The feast of St John Bosco will be celebrated at the oratory named after the saint in Victoria, on Sunday. Bishop Anton Teuma will preside over a concelebrated Mass at 9am with the participation of the Chorus Urbanus, under the directon of Mro John Galea.

The celebrations will reach a climax at 5.30pm tomorrow when the statue will be taken out in procession along the streets of Victoria, accompanied by La Stella Band. After the procession, the Gozo Youth Wind Band, under the direction of Mro Joseph Grech, will present the Don Bosco Grand Concert at the oratory.

A horse parade will be held at 10am, followed by the blessing of animals and pets by Fr Anton Schembri.

The liturgical feast of Don Bosco will be celebrated on Tuesday. Gozo cathedral archpriest Joseph Sultana will lead a solemn Mass at 7pm, with the participation of the Aurora Youth Choir, directed by Matthew Sultana.

The oratory chapel, designed in a modern style by architect Joseph Mizzi, was built in the early 1960s. It was blessed by Bishop Giuseppe Pace on January 31, 1965, feast of St John Bosco. The chapel was consecrated on October 9, 1988.

One of the attractions at the chapel is the statue of Don Bosco, commissioned by the oratory’s founder Dun Pawl Micallef, to Wistin Camilleri. The expenses were paid off by Dun Pawl himself.

Don Bosco is depicted with Domenico Savio, a young Salesian saint and an indigenous boy in reference to the missionary work carried out by the Salesians abroad.