• Today, Victoria celebrates the feast of St George. This year marks the 178th anniversary of the first titular artistic statue of St George treasured at St George’s basilica. Gozo Bishop Mario Grech will lead a Pontifical Mass at the basilica at 8.30am. He will be assisted by a delegation of the Cathedral Chapter, the Collegiate Chapter, the clergy of the basilica and members of religious orders. Fr Joseph Mercieca will deliver the panegyric.
Mass in D Princeps Martyrum (1976) by Mro di Cappella Joseph Vella will be performed with the participation of soprano Miriam Cauchi, tenor Antonino Interisano, baritone Louis Andrew Cassar and the Laudate Pueri Choir and orchestra. Mro Vella will direct. Marches by the St George’s Band of Qormi and St Helen Band of Birkirkara will be held at 11am.
Cathedral parish archpriest Joseph Sultana will celebrate Mass at 5pm. Sung vespers, led by Archbishop Emeritus Paul Cremona with the participation of soloists and the Laudate Pueri Choir and orchestra, will be held at 6pm. At 6.15pm La Stella Philharmonic Band will perform a band march from Republic Street to St George’s Square.
The procession with the statue of St George will leave the basilica at 7pm. Mgr Cremona will lead the procession, accompanied by La Stella Philharmonic Band. The Mnarja Band will perform a band march from St Francis Square to St George’s Square, Victoria, at 8.15pm. The band, directed by Mro Joseph Grech, will later give a concert at St George’s Square.
The procession will return to the basilica at around 10.30pm, followed by the Beatus Georgius antiphon and Eucharistic Benediction.
• The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel will be celebrated at Ta’ Ħamet church, limits of Xewkija, tomorrow. Church rector Mgr Carmelo Hili will say Mass at 6am. There will be adoration from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, followed by a concelebrated Mass led by Gozo Bishop Mario Grech and a pilgrimage with the statue of Our Lady.
• A blood donation session will be held at the Gozo General Hospital Outpatients Department on Tuesday from 1pm to 5pm.
• The second edition of MarsalMusajk is being held in Triq il-Port, Marsalforn, on Saturday. The public is invited to join mosaicist Mary Portelli and her students in making mosaic panels for a stairs in Marsalforn. The activity starts at 8pm and ends at 11pm.
• Discover Your Voice is a free of charge summer course aimed at those interested in improving their public speaking skills in English. The course targets Year 9, 10 and 11 students. It is being presented by the English Speaking Union at the Gozo College Middle School on Thursday and Friday and on July 24 and 25 between 9am and noon. For more information and registration contact education officer Pam Zerafa by e-mail: pamelazerafa2014@gmail.com or by calling 7953 9025.
• D Capital’s Band will present the second edition of DCapitals Live@Cittadella as part of the Cittadella Arts Festival on July 29. The open-air concert, under the baton of Mro George Apap, will feature Italian singer Aida Satta Flores, three time finalist in the Sanremo Festival and winner of last year’s Sanremo Senior Festival. Also featuring in the concert is renowned singer Ozzy Lino, together with the band’s resident singers Francesca Sciberras, Jolene Samhan, Fabian Galea and Kelly Grima and YADA Dance Studio dancers. Entrance is free. For seat reservations call 7971 0366 or 7955 4694.
charles.spiteri@timesofmalta.com