St George’s Basilica has always been an example of how Liturgy is to be the “source and summit” of the whole life of the Christian community, an act of praise to God the Most High.
Not only over ten masses are offered daily, but the community of the faithful meets every Sunday to celebrate with dignity the Day of the Lord. There are various special moments on the Liturgical Calendar which are held with great solemnity, mainly Easter, Christmas, St George’s Day in April and the Titular Feast in July. Due to its spiritual aggregation to the Pope’s Cathedral in Rome, St George’s Basilica follows also the festive calendar of the Lateran Basilica.
In addition, an intense programme of celebrations and activities is offered during Advent and Lent, which are privileged seasons for the attentive listening of God’s Word. The Liturgy of the Hours is celebrated regularly together with the Collegiate Chapter and the clergy, while moments of adoration are offered all year round, in a solemn form on the main altar on the first Friday and Saturday of each month, and on a daily basis inside the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. Together with the daily celebration of sacraments, namely the Eucharist and Confession, St George’s Basilica is home to various popular devotions which express the simple yet profound faith of the people.
The liturgy is also a meeting place for various ecumenical encounters with other Christian brethren who live on the islands. St George’s Basilica boasts of a rich tradition in liturgical music, namely the Roman school expressed in both Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony; this is thanks to the Schola Cantorum Gregoriana and the Laudate Pueri Choir which animate the main festive liturgies of the year.