The Diocese of Gozo has announced that on the occasion of this Jubilee of Hope and the beginning of Holy Lent, the Miraculous and devoted Crucifix known as “Ta’ Giezu,” venerated in the Franciscan Church of Saint Mary of Jesus in Valletta, will be brought to Gozo.

The image, made in the 17th century, is attributed to the Spanish artist Frate Innocenzo di Petralia, and is cared for by the Archconfraternity of the Crucifix founded in the same church.

It is one of the most revered images of the Holy Crucifix found on our islands and enjoys strong devotion from the people of our islands, the Diocese said.

The Crucifix of Ta’ Giezu will be on the island of Gozo between Friday, the 7th and Sunday, the 9th of March. From Friday morning until Sunday noon it will be exposed for veneration at the Church of the Franciscan Friars in Ghajnsielem, where on the first night the church will remain open for adoration and veneration of the faithful.

On Sunday, the 9th, the first Sunday of Lent, at 4.00pm, the Bishop of Gozo Anton Teuma will lead a Jubilee Penitential Pilgrimage with the image of the Miraculous Crucifix, from the Church of St. Anthony of Padova to the Archpriestly Church of Our Lady of Loreto, in Ghajnsielem, to which all the people of God are invited.

The Diocese of Gozo said that in the Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee “Spes non confundit” (Hope does not disappoint), Pope Francis reminded us that “hope is born of love and is based on the love that flows from the Heart of Jesus pierced on the Cross” (n. 3). “Therefore, the visit of the Miraculous Crucifix to Gozo, at the beginning of Holy Lent, more than a simple historical moment of veneration for an image that is truly dear to our people, should be an invitation to Christians to turn their gaze once again towards the great sign of our hope in which all of God’s for us humans is seen: Christ Crucified.”

This is not the first time that the Crucifix of Ta’ Giezu has been brought to the island of Gozo. During the Second World War, this Crucifix was brought from Valletta to the same Church of the Franciscan Friars in Gozo to be protected from any danger of the frequent enemy raids, where it remained from May 1941 to March 1944. This was the first and only time that it was taken out of the Valletta Church, where it had been venerated since 1648, to be left for veneration in another church.

A full programme of the visit and pilgrimage will be announced in due course.

Photo: Diocese of Gozo

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