The liturgical feast of St Peter and St Paul is being celebrated at Nadur Basilica tomorrow. Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma will lead a concelebrated Pontifical Mass with homily at 9am. The St Peter Band of Birżebbuġa and the St Helen Band of Birkirkara will play popular marches at 11.30am and at noon respectively.

Nadur archpriest Krystof Buttigieg will lead solemn vespers at 6.30pm. The procession with the statue of the saints, accompanied by the Mnarja Band, will leave the church at 7.45pm, followed by the antiphon and Sacramental Benediction at 10.30pm.

Mgr Salvu Muscat, together with the collegiate chapter and the clergy, will lead a concelebrated mass with Te Deum today at 9am. The translation of the relics will be led by Mgr Teuma at 5pm, followed by solemn vespers. At the end of the celebration Fr Buttigieg will be formally installed as Nadur archpriest by Mgr Teuma. Fr Mark Bonello will celebrate mass for youths at 8pm.

Band marches and concerts by various Maltese and Gozitan band societies will start at 6pm. At midnight there will be the third edition of Flames of Colour, a spectacle of fireworks set to synchronised music by Sky Art and St Peter in Chains of Birżebbuġa fireworks commission, with the collaboration of Nadur local council and the Mnarja Youth Committee.

Nadur parish is the most densely populated parish in Gozo. It was one of the first hamlets of Gozo to be raised to the status of a village by the setting up of a parish on April 28, 1688. Fr Bernard Haber was the first parish priest.

On September 19, 1894, the church became the third collegiate church of Gozo; it was elevated to a minor basilica on June 26, 1967. The foundation stone of the present church was laid on December 17, 1760, and it was consecrated on May 12, 1867.

The statue of St Peter and St Paul was brought from Marseille, France, in 1881.

Church functions will be broadcast on www.mnarjalive.com and the Facebook page MnarjaLive. Tomorrow’s Pontifical Mass will also be broadcast live on XEJK TV.