Churches across Gozo will today – Holy Saturday – be holding the Holy Easter Vigil. It is held in the hours of darkness between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Day.

Easter is the greatest feast in the Christian calendar since it commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

On Holy Saturday, the parishes of Gozo, as in Malta, will see the faithful gather in their churches for a solemn religious service and the traditional rituals of the blessing of water and fire.

Lights in the churches will be turned off, and each of the congregation will be invited to light a candle from the Pascal Candle, as the whole church becomes bathed in the warm glow of flickering candles.

Together with the evening commemorations of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, the Church explained that today’s celebration is the fulcrum of the entire liturgical year because during the Paschal Triduum the Church relives the mystery of salvation, not in nostalgia or just a remembrance of events that took place two thousand years ago, but because the Christ-event is happening in the here and now.

The liturgy begins outside the church around the fire which is blessed and from which later on the paschal candle, which previously had been marked with the cross the alpha and the omega, and the numbers of the current year, is lit.

Bells ring from churches across Gozo, as scriptures are read and sermons are delivered before the celebrant blesses the Holy Water that is used for baptisms, and the whole congregation confirms their faith by reciting the baptismal vows.

At the completion of the service some of the congregation may linger for a while in the church for a drink, or to take a piece of the traditional Figolla – Maltese almond Easter cake.

Celebrations will be both seen and heard on Easter Sunday, starting from early morning the bells will be ringing out across the islands, welcoming the great news – Christ has Risen. A traditional march with the statue of the Risen Christ will take place in some parishes following the service or at other times during the day.

These marches are usually accompanied by local bands and their popularity has remained undimmed through several centuries.

Processions of the Risen Christ taking place in Gozo on Easter Sunday are as follows:

St George’s Basilica, Victoria at 8.45am

Kercem at 6.45pm

Nadur at 9.30am

Fontana at 11.00am

Cathedral, Victoria at 10.45am

Qala at 11.00am

Zebbug at 5.00pm

Xaghra at 6.00pm

Xewkija at 9.30am

Gharb at 6.00pm.

File Photograph Gozo News/Alain Salvary

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