On the occasion of the Jubilee of Hope and the beginning of Lent, the miraculous Ta’ Ġieżu crucifix which is revered in the Franciscan church of St Mary of Jesus (Ta’ Ġieżu) in Valletta will be taken to Gozo.

This holy image, which goes back to the 17th century, is attributed to Spanish artist Frate Innocenzo di Petralia, and is looked after by the Archconfraternity of the Miraculous Crucifix which was established in the same church. It is one of the oldest images of the Crucified Lord to be revered in the Maltese islands, where it enjoys special devotion.

The Ta’ Ġieżu crucifix will be in Gozo between March 7 and 9. From the morning on March 7 to noon on March 9, it will be exposed for veneration in the church of the Franciscan Friars in Għajnsielem. During the first night, the church will remain open for adoration and the worship of the faithful.

On March 9, the first Sunday of Lent, at 4pm, Bishop of Gozo Anton Teuma will lead a Jubilee penitential pilgrimage with the holy image of the Crucified Lord from the Church of St Anthony of Padua to the square in front of the parish church of Our Lady of Loreto in Għajnsielem.

In the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee of Hope Spes non confundit, Pope Francis reminds that “hope is born of love and based on the love springing from the pierced heart of Jesus upon the cross” (n. 3). The visit of the statue of the Crucified Lord in Gozo at the beginning of Lent is, therefore, to be condsidered not merely as a historical event of devotion towards a holy image, but also an invitation to Christians to gaze once again upon that “great sign of hope that incarnates the entire love of God for us all: Christ Crucified”.

This is not the first time that the Ta’ Ġieżu Crucifix is travelling to Gozo. During World War II, it was taken from Valletta to the same church of the Franciscan Friars between May 1941 and March 1944, in order to avoid potential damage due to the constant air raids. This was the first and only time that it was brought out of the church of Valletta, where it had been revered since 1648, and taken to another church.

A full programme of the visit and pilgrimage will be announced soon.

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