During the visit of Pope Francis to Gozo as part of his 36th Apostolic Journey, he will be leading a Prayer Meeting on the Parvis of the National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Ta’ Pinu, starting at 5.30pm.
Before the Prayer Meeting begins outside, the Pope will pray in silence in front of the Chapel of Our Lady and say the three Hail Marys that our Lady of Ta’ Pinu recommended to Karmni Grima when she was called to him in 1883, for the sake of the three days that His holy body lasted in the tomb before the Ascension. Afterwards, the Pope will pay homage to Our Lady of the Golden Rose.
The Pope leaves the Grand Harbour for Gozo at 3.50pm on the Maria Dolores catamaran which will arrive at Mgarr Harbour at 5.00pm. He leaves Gozo by ship at 6.45pm and arrives at Cirkewwa Harbour at 7.30pm.
The route from Mgarr to Gharb by car and popemobile passes along the main road to Victoria.
Pope Francis’ visit to the Maltese islands and particularly to Gozo is expected, after it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic two years ago. Pope Francis will be following in the footsteps of his two predecessors and worship Our Lady of Ta’ Pinu. Mother of the Maltese and Gozitan people.
There are three main symbols that determine the significance of this visit for the people of Gozo: Three blue waves, an essential part of the Gozo Coat of Arms; The Cross, designed with four additional corners depicting the four Evangelists, whose writings are broadcast to the four corners of the earth: and an image of the Madonna Ta’ Pinu, detailed from the piece painted by Bartholomeo Amadeo Perugino and commissioned by Pinu Gauci in 1619.
A welcome for the Pope will begin at 5.30pm, and he will then lead the Prayer Celebration, on Saturday, the 2nd of April, under the tribune that is being specially constructed by a local company from Xewkija, designed by Mr John Xerri.
Pope Francis will be seated during the Celebration and it will be on the same seat that Pope John Paul used when he celebrated Mass there in 1990.
Another tiny chair has also been made for the Pope use during his short time in the Chapel of Our Lady, made in wood by carpenters Anthony Galea and Paul Piscopo.
The stole that Pope Francis will wear during the celebration is hand-woven in traditional style and made of cotton. It was designed by Fr Roberto Gauci of Eikon Centre of Liturgical Arts, in consultation with Gozitan weaver Mrs Alda Bugeja, who completed the weave work in her own hand.
The stole contains two golden crosses on a red background, the liturgical hue of each stole the Pope wears in similar celebrations. The red colour in the Liturgy recalls the Passion of Christ, which the Church celebrates in less than a fortnight after the Pope’s visit.
A small olive tree will also be placed under the image of Our Lady in the tribune, as a sign of the commitment and prayer of the local Christian community in unity with the whole Church for peace, as Pope Francis is strongly urging in the face of the war crisis in Ukraine and so many other places in the world affected by conflict.
Even the floral arrangements in Our Lady’s Chapel will be made up of, among others, olive branches.