Qrendi marks 175th anniversary of its statue of St Mary

The Parish of St Mary in Qrendi, in collaboration with the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament and the Socjeta’ Muzikali Santa Marija, is organising special activities all along the last week of October to commemorate the arrival in Qrendi of its wooden statue of St Mary.

Way back on 10 August 1837 the statue arrived in the Qrendi Parish Church after being sculptured in wood by Senglean Antonio Chircop. This is a very important anniversary for the Parish of Qrendi and for the village.

In fact the St Mary’s Band club community radio, Radju 15 ta’ Awwissu will be broadcasting a special schedule that kick starts on 23 October until 1 November. The broadcasting would be aired on 98.3 FM Stereo or can be received worldwide on www.santamariaqrendi.com. On 23 October the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament together with the Domus Pius X of Cospicua will be inaugurating an exhibition named Hodie Maria in the Edward St. George hall of Palazz Marija Assunta, Triq Rokku Buhagiar, Qrendi. After the opening of the exhibition a lecture would be given by the local artist Chris Ebejer on the artistic aspects of the Statue of St Mary.

The next day, 24 October, the Parish of St Mary together with the Confraternity of the B. Sacrament would be organising a Concert of Religious Music with the participation of the Coro bel Canto. This occasion is to be patronised by Archbishop Emeritus Giuseppi Mercieca. On the same occasion Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Theology Fr Manwel Agius is to deliver a speech on his new findings about this statue and which will be published in a book for this occasion.

On the 27 October, the Band of the Socjeta’ Muzikali Santa Marija, Qrendi under the direction of Mro Mario Testa together with the Coro bel Canto and the Parish Choir Magnificat will be holding an Akkademia in the Parish Church at 8.00pm which will be patronised by Mons. Pawl Vella.

The climax of these celebrations will be on Tuesday 30 October when the statue of St Mary will be taken along the main streets of Qrendi in a procession which will be attended by His Excellency Archbishop Paul Cremona. For this occasion all the confraternities of Malta are being invited to take part in this procession. The procession starts at 6.00pm and at the end of the procession Archbishop Cremona would celebrate a solemn High Mass in the Qrendi Parish Church.

Celebrations will come to an end on Thursday 1 November with a reception for members and other VIPs in the Edward St George Hall of Palazz Marija Assunta where four new American oak glass doors and a new painting on the Santa Marija Convoy will be inaugurated, to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the convoy that saved Malta during the Second World War.