Qala parish is celebrating the feast of St Joseph on Sunday. A pontifical concelebrated Mass led by Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma will be said at 9am. He will also deliver the homily.
Masses will be said at 6am, 8am, 11am and 5.30pm.
The St Michael’s band of Żabbar will play marches at noon. Archpriest Mgr Edward Xuereb leads solemn vespers at 6.30pm.
The procession with the statue of the saint, led by Mgr Xuereb and accompanied by the Ite ad Joseph band under the direction of Mro Mark Gauci, starts at 7.15pm.
The parish clergy, the San Ġużepp parochial choir and the Qala St Joseph and Senglea Fraternities will participate. The Leone Band of Victoria will give a concert on the main square.
The procession ends at 10.15pm with a fireworks display and the antiphon and sacramental blessing.
The translation of the relic will take place on Saturday at 7pm – from the MUSEUM chapel to the parish church. It will be led by Mgr Xuereb. and accompanied by the Ite Ad Joseph Band.
On August 8, Qala marks the 53rd anniversary of the coronation of the titular painting of St Joseph with a concelebrated Mass at 7pm.
All church functions will be transmitted live on the parish community radio Radju Leħen il-Qala and also streamed live on www.radjulehenil-qala.com.
The village of Qala was established a parish on February 20, 1872. The seat of the parish was initially at the Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception, on the village outskirts. However, Dun Salvatore Grima, the first parish priest, quickly set himself the task to build a new spacious church in the centre of the village. The foundation stone, laid on March 19, 1882, was dedicated on May 8, 1904.
On December 8, 1970, Blessed Pope Pius IX had proclaimed Saint Joseph the patron of the Universal Church.
Qala became a parish a few months afterwards, and this was one reason why the parishioners decided to dedicate their new parish church to St Joseph.
A very popular saint, having died in the arms of Jesus and Mary according to Catholic tradition, St Joseph is considered the model of the pious believer who receives grace at the moment of death – in other words, the patron saint of a happy death.
St Joseph, the patron saint of a happy death.