Christmas 2009's highlight: the Children's Novena

By organising the traditional Christmas Novena, the parish office sought to consolidate the way it intensely worked for since earlier this year, way back in May, by re-organising St George’s Novena, and later on, the special Children’s Mass, every Sunday at 5.00pm.  The aim behind it all, apart from the spiritual and liturgical aspects, which remain highlighted, is to draw more children and their families to their parish, which is, of course, St George’s.

The Christmas “novena” is traditionally held on the nine consecutive days preceding Christmas Eve, and draws the faithful’s attention on the expectation of the birth of Jesus.  St George’s parish offers its community two “versions” of the Christmas Novena: one at 9.00am, addressed especially to the category of adults; and the evening Novena, starting at 6.00pm, aimed for children, who flock to the basilica together with their families.  Archpriest Mgr Pawlu Cardona celebrated Mass and preached during the morning Novena, while the evening Novena, also popularly known as In-Novena tat-Tfal, this year was given, respectively, on a three-day basis by Archpriest Cardona, Can. George J. Frendo, and Mgr George Bezzina.  Both Masses were transmitted live via our parish radio, Leħen il-Belt Victoria.

The evening Christmas Novena is certainly one of the most popular and highly attended celebrations at St George’s during the Advent season.  The parish office team, namely Francesco Pio Attard, Andrew Formosa and George Francis Vella, flanked by Antonella Zammit and Monica M. Parnis, worked very hard on its organisation and all it involved.  Instead of the usual homily, eight members from our parish community read out, on each and every day, eight different stories, written specifically for the Christmas Novena by the late Mgr Salv Borg who, during his tenure as archpriest of St George’s basilica, promoted the Novena as a way of important significance leading us to prepare ourselves in the best way for celebrating the birth of Christ.  At the end of every evening Mass, twelve-year old Francis J. Camilleri’s naturally clear and limpid voice echoed all over the basilica in the resounding of the Advent popular antiphon, Alma Redemptoris Mater.

This nine-day spiritual experience leading to Christmas came to an end on Wednesday, December 23, 2009, with a great celebration for children, starting immediately after the last Novena Mass.  This manifestation included a dialogue between four of our parish children, with the subject being, of course, Christmas, followed by a short procession with our Bambin tal-Milied during which the children offered Baby Jesus a letter they were asked to write by the parish office hard-working team earlier during the Novena.  The best of these letters were read out or heard during the celebration, and were also recorded at the LBV studios to be broadcast on Christmas day and the days which followed.

The manifestation included also a rendition, by some of “our” – and we say it with pride! – children, of a play, translated from Italian by Francesco Pio Attard and ably directed by Antonella Zammit.  This mini-play was entitled Għax il-lum il-Milied, in English, For today’s Christmas day!, followed by young Martina Galea’s singing of the popular Italian carol Caro Gesù Bambino, who was then joined by all children at the basilica who carried to the altar candles and gifts of charity.  The celebration was concluded by parish vicar Mgr Felix Tabone imparting the Eucharistic benediction, and the children were distributed with flowers to hand them to their mothers.  Young Marie Georgette Mizzi and Anthony Attard introduced the items in the celebration reading short commentary notes, alternating with beautiful Christmas music mixed by Andrew Formosa.

The more than hundred children who crowded the basilica for the nine days were then led to the parish hall where they were offered the traditional Christmas party, together with their parents.  All of them received presents from a wide choice of books, kindly sold to the parish at a very reduced price by George Farrugia of Palm Bookshop.  They sang, exchanged funny stories and ate pastry and sweets.

Truly, this year’s Children Novena shall remain the highlight of Christmas celebrations at St George’s basilica.

Photos: Joe Attard

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