Qala parish celebrates the feast of St Joseph on Sunday. A pontifical concelebrated Mass led by Cardinal Mario Grech will be said at 9am. He will also deliver the homily. Masses will be said at 6am, 8am, 11am and 5.30pm.

The Precursor Band of Xewkija will play marches at noon. Archpriest Mgr Edward Xuereb will lead solemn vespers at 6.30pm. A procession with the statue of the saint, led by Mgr Xuereb and accompanied by the Ite Ad Joseph Band under the direction of Mark Gauci, starts at 7.20pm.

The parish clergy, the San Ġużepp parochial choir, and the Qala St Joseph and the Senglea fraternities will participate. Meanwhile, Santa Margerita Band of Sannat will perform a concert on the main square.

The procession ends at 10pm with a fireworks display, and the antiphon and sacramental blessing.

A procession with the statue of St Joseph starts tomorrow at 7.20pm, led by Archpriest Mgr Edward Xuereb and accompanied by the Ite Ad Joseph Band under the direction of Mark Gauci.

Today, on the eve of the feast, the translation of the relic will take place 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 Tuesday, Qala marks the 52nd 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, 106.3FM Stereo and also streamed live on www.radjulehenil-qala.com.

The village of Qala was established as 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 middle of the village. The foundation stone was laid on March 19, 1882, and it was dedicated on May 8, 1904.

On December 8, 1970, Pope Blessed Pius IX proclaimed St 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, who according to Christian tradition died in the arms of Jesus and Mary, St Joseph is considered the model of the pious believer who receives grace at the moment of death; in other words, he may also be considered the patron saint of a happy death.