For the first time in its history, the reliquary holding blood of St. Laurence, is going to be in Gozo and Malta. This reliquary is highly venerated in Amaseno in the provenance of Frosinone in Italy. It will be on the islands between Thursday, the 24th and Monday, the 28th of July.

St. Mary of Amaseno, in the small village of Amaseno, set in the mountains of the Province of Frosinone, near Rome, has a reliquary vial enshrined there, said to be that of the blood of St Lawrence, the ancient Roman deacon martyred in the 3rd Century.

St. Mary of Amaseno was consecrated in 1165 and due to its situation among the mountains, the village is known as the ‘Valley of St. Lawrence.’

The relic is so popular due to the fact that on the 10th of August every year, the feast day of St Lawrence, the blood liquefies. Scientists have verified that the vial contains true blood, along with a piece of skin and some fat and ash.

This unexplainable phenomenon was registered since the 1600s. Another document which goes back to 1177, states that the blood in this reliquary belongs to St. Laurence.

The Parish of San Lawrenz, Gozo worked hard in order to bring this reliquary over and together with the Parish of St Laurence in Vittoriosa issued a programme which aims in giving an opportunity to the faithful to note the martyrs who lost their lives for Jesus Christ.

Both parishes proclaim a message of faith linked to the life of the saint who was martyred in 258AD because of siding with the Church Treasures which were the poor in his society.

On Thursday 24th July, on its arrival in Malta, the Reliquary will be transported to the Benedictines’ Monastery in Birgu.

At 6pm, the Vittoriosa Chapter together with Parish Priests and Clergy of San Lawrenz – Gozo and Amaseno will leave the Parish and enter at Santa Skolastika from where later, the reliquary will be transported in a procession accompanied by the Vittoriosa and San Lawrenz Band towards the Birgu Parish Church. Parishioners from Amaseno and San Lawrenz Gozo will participate in this procession

At 7pm, there will be mass officiated by H. E. Mgr. Paul Cremona, Archbishop of Malta. Following the mass, the reliquary will be exposed for the public.

On Friday 25th July, masses at Birgu will be like on Sundays, that is one every hour from 6m till 9am. The church will be closed between noon and 2pm. At 3.30pm, there will be the vespers and at 4pm, the reliquary will leave the Birgu Parish Church and will start its journey towards Gozo. It will leave from the Birgu Marina.

At 5.30pm, the reliquary will arrive in Mgarr, Gozo where the San Lawrenz Parishioners will be waiting so that they will accompany it to their Parish.

At 6.15pm, the reliquary arrives in San Lawrenz and will be taken in procession from the end of the main street towards the Parish.

The Community of San Lawrenz and the San Girgor Band of Kercem will participate. At 7pm there will be the vespers followed by Mass. The church will remain open till midnight for veneration of the relic.

The following day, that is Saturday, the relic will be exposed and visits from various parishes in Gozo are being organised. At 10am, there will be mass for the old and sick particularly for those residing at the Residential homes. At 8pm there will be a Prayer Vigil lead by Archpriest Ignazio Borg.

On Sunday 27th July there will be masses at 5.30am, 7am and at 10.30am. The church will remain open through the day.

At 6pm, there will be a Pontifical High Mass officiated by H. L. Mgr. Mario Grech, Bishop of Gozo, together with Fr. Charles Sultana, Parish Priest of San Lawrenz and Don Italo Cardarilli, Amaseno Parish Priest.

At 8.30pm, there will be the official inauguration of the main Square and the signing of an agreement regarding a special friendship between the Mayors of San Lawrenz and Amaseno. The ceremony will continue with the sharing of typical Maltese food.

For more information please visit the official Parish website or contact the Parishes of San Lawrenz, Gozo or Birgu in Malta.

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