The feasts of Our Lady of Sorrows and of the Holy Crucifix will be celebrated at St Dominic parish church, Valletta, on Sunday and Monday respectively. On Sunday, parish priest Michael Camilleri, OP, will celebrate Mass with homily at 10am, while on Monday, the Via Crucis will be held at 5.45pm, followed by sung Mass by Fr Camilleri at 6.15pm.

The effigy of the Holy Crucifix at St Dominic church was restored recently by Manwel Zammit of Marsaxlokk, while the wooden cross was restored by Frankie Micallef of Valletta.

The crucifix, sculpted in wood by Giuseppe Mazzeo da Vizzini in 1615, was first put up on the main altar of the old church built in 1571. When the old church was dismantled to make way for the present one, the crucifix was taken to the convent dormitory.

Old photographs preserved inside the church show the crucifix behind an altar and lit all year round. When World War II broke out, the Dominicans feared that the church would be destroyed, thus making a vow to the miraculous crucifix that if the church survived enemy action, they would transfer the cross to the side chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows to replace another one

made from papier mǎché now hanging in the sacristy. In fact, the church was not hit and the friars, dressed in their Dominican habit and red stoles, transferred the crucifix in procession from the convent to the church where a great celebration was held. The chapel of the Holy Crucifix and Our Lady of Sorrows was also restored recently.

The project included the restoration of paintings on the chapel’s dome, by Ramiro Rafel Calì, son of Giuseppe Calì, in 1939.