As from this edition onwards, Parish Magazine Il-Belt Victoria is being published in full colour. This major shift is the result of the editorial board’s efforts in providing the best resource for its readers, especially those interested in the history and pastoral life at St George’s. Most of the financial weight is now being carried by numerous sponsors who decided to partly finance this publication, which has been issued regularly from 1981.
The front page displays the statue of the Holy Crucifix, which is the main component of Il-Vara l-Kbira, at the beginning of the Good Friday Procession; this year marks the 175th anniversary from its creation by Pietru Pawl Azzopardi in 1848. The usual sections covering the Archpriest’s Message, an album of pastoral events, documentation from the Basilica Archives, and the parish dairy all feature in this January-April 2023 edition.
Joseph W. Psaila’s second and final article about the ideal Catholic citizen features in the opening pages. Other pages feature a note on late Pope Benedict XVI who died last December, the first part of an article with recollections of the 2003 Centenary Celebrations, a historical article about Francesco Zahra and his works at St George’s Basilica, a reproduction of the speech by Anthony Farrugia on Azzopardi’s Holy Crucifix marking its anniversary, and a summary of events carried out at Il-Ħaġar Museum.
The back page prominently features the end of the Pontifical Mass on 23rd April, when St George’s statue peeped out of the Basilica’s main doors.
We thank all those entities which have committed to the sponsorship of this publication, and the editorial team that made possible this exciting transformation. Donations from our readers are still very much welcome. All these efforts are indeed a proof of a dedicated labour of love to keep alive this important publication.
Read Online: January-April 2023 edition.