The feast of Our Lady of Loreto will be celebrated in Għajnsielem on Sunday. On Friday, the last day of the triduum, vespers will be sung at 6pm, led by Can. Joe Cardona, followed by concelebrated Mass by Bishop George Bugeja OFM at 6.30pm.
A grand demonstration with the statue of ‘Il-Madonna tad-Dar’ starts at 9.30pm. The St Joseph Band and the Pinto Band San Bastjan of Qormi will take part.
A feature by the ‘Għaqda Armar Għajnsielem’ will be shown 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 take part in the procession of the relic at 6.15pm, followed by vespers, led by Archbishop Fabio Dal Cin, Prelate of the Shrine of Loreto, Italy.
The St Joseph Band, the Prekursur Band of Xewkija and the La Vallette Band will play marches along the streets of Għajnsielem. The fourth edition of the ‘Torre di Fuoco’ with syncrhonised fireworks by Sinfonia del Sole will be held at midnight.
On Sunday, Mgr Dal Cin will lead a concelebrated Mass at 9am. Solemn vespers will be sung at 6.30pm, followed by the procession with the statue of Our Lady, accompanied by the St Joseph Band, 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.
Two important dates for Għajnsielem
Għajnsielem is this year celebrating two anniversaries – the laying of the foundation stone of the present church on September 14, 1924, and the arrival of the statue of the Black Madonna.
To mark the occasion, the parish council, under the direction of archpriest Frankie Bajada, has invited Archbishop Fabio Dal Cin, Prelate of the Shrine of Loreto, to lead the celebrations.
Għajnsielem’s old parish church was blessed on August 21, 1820. By the beginning of the 20th century, notwithstanding two enlargements during the previous decade, the church was becoming too small for the growing population.
The parish priest, Dun Franġisk Mizzi (1909-1948), decided to build a new church. A spacious tract of land was acquired close to the old church and architect Ugo Mallia was commissioned to plan a Gothic-styled church. Work began on June 4, 1922 and the foundation stone was laid on September 14, 1924 – 100 years ago this year. The building proceeded at a snail’s pace due to several factors.
When the first master mason retired, it took years to find a replacement. Then, World War II brought the project to a standstill. After the war, the architect had to be replaced and there were also several factors that led to long postponements.
In 1955, the newly appointed parish priest Espedito Tabone (1955-1981) resolved to bring the project to a finish and he succeeded.
On August 25, 1974, the dome was completed and crowned with a cross. The new church was finally opened and blessed on August 27, 1978. The towering belfry was finished on August 13, 1979, while the church was consecrated on August 13, 1989.
This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the statue of the Black Madonna, a replica of the one housed at the Shrine of Loreto, where the relic of the house of the Virgin Mary is venerated