The statue of Our Lady made by Gallard et Fils of Marseilles. It arrived in Gozo on October 14, 1866.

The feast of Our Lady of Loreto will be celebrated in Għajnsielem next Sunday.

Today, Fr Michael Said will celebrate Mass for children at 9am. A solemn concelebrated Mass, led by Fr Anton Grech, a Gozitan missionary in Guatemala, with the participation and animation of youths and families, will be held at 6.30pm. The Lauretana choir will take part. The presentation of babies and children to Our Lady of Loreto will be held at 9.30pm.

The St Joseph Band will perform a musical programme under the direction of Frankie Debono and assistant director Anthony Galea.

Tomorrow, first day of the triduum, a concelebrated Mass, led by Lourdes church rector, Mgr Renato Borg, will be held at 6.30pm.

The homily will be delivered by Fr Roberto Gauci. A Marian vigil, Skont kelmtek Mulej, will be held at the parish church at 9pm.

On Thursday, Fr Said will celebrate Mass for children at 9am.

Can. Joe Cardona will celebrate Mass at 6.30pm, while Fr Roberto Gauci will deliver the homily. The traditional band march by St Joseph Band will start at 9.30pm. The statue of the Madonna of Loreto will be raised on the pedestal at Independence Square at 11.15pm, followed by a video feature and synchronised fireworks.

Ground fireworks and a paper light show by Sinfonia del Sole will be held in front of the main clubs at midnight.

On Friday, last day of the triduum, vespers will be sung at 6pm, followed by concelebrated Mass by Fr Marcello Ghirlando at 6.30pm.

A grand demonstration with the statue of ‘Il-Madonna tad-Dar’ starts at 9.30pm. St Joseph Band and the Prekursur Band, of Xewkija, will take part. A feature show by the ‘Għaqda Armar Għajnsielem’ will be held at 10.45pm. The statue of Our Lady will be elevated on its pedestal at midnight, followed by synchronised music and fireworks.

On Saturday, eve of the feast, the St Joseph Band and members of religious orders will accompany the procession of the relic at 6.30pm, followed by vespers.

St Joseph Band and Santa Margerita Band, of Sannat, will play marches along the streets of Għajnsielem. 

The second edition of the ‘Torre di Fuoco’ with syncrhonised fireworks by Sinfonia del Sole will be held at midnight.

On Sunday, Bishop Anton Teuma will lead a concelebrated Mass with homily at 9am. Solemn vespers, led by Mgr Joseph Attard, will be sung at 6.30pm.

The procession with the statue of Our Lady, accompanied by the St Joseph Band, leaves the church at 7.30pm. The Leone Band will perform at Our Lady of Loreto Square at 8.30pm.

The celebrations will be broadcast live on Radju Lauretana 89.3FM and streamed live on www.radjulauretana.com.