Xaghra Parish » Gallery » Randan 2008 » 21 MAR 08 GOOD FRIDAY PROCESSION
Fears that the Good Friday procession/pageant will not take place because of bad weather subsided at sunrise. Showers were promised by the weather forecasters. Well they were proved right, since we had the wind, showers and thunder accompanying them but only on late Thursday and in the very early hours of Good Friday. When the afternoon Church Service “ the Adoration of the Cross “ ended, visitors starting filling Victory Square to watch the Pageant, which was to unfold before them. Dead on time, at 6.00 p.m., the procession started leaving the Basilica. Since this year was the earliest day in the calendar that Easter could fall on and considering it was still winter time, it was not long before the rest of the procession was coming out of the Basilica in the dark with floodlights having to be switched on. With twilight that evening, biting cold fell making it harder for those either taking part in the pageant, especially young children, or those watching it to follow. But they all defied the elements and took part or stayed on till the end. The organizers had compassion on them by minimizing the time the procession left the Basilica and the time it went round the town`s streets. Whereas normally the pageant took a little less than four hours, this time around it was all over in two and a half hours. On the other hand this made it difficult for commentators to keep pace with the script while the statue bearers and those carrying crosses and chains had very little and shorter pauses allowing to rest on the way. Hundreds took part in the pageant, including two bands, Precursor Band of Xewkija and Victory Band of Xaghra, playing funereal marches. Many young and old people took part representing personalities from the Old Testament and others who were involved in the passion of Jesus. Ten statues depicting various stages in the Passion of the Lord were carried. Eight were made in Lecce, Italy, in 1914; Judas betraying Jesus was made by Prof Bruno in 1964; Jesus meets His Mother Mary and disciple John is the work of the renowned Gozitan artist Michael Camilleri Cauchi. Fifteen persons carrying crosses and thirty six toiling their way with heavy chains tied to their ankles also took part. All were hooded as they did it either to fulfill vows or as an act of thanksgiving to the Lord. Preceding Jesus lying dead in the tomb were the Chapter, Clergy and Piccolo Clero. Behind the statue walked the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. The last statue, Our Lady of Sorrows was followed in devotion by the faithful reciting the rosary, some of them barefooted as an act of penance. More than a show of pageantry, the procession was meant to be a moment of spiritual feeling and reflection for those who took part in it or watched it. They way it was conducted with a running live commentary could not but reach its noble aims. The behaviour of the spectators bore witness that this was reached.
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