Valletta will celebrate the feast of St Dominic on Sunday, August 4.
On July 28, the statue of St Dominic was taken out of its niche, where it is kept during the year, and placed in the central nave of the basilica of Our Lady of Safe Haven, popularly known as the church of St Dominic.
On Tuesday, July 30, the Dominican laity from all over the island will gather to pay homage to their patron saint. Special mass will be celebrated at 6.30pm, during which new laity will join the fraternity.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are days of triduum. Solemn mass is celebrated at 6.30pm, followed by the traditional hymn singing and the antiphon Pie Pater. Fr Noel Muscat will deliver the homily on these days.
On Thursday, August 1, special mass for the elderly will be held at 10am, during which the sacrament of the ointment of the sick will be delivered to all present. On Friday, August 2, mass for children will be held at 9.30am, followed by a procession with the statue of St Dominic, with the participation of the King’s Own youth band.
On Saturday, August 3, after the 8.30am mass, there will be the solemn proclamation of the feast where a short biography of St Dominic will be read, followed by the King’s Own Band march along the main streets of Valletta. At St George’s Square, the band will play the National Anthem in honour of President Myriam Spiteri Debono.
In the evening, at 6.30, the Dominican friars and the Dominican laity will participate in the solemn translation of the relic of St Dominic from the Christian Doctrine oratory to the basilica, followed by solemn mass and Eucharistic benediction.
On Sunday, August 4, the feast day, Archbishop Charles Scicluna will celebrate solemn pontifical mass and deliver the panegyric at 9.30am. President Spiteri Debono will lead the congregation.
In the evening, the solemn procession with the artistic statue of St Dominic will leave the church, accompanied by band marches, at 7pm. When the procession reaches St John’s Street, the King’s Own Band will play the hymn of St Dominic, composed by Mro Aurelio Doncich. The same band will accompany the statue back to the basilica.
The King’s Own Band will also hold a vocal and instrumental concert at the President’s Palace courtyard in Valletta on July 31 at 9pm. Everyone is welcome.