The feast of Our Lady of the Girdle will be celebrated at the Augustinian church in Victoria tomorrow. Canon Franklin Vella will lead a concelebrated Mass with homily at 9.45am. Ivan Attard will direct the orchestra.
Augustinian priory and archivist, Peter Paul Cachia OSA, said the statue of Our Lady with her child Jesus venerated at the Augustinian church is made of papier-mâché.
It arrive in Gozo, from Lecce, Italy, on August 26, 1894. To celebrate the statue’s arrival, a procession was held from St George’s parish church to the Augustine church.
Prior to the procession, the statue was blessed by Gozo Bishop, Giovanni Maria Camilleri, while Augustinian prior, Fr Egidio Said, led the procession with the participation of several congregations, St George’s parish church clergy and the Augustinian Confraternity of the Girdle. When the procession arrived at the Augustinian church, the Lauretana Litany was sung, followed by the antiphon Beatam Me Dicerit and Eucharistic Benediction.