On Friday, the Maltese Islands celebrate the feast of the island’s patron saint - St Paul - in commemoration of the saint’s shipwreck in Malta in 60 A.D., which shipwreck led to the majority of the pagan inhabitants of the island to convert to Roman Catholicism.
It is believed that during the saint’s journey towards his trial in Rome for practicing Catholicism, a storm took place which led to the vessel being shipwrecked at St Paul’s Bay. The Acts of the Apostles state that St Paul spent three months in Malta and in that period of time performed a number of miracles and ordered St Publius as the first Maltese bishop.
The feast is mainly celebrated in Valletta at the Collegiate Church of St. Paul's Shipwreck where a solemn pontifical mass was concelebrated by Archbishop Mgr Joseph Mercieca at 0915 CEST.
Meanwhile a mass in English will be held at St Paul church at 1545 CEST.
A traditional march by the La Valette Band in the main streets of Valletta will be held at 1245 CEST.
On the other hand, the traditional procession with the statue and relic of St Paul will commence at 1730 CEST and will continue through various streets of the capital city. On the procession’s arrival at St John Square, Canon Alfred Camilleri will give an account of St Paul’s shipwreck.
The Count Roger of Rabat band as well as the Nicolo Isouard Mosta band will take part in the procession.
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