Victoria is en fête for the feast of Santa Marija, which reaches its climax on Tuesday.

The holy triduum comes to an end today with a homily by Fr Michael Galea. Tonight, at 10pm, a replica of the statue of Santa Marija within the Cathedral will be carried in manifestation around the streets of Victoria. At around midnight, the statue will be raised on a plinth at Independence Square. The Leone and the Santa Marija Band of Żebbuġ will take part.

Tomorrow, the Cathedral Chapter will concelebrate Mass at 8am, followed by Mass for parish children at 10am with the participation of the Aurora Youth Choir. At 11am, the Leone Band will lead the march Tal-Bandiera from the Cathedral Square to the Leone Band Club. The children will carry a large flag to be raised on the Club’s roof at noon.

The Wirja ta’ Santa Marija, the traditional agricultural and industrial show, will be open at Rundle Gardens in Victoria between 5 and 11pm and again on Tuesday between 7am and 1pm. At the show, held for the past 280 years, one can admire Gozitan produce as well as farm animals. Horses will be on show on Tuesday morning.

At 5.30pm, the Leone Band will hold the traditional march with the paljijiet from Independence Square to the Cathedral Square. Gozo Bishop Mario Grech will lead the procession of the translation of the relic at 6pm, followed by pontifical vespers.

The orchestra will be under the baton of Colin Attard, maestro di cappella of the Cathedral. Archpriest Joseph Sultana will lead a sung Mass at 7.30pm, commemorating the 42nd anniversary of the coronation of the Assumption altarpiece.

This evening, the Visitation Band of Għarb will give a concert at Independence Square, followed by a grand march along Republic Street with the participation of the Leone Band and the St Sebastian Band of Qormi. A ground fireworks display will follow at Savina Square.

On the feast day, Mgr Grech will lead a pontifical Mass concelebrated with the Cathedral Chapter.

The Twelfth May Band of Żebbuġ and the St Joseph’s Band of Ħamrun will play marches in Victoria from 11am. The traditional horse races will start at 2.30pm.

The feast reaches its climax with the procession with the statue of Santa Marija, sculpted in Rome in 1897, at 6.30pm. An aerial fireworks display starts at 7pm. During the procession, the St Joseph’s Band of Għajsielem will play at Cathedral Square and the Victory Band of Xagħra at Independence Square.

The statue of Santa Marija is accompanied inside the Citadel by the congregation aux flambeaux at around 10.30pm.


The 52nd edition of the Cathedral annual, Il-Għid tal-Assunta, is dedicated to Mgr Joseph Sultana, who was installed archpriest of the Cathedral this year. The annual features a number of historic articles, commemorating the 1,700th anniversary of the first mention of the island of Gozo in the famous papal registers and the 350th anniversary of the first census of Gozo in 1667.

During the past four years, the Cathedral Church has undergone major restoration works.

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