone of St Paul.
Tourists and locals wandered into St Paul’s collegiate church to marvel at the prestigious collection of silver, gold, chandeliers and sacred objects.
First built in the 1570s, the church hosts a number of fine artistic works, including the magnificent altarpiece, the choir and dome by Lorenzo Gafà and paintings by Giuseppe Calì. A call for donations has been made to restore the ceiling paintings.
The titular statue was carved in the mid-17th century by Melchior Gafà, Lorenzo’s brother.