Xagħra marks feast of St Anthony the Abbot
Devotion to the saint is deeply rooted in Gozo
Xagħra will celebrate the feast of St Anthony the Abbot, patron saint of animals, with religious and traditional events taking place over the weekend, culminating on Sunday.
Celebrations begin on Saturday, when the church of St Anthony the Abbot will be open to the public throughout the day. In the evening, the translation of the relic and first vespers will be held at 5.15pm, followed by a concelebrated mass, led by Canon Daniel Sultana, Xagħra’s archpriest, at 6pm. A high tea, organised by the feast committee, will be held later in the evening.
On Sunday, masses will be said throughout the day, with a pontifical mass by Bishop Anton Teuma at 9.30am. The statue of St Anthony will leave the church for St Anthony’s square at 3pm, where Fr rector Michael Galea will bless horses, followed by a procession, accompanied by the Victory Band, through the main streets of Xagħra. The blessing of animals and pets, led by Bishop George Bugeja OFM, will take place at St Anthony’s Square at 4.30pm. Mass will be celebrated at 6pm.
Devotion to the saint is deeply rooted in Gozo. A chapel in his honour, perched upon il-Qaċċa, the highest point of Xagħra, is recorded in the early 1400s. In 1575, the chapel had a small cemetery in front and on April 28, 1688, it became the seat of the newly-founded parish of Xagħra, with Fr Bernard Formosa as first parish priest.
All the holdings of the chapel, including the old altarpiece, had to be burned in 1814 due to a plague outbreak in the village that left 104 people dead. The present altarpiece, by Gozitan artist Salvatore Bondì, depicts an old St Antony praying in a cave.