A special celebration is taking place in Victoria marking the 50th anniversary of the Coronation of the Assumption Painting of the Gozo Cathedral, with the participation of His Eminence Mons. Mario Grech, the Cardinal Legate of the Pope.

For this 50th anniversary of the Coronation of the titular painting and the 75th anniversary of the declaration of the Dogma of the Assumption, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV accepted the request of the Bishop of Gozo Anton Teuma and the Chapter of the Gozo Cathedral to send Cardinal Mario Grech to preside over the festivities.

This coming Sunday, the 10th of August, at 6.00pm Cardinal Grech will lead a Pontifical Mass in the Cathedral, after which a procession with the painting will take place to Savina Square, where the renewal of the consecration of the Gozitan people to the Assumption will take place, and the message sent by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV will also be broadcast.

Fireworks by the Vampa Organisation will welcome the Holy Mother with a fireworks programme from Gelmus Hill. The painting will return to the Cathedral at around 10pm accompanied by the Leone Band.The Assumption of Mary into Heaven – the titular picture of the Gozo Cathedral (390x240cm) – painted in 1791 by Michele Busuttil (1762-1831) and paid for by Can. Benedetto Stellini, was crowned by the authority of the Apostolic Brief Qui dignitatem of 28th February 1975, by Cardinal Franjo Seper, Legate of Pope Saint Paul VI, on the 15th of August 1975.

A message from the Bishop of Gozo Anton Teuma will be read this weekend in Gozitan churches which includes an invitation to the commemoration on Sunday, as well as the programme of the occasion published by the Gozo Cathedral.

Left photo by Daniel Cilia and right, the photo of the coronation 50 years ago is by Francis Cremona and coloured by Paul Falzon.

Permalink: 50th anniversary celebration for coronation of Gozo Cathedral’s Assumption painting