Xagħra parish issued a special publication on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the coronation of the titular statue of the Nativity of Our Lady. The publication offers a range of interesting reads, including an in-depth narrative of the several attempts by the people of Xagħra to crown the image of the Nativity of Our Lady over the decades.

First, it was the wish of the people to crown the image of the Nativity of Our Lady of the titular painting, but at the beginning of the 1970s parishioners thought it was more appropriate to crown the titular statue of the Bambina to mark the centenary of its reputed coming from Marseille in 1873.

The account is based on primary sources of research which recently came to light from private archives and other ecclesiastical and parish sources which are amply explained in the footnotes and bibliography.

Other contributions in the publication include the theological aspect of the crowning of saintly images. People who were involved in the organisation of the 1973 extraordinary programme of the crowning of the Bambina by the late Bishop Nikol Cauchi on September 2 give their account.

The publication, issued in collaboration with the Xagħra parish office, is the seventh edition of the Cacciensia series. The issue was coordinated by Aaron Attard-Hili, who is also one of the contributors.

Others are John Attard, Joe Bajada, Joe Cini, Carmelo Refalo and Carmelo Theuma. The researched contributions are supported by never- published-before coloured illustrations.

The publication is available from the Xagħra parish office and the church souvenir stand at the discounted price of €15.