Easter festivities in
Malta draw to a close on Wednesday
as the island celebrates the feast of St. Gregory. The feast, which occurs on the
first Wednesday after Easter Sunday, traditionally sees Maltese flocking to
beaches around the island for the first swim of the year, weather
conditions
permitting.
The traditional St. Gregory Procession in Żejtun was also
held, led by Archbishop Mgr. Paul Cremona for the first time. The procession was
marked by the recital of the Saints’ Litany with celebrations continuing in the
Żejtun Parish. Once celebrations in this Parish ended, the procession headed to
the old
Żejtun
Church, where a concelebrated mass was
held.
Although the Żejtun Parish is dedicated to St. Catharine it
is often referred to as the St. Gregory Church specifically because of this
traditional procession, held for the first time on the 12th March 1543 to mark
the Saint’s feast.
At the time, the Catholic Church in Europe faced a great crisis, with
Pope Paul III calling for reforms which were stalled by issues ensuing between
Catholic kings.
In hope that universal peace and unity between the Kings
would be reinstated Archbishop of the Maltese Diocese Domenico
Cubelles held a solemn procession from the Mdina Cathedral to the
old
Żejtun
Church. This procession eventually
joined
Malta’s
religious customs. Various beliefs about the procession’s origin spread as its
main purpose was forgotten. These included the belief that the procession started in 1519 to mark the end of the plague in the island.
Aqra dan l-artiklu bil-Malti:
Attivitajiet ta’ l-Għid f’Malta jaslu fi tmiem
-
Apr 11, 2007 - 11:11:05 AM
