This weekend, for the first time since 2019, the city of Victoria will be enjoying both internal and external celebrations for St George’s Feast, organised by St George’s Basilica.

The island will be welcoming many visitors over from Malta for this celebration weekend, coming mainly from Qormi where St George is also the Patron Saint.

Gozo also celebrates St George on the official day – April the 23rd is St George’s Day all over the world and his festive memory is kept in Gozo and all over the Maltese islands as it is held in the homes and churches of the Christian East and West, in Istanbul, Canterbury and Rome, as well, very probably, as in the most distant regions of the globe.

St George’s Day is perhaps not kept in all the regions of the world in the same manner, nor does the Martyr’s memory necessarily convey a uniform religious significance.

In Gozo, both April 23rd and the Third Sunday of July are primarily religious festivities although they have different, albeit complementary, emphasis.

The programme of celebrations, both internal and external for this Saturday and Sunday is shown below:

Saturday VIGIL OF THE SOLEMNITY

5.00pm: Vigil Mass.

6.00pm: The La Stella Band marches from Republic Street to Independence Square, from where it will it accompany the relic to St George’s Square.

6.30pm: Solemn Translation of the relic of St George from St James’s Church to the Basilica of St George. Pontifical Celebration of the first vesper of the Solemnity presided by Mgr Anton Teuma, Bishop of Gozo and Deacon of the Collegiate Lateranensi, assisted by the Cathedral and Urban Chapters. The Knights of the Sacred, Military and Constantinian Order of Saint George will participate.

7.45pm: Eucharistic Benediction celebrated by Mgr Joseph Farrugia.

The Vespri per la Solennità di San Giorgio Martire (Mgr Giuseppe Farrugia, 1900) for soloists, choir a 4 voci pari and orchestra is performed. The two antiphons Beatus Georgius, composed by Mro Paolo Fiammingo (pre-1890) and Mgr Farrugia (1897), together with the Tantum Ergo in onore di San Giorgio Martire (Mgr Farrugia, 1901), are also performed.

External Festivities

8.00pm: Musical programme at St George’s Square executed by King’s Own Band (Valletta), under the direction of Mro Dr John Galea.

9.30pm: At St George’s Square, the La Stella Band, under the direction of Mro John Galea performs the hymn A San Giorgio Martire (Prof. Luigi Billion – Mro Giuseppe Giardini Vella).

9.30pm: March by the Victory Band (Xaghra) from St Francis Square to Independence Square.

10.00pm: The La Stella and King’s Own (Valletta) Bands participate as a massed band in the triumphal and unique march along Republic Street with the statue of tal-Anglu Rebbieh tal-Banda (1892) the work of Vincenzo M. Cremona.

10.15pm: Last Solemn Vigil Mass.

Sunday: SOLEMNITY OF ST GEORGE

8.00am: The Collegiate Chapter and clergy of the basilica accompany H.L. Mgr Anton Teuma from the Bishop’s Palace at Republic Street to the basilica. Celebration of Terce at the major sacristy of the basilica.

8.30am: Pontifical Concelebration presided by Mgr Anton Teuma Bishop of Gozo and Deacon of the Collegiate Lateranensi, assisted by representatives of the Cathedral Chapter, the Chapter and Clergy of the Urban Basilica, and members of the secular and religious clergy in the presence of President Dr George Vella. Holy Mass will feature the Mass in D in honour of St George “Princeps Martyrum” composed in 1976 by Joseph Vella (1942-2018). Soloists take part Miriam Cauchi (soprano), Antonino Interisano (tenor) and Louis Andrew Cassar (baritone).

11.00am: The San Gorg (Hal Qormi) and Sant’ Elena (Birkirkara) Bands lead the popular band march at the heart of Victoria. This will end at 3pm with a spectacular paper pyrotechnic show synchronised to music and produced by the La Stella Youth Group.

Evening

6.00pm: Solemn Celebration of the second vesper of the Solemnity by the Urban Collegiate Chapter, presided by Archpriest Mgr Joseph Curmi. The Psalms of the Second Vesper of St George, composed by Joseph Vella, will be sung by the Laudate Pueri, the resident choir of the Basilica.

6.15pm: The La Stella Band marches from Republic Street to St George’s Square.

7.00pm: Solemn commencement of the procession with the titular statue of Saint George, greeted by a rendition by the La Stella Band of Georgius natus est (1984), words by Canon Joe Mejlak (1944-2008) and music by Joseph Vella.

7.15pm: The La Stella Band and choir perform the hymn A San Giorgio Martire, with the participation of Antonino Interisano (tenor) and Louis Andrew Cassar (baritone).

7.30pm: Solemn Procession with the titular statue of Saint George presided by Archpriest Mgr Joseph Curmi, with the participation of the Chapter and Clergy of the Basilica, the Religious Orders of Victoria, Seminarians and Parish Fraternties. The La Stella Band plays religious hymns during the procession.

8.15pm: Band march by the Mnarja (Nadur) Band, from Republic Street to St George’s Square, followed by a musical programme at the square by the same band, under the direction of Mro Joseph Grech.

10.30pm: Triumphal entry of the statue of Saint George in the Basilica at the end of the procession, accompanied by the massed crowds of Gozitans and Maltese singing the popular hymn Lill-Kbir Martri San Gorg (1952), words by Fr Akkursju Xerri OFM (1915-1968) and music by Vincenzo Ciappara (1890-1979).

10.45pm: The Antiphon Beatus Georgius and Eucharistic Benediction, celebrated by Archpriest Mgr Joseph Curmi as a conclusion to Gozo’s feast in honour of its patron St George.

Photo by Maggie Bajada – St George in the Basilica 2021

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