Sunday, August 28, will remain a historic date by the communities of Għajnsielem and the Italian city of Loreto in Ancona. A delegation from Loreto visited Għajnsielem to participate in the village feast and to sign an ‘agreement of friendship’ that will be an important tool in strengthening both friendly and intercultural relations between the two localities.

Deputy mayor of Loreto, Nazzareno Pighetti, and Għajnsielem mayor Kevin Cauchi unveiled Ħbiberija, a stone monument by Għajnsielem sculptor Joe Xuereb, which was then blessed by Għajnsielem archpriest Frankie Bajada.

In his address, Loreto’s deputy mayor said the initial contact started in 2017 by former mayor Franco Ciangura who contacted the Loreto municipal administration to start the formalisation of a twinning agreement.

Pighetti explained how this friendship partnership will prove to be a great commitment for the two localities to build networks and meaningful collaborations between the two communities.

Cauchi welcomed the Italian delegation and said the local community had been waiting anxiously for this occasion to happen considering that both localities are strongly linked to the Blessed Virgin of Loreto.

Baritone Charles Buttigieg performed the Ave Maria, accompanied by pianist Maria Mifsud. The event was compered by Lelio Spiteri.

Before the unveiling ceremony, the delegation attended High Mass led by Bishop Anton Teuma at Għajnsielem parish church.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.