Feast of St.Paul’s Shipwreck in Malta at St. Paul’s Shipwreck Collegiate Church and the Pauline Parish
3 – 24 Februry 2024
SATURDAY, 25TH JANUARY – FEAST OF THE CONVERSION OF SAINT PAUL
6.00pm Concelebrated Solemn Mass.
SATURDAY, 3RD FEBRUARY – CONCELEBRATION OF THE OPENING OF THE FEAST
5.30pm Rosary
6.00pm Concelebrated Solemn Mass. Afterwards the titular statue leaves its niche within the Parish Church amid Pauline hymns.
9.00pm Dinner Dance organized by Għaqda tal-Pawlini at Westin Dragonara, St Julian’s.
SATURDAY, 10TH FEBRUARY – LITURGICAL FEAST OF THE SHIPWRECK OF ST PAUL
10.30am Concelebrated Solemn Mass by the Archpriest Can. David Cilia. Panegyric by Fr. Christopher Caruana O.P. The orchestra will be under the direction of Mro. Hermann Farrugia Frantz.
12.00pm The Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna will re-enact a full-gun salute fired from the Saluting Battery at the Upper Barracca Gardens in Valletta.
7.00pm Official inauguration of the monument of St Paul near the Lower Barrakka Gardens.
FRIDAY, 16TH FEBRUARY
7.30pm Literary Musical Evening – organized by Pauline Cultural Academy in the Collegiate Church of St Paul’s Shipwreck
SATURDAY, 17TH FEBRUARY – CHILDREN’S FEAST
10.00am Mass at the Collegiate Church of St Paul for all Maltese children, followed by a manifestation accompanied by the Soc.
Fil. Naz. ‘La Valette’. Children from the parish carry a smaller-sized statue of St Paul atop their shoulders. The route is as follows: St Paul’s Street, Archbishop Street, Merchants Street, Old Theatre Street, Republic Street and St Lucy’s Street. At this final stage, the statue is raised high
and laid on a pedistal, overlooking St Paul’s Street.
8.00pm An Evening in the Capital in St Paul Street featuring Spiteri Lucas Band
MONDAY, 19TH FEBRUARY
8.00pm General Concert at the La Valette Band Club in Republic Street
FEBRUARY 20, 21, 22 – DAYS OF SOLEMN TRIDUUM
17.15 Vespers
18.00 Solemn Mass followed by the Tridum sermon delivered by Papàs Martin Zammit, Parish Priest of the Greek-Catholic Parish dedicated to Saint Mary of Damascus.
WEDNESDAY, 21ST FEBRUARY
8.30pm Brass Band at the ‘La Vallette’ band club in
Republic Street organized by Għaqda tal-
Pawlini.
THURSDAY, 22ND FEBRUARY
7.00pm Band marches with the statue of St Paul accompanied by the St Helen Band Club from Birkirkara. Band marches start from Republic Street and pass through the streets named St Lucy, St Paul’s, St Nicholas and Mediterranean street, to end near the Lower Barracca Gardens where the statue is placed on an ornate pedestal.
FRIDAY, 23RD FEBRUARY – EVE OF THE FEAST OF ST PAUL’S SHIPWRECK
5.15pm Solemn Translation of the Relic of St Paul led by Archbishop Mons. Charles J. Scicluna.
7.00pm Solemn Mass led by His Excellency Mons. Joe Galea Curmi, Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General
7.30pm Traditional and popular band march by the Società Filarmonica Nazionale La Valette The La Vallette Band begin from Republic Street and continue through St John, Merchants, Melita, St Paul’s, St Christopher’s streets and ends near the Siege Bell War Memorial. This will be followed by a fireworks display involving pyrotechnics and catherine wheels near the Siege Bell Memorial organized by the Fireworks Commission of the Għaqda tal-Pawlini.
SATURDAY, 24TH FEBRUARY – FEAST OF ST PAULS’ SHIPWRECK IN MALTA
9.15am Arrival of Archbishop Mons. Charles J. Scicluna and the President of Malta His Excellency Dr. George Vella at the Collegiate Church of St Paul Shipwreck.
9.30am Pontifical Mass including a panegyric by Archbishop Mons. Charles J. Scicluna.
12.45pm Traditional band march by the Società Fil. Naz. La Valette along the main streets of Valletta. The march starts in St Paul’s
Street next to the Collegiate Church of St Paul, and sounds through Archbishop, Merchant’s, Republic, St John, Merchants, Melita and St Paul’s Streets and ends, once again, near the Collegiate Church.
4.00pm Mass in English for foreign visitors led by Canon Carmelo Busuttil, Archpriest of Vittoriosa
5.30pm Synodal Procession featuring the statue of St Paul (a wooden sculpture by Melchiorre Gafà) as well as the relic of St Paul. This procession will be accompanied by the Count Roger Band of Rabat.
The procession begins and ends in St Paul’s Street, passing through the
following streets: St Dominic, Merchants, Old Theatre, Republic, St John, Merchants, Melita and St Paul’s Streets.
6.15pm The Żejtun Beland Band will march through Republic Street, St John and will accompany the statue of St Paul from Merchants Street, Melita and ends in St Paul’s Street near the Collegiate Church.
9.30pm Procession entrance into the Collegiate church. As the procession re-enters the Collegiate Church, it is greeted and celebrated with the Hymn of St Paul, antiphon Sanctæ Pauli composed in 1840 by Dr Paolo Nani, and the Eucharistic Benediction.
There will be a pyrotechnics display commemorating the event by the Fireworks Commission of the Għaqda tal-Pawlini
Matul il‑purċissjoni, isir akkumpanjament pirotekniku mtella’ mill‑Kummissjoni Nar fi ħdan l‑Għaqda tal‑Pawlini.
In case of bad weather, the feast will be postponed to Sunday, February 23, 2024.