Qala parish celebrating the feast of St Joseph
Festivities kick off this evening and continue tomorrow
Qala parish celebrates the feast of St Joseph tomorrow, Sunday.
A pontifical concelebrated mass will be led by Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma, starting at 9am. He will also deliver the panegyric.
A band march by the Għaqda Madonna tal-Grazzja Band, San Mikiel Band, Żabbar AD 1883, will start from Patri Ġużepp Portelli Street and end in the main square at 3pm.
This will be followed by a synchronised confetti show, titled Symphony of Colours, organised by the Għaqda Briju San Ġużepp and the San Ġużepp Fireworks committee.
Archpriest Edward Xuereb will lead solemn vespers at 6pm.
A 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, will start at 7.15pm. The parish clergy, the San Ġużepp parochial choir and the Qala St Joseph and the Senglea fraternities will take part.
Meanwhile, the Victory Band of Xagħra will perform a concert in the main square. At the end of the procession a fireworks display will be let off at 10.15pm.
Today, Saturday, the eve of the feast, the translation of the relic will take place from the MUSEUM chapel to the parish church at 7pm. It will be led by Mgr Xuereb and accompanied by the Ite Ad Joseph Band. The Qala St Joseph and the Msida St Joseph fraternities will take part.
After the translation, Mgr Xuereb will lead a solemn concelebrated mass.
The Santa Marija Band of Żebbuġ will perform a musical concert in the square at 9pm, while an eve-of-the-feast band march by the San Ġużepp Musical Society AD 1889 of Ħamrun will start from Belvedere Street and proceed to the square. The march will end with a ground fireworks display by the San Ġużepp Fireworks committee.
On Friday, August 8, Qala marks the 54th 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.
Qala was declared parish on February 20, 1872. The seat of the parish was initially at the sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception. But the first parish priest Fr Salvatore Grima quickly set himself the task to build a new church in the village centre. 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 patron of the Universal Church. Since Qala became a parish a few months after this declaration, the parishioners decided to dedicate their new parish church to St Joseph.