Maltese Islands
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The Maltese Islands are a group of islands in the Mediterranean. The main islands are Malta Island and Gozo. Apart from these two islands there are several smaller islands: Comino (Kemmuna), Filfla (uninhabited), Manoel Island (which is joined to Gżira by a bridge), Cominotto (Kemmunett, uninhabited) and the Islands of St. Paul (uninhabited). The Patrons of these Islands are St. Paul and the Assumption.
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[edit] St. Paul
St. Paul was the one who brought the Catholic faith when he shipwrecked in Malta around the year AD61. He was highly venerated ever since. The Cathedral Church at Mdina, the Collegiates of Rabat and Valletta together with the parishes of Hal Safi and Munxar (Gozo) are dedicated to this great saint.
[edit] The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Since 1600 the Maltese were already very devout of the Assumption of the Virgin, locally known as Santa Marija, and asked the bishop to make Mary the co-patroness of the Islands. At that time there were already about 40 churches and chapels dedicated specifically to the Assumption of the Mother of God. This request was accepted and promulgated more than 200 years later. It was on 18 February 1848 that the local bishop, H.L. Mgr Publius M. dei Conti Sant, made the Assumption a special patroness of the Maltese Islands with the words "Maria Assumpta Melitæ patrona et princeps inter sanctos titulares" (Mary, assumed in Heaven, patroness of Malta and first among titular saints). The feast took major significance in the hearts of the Maltese when on 15 August 1942 a battered, half-sunk convoy managed to enter the Grand Harbour of Valletta to feed the starved nation during the Second World War. Since then the Assumption has been considered as the special protectress and intercessor of the Maltese Nation.
Out of approximately 60 parishes in Malta and Gozo, 11 are dedicated to the Assumption. These include the Cathedral Church of Gozo, the parishes of il-Gudja, Hal Ghaxaq, l-Imqabba, il-Qrendi, il-Mosta, Had-Dingli, H'Attard, l-Imgarr, Birkirara and iz-Zebbug (Gozo). The feast is celebrated in all parish churches but exceptional three-week long festivities are organized in the parish churches dedicated to Her. Each church has a treasured statue representing this mystery. Naturally, all of these being titular statues, they are the most treasured sacred artifacts of their respective communities. All statues in churches are kept with great care and devotion, however the devotion to statues representing patrons of villages is far greater than devotion to other representations.
Noteworthy details linked to the feast of the Assumption are the world-famous Mosta Rotunda [1] (known as the Mosta Dome), the magnificent Gozo Cathedral found in the old Citadel [2], and the exceptional annual fireworks display held on 14 August at Imqabba, organized by the St Mary Fireworks Factory of Imqabba, winners of the First Malta International Fireworks Festival (2006). This fireworks display is renowned as the best pyro-musical show on the island and thousands cram the village streets annually in order to watch it. [3]
[edit] List of Islands
This is a list of islands of Malta.
[edit] See Also
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