The Catholic Church in Malta is celebrating the feast of St. Gregory, as it is always celebrated on the Wednesday following Easter Sunday.A religious procession led by Archbishop Paul Cremona was held on Wednesday morning in Żejtun to mark this special day.
This procession left from St. Clement’s Church in Żejtun.
The Litany of the Saints was recited throughout the procession. Celebrations then continued in the Żejtun Parish Church.
After prayers to St. Catherine who is the patron saint of the parish, the Misericordia was recited for three times.
The procession then proceeded to the old church of Żejtun where there was a Co-celebration.
This church is known as the church of 'San Girgor' because of the procession that leads to it.
It is in fact dedicated to St. Catherine.
This procession first began on the 12 March 1543, which marks the actual feast day of St. Gregory. In those times the Roman Catholic Church was in a period of distress.
Pope Paul III wanted to reform the Church through the Ecumenical Council, however found opposition from Catholic rulers.
In Malta, Bishop Domenico Cubelles began a solemn procession from the Cathedral in Mdina till the old church in Żejtun, and prayed that there would be eventual peace and collaboration amongst the Catholic rulers.
The procession held its place in Maltese religious traditions, although as time passed the reason behind the procession was forgotten and other beliefs were attributed to it.
One of these was that the procession began in 1519 after the plague hit Malta.
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