The feast of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is being celebrated in Sliema this weekend.

On Friday at 8.30pm, after mass at the Sanctuary of Our Lady, the Sliema Band will play festive marches from in front of its club in St Trophimus Street and along various streets of the parish.

The popular Innu Marċ Sacro Cuor, composed 70 years ago by Mro Lino Samut, will be played. The Għaqda Żgħażagħ Banda Sliema will later celebrate in the square near the police station where the statue of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be raised on its artistic pedestal.

On Saturday, mass, including the Te Deum, will be said at 9am by parish priest Fr Martin Coleiro, OFM. At 6pm, there will be the celebration of the Solemn Transition with a procession along the streets of the parish accompanied by Franciscan Provincial Minister Fr Anthony Chircop, the Franciscan community and the Kummissjoni Festi Parroċċa Santwarju Madonna tas-Sacro Cuor.

At 8.30pm the Sliema Band will perform band marches until they reach the Sliema Strand, where a spectacular aerial and land fireworks display, Waterflames, will kick off at 10pm. Afterwards, the band will march back to its premises.

On Sunday, pontifical mass will be celebrated at 8.30am by Mgr Sandro Overend Rigillo, Bishop of Benghazi. At 10.30am the Sliema Band will hold its traditional morning band march along the parish streets.

After the afternoon mass, the procession with the crowned statue of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, led by Mgr Overend Rigillo and accompanied by the Prince of Wales Band of Vittoriosa, will start at 7.15pm. The statue will be welcomed on the church parvis by the L’Isle Adam Band of Rabat, with the popular hymn Viva Dejjem of Domenico Quercetti sung by Kristy Spiteri.

The procession will be welcomed back to the sanctuary with Marian hymns, including the hymn Int Sultana Tas-Slimiżi, composed by Mro Lesley Tabone with lyrics by Joseph Cuschieri, and Quercetti’s Viva Dejjem.