St. George's Basilica or the Basilica and Collegiate Parish Church of Saint George, also simply known in Maltese as San Ġorġ (), is a historic

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

church situated in the middle of Gozo, the second largest island in the

Maltese archipelago The geography of Malta is dominated by water. Malta is an archipelago of coralline limestone, located in Europe, in the Mediterranean Sea, 81 kilometres south of Sicily, Italy,From Żebbuġ in Malta, coordinates: 36°04'48.2"N 14°15'06.7"E to Cav ...

, and is surrounded by a maze of old narrow streets and alleys. The church had been rebuilt numerous times during the Middle Ages. Today's basilica was built between 1672 and 1678. This is not to be confused with another church by the same name, located in Qormi on the main island, Malta.

History

Origin

The parish originated in Byzantine times from the time of Emperor

Theodosius I Theodosius I ( ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. He won two civil wars and was instrumental in establishing the Nicene Creed as the orthodox doctrine for Nicene C ...

in the 4th century. The original church was the main Roman pagan temple of

Gozo Gozo ( ), known in classical antiquity, antiquity as Gaulos, is an island in the Malta#The Maltese archipelago, Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After the Malta Island, island of Malta ...

which had been converted by a Greek missionary into a Christian church dedicated to

Saint George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the ...

. The Roman temple stood at the site of the present church. The church is also documented in manuscript sources in c. 1250, when it is recorded functioning as a parish church. St George's was also listed as one of the parishes in Gozo where indulgences could be obtained on a papal bull by

Pope Nicholas V Pope Nicholas V (; ; 15 November 1397 – 24 March 1455), born Tommaso Parentucelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 March 1447 until his death in March 1455. Pope Eugene IV made him a Cardinal (Catholic Chu ...

for the Holy Year of 1450. Considering the fact that the parish church originated during the Byzantine period, until 1575, the liturgy in St George's parish church was celebrated in the

Byzantine Rite The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, is a liturgical rite that is identified with the wide range of cultural, devotional, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Chri ...

rather than the

Latin Rite Latin Rite may refer to: *The Latin Church, a ''sui iuris'' church of the Catholic Church *The Latin liturgical rites, a family of Christian rites and uses which includes the Roman Rite *The Roman Rite The Roman Rite () is the most common ritua ...

. It was the last church to celebrate the Byzantine liturgy on the island until the transition to the Roman rite. The church had been rebuilt numerous times during the Middle Ages because of the increasing population of the island. In 1511 a ''scriptura apostolica'' declared that the church of St George was the parish church of Gozo, thus covering all the population of Gozo. It is also recorded that the parish priest of St George's church during the half of the 16th century, Reverend Lorenzo de Apapis (1501–1586), was taken prisoner together with most of the inhabitants of the island by the invading

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

in 1551 to

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

. Reverend De Apapis managed to buy his freedom some years later and returned to Gozo and rebuilt the church of St George which had been badly damaged. Likewise the church was reconstructed again in 1583 and 1598. Interior of the Basilica of St George Gozo 1930s

Interior of the Basilica of St George Gozo 1930s

Present church

The present church was planned by Vittorio Cassar when he also demolished the buildings that could serve to cover an enemy attack on the town of Gozo today called the

Cittadella Cittadella () is a medieval walled city in the province of Padua, northern Italy, founded in the 13th century as a military outpost of Padua. The surrounding wall has been restored and is in circumference with a diameter of around . There are fo ...

. The foundation stone of the present church was laid on 7 August 1672. The church's construction was completed by in 1678 and it was consecrated on 21 September 1755 by Bishop Paul Alphéran de Bussan.

The union of the two parishes

In 1630 the vicar general of the Diocese of Malta, Pier Francesco Pontremoli, proposed the union of the two parishes of Gozo – that of the Assumption in the Citadella and that of St George – because of conflicts and competitions that the two parish priests of the respective parishes where initiating. In the meantime the parish church of St George was rebuilt and finished in 1678. It was on 28 April 1688, that Bishop

Davide Cocco Palmieri Davide Cocco Palmieri was an Italian, Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Malta from 1684 until 1711. Biography Cocco Palmieri was born in Southern Italy in March 1632. He was ordained priest of the Sovereign Military Order of Mal ...

created from the Matrix church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary in the old town of Gozo four new parishes in Gozo and joined the parish of St George with its Matrix church. This union went on for the next 266 years until 1 August 1955, when the Bishop of Gozo, Giuseppe Pace, dissolved this union between the two parishes by signing the decree ''Cum hodiernis temporibus'' in which he established St George as a new parish independent from its mother church, the Gozo Cathedral. Thus St George started carrying once again its pastoral activities.

New façade

The first major architectural modification to the church, after it was rebuilt, took place in 1818 when the church façade was rebuilt due to damage suffered by an earthquake that hit Gozo on 1 February 1697, 20 years after the church was completed. The designed for the façade were made by Salvatore Bondi.

Religious Order

In 1880 the associate priest here was Joseph Diacono and under his leadership the Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus was formed here. In time, Diacono wanted to end the organisation but local Religious Virginia De Brincat disagreed and she became the Superior General. She is now the Venerable Madre Margerita De Brincat.

Enlargement

In the 1930s the church was enlarged with the addition of the naves and the side chapels. Between 1939 and 1940 the dome of the church was reconstructed due to damage done in the earthquakes of 1693 and 1789. The roof was also rebuilt and reconstructed in the Roman style arch between 1938 and 1939. The inauguration of the enlarged church took place on 28 July 1940, by Bishop

Mikiel Gonzi Sir#British and Commonwealth honorifics, Sir Michael Papal nobility#Papal counts and countesses, Count Gonzi (born Mikiel / Michele Gonzi: 13 May 1885 – 22 January 1984), was Roman Catholic Archbishop of Malta from 1944 until 1976. He had b ...

Minor basilica

On 6 September 1958 Archpriest Cefai announced to the gathered congregation that the church was honoured with the title of Basilica. The decree, ''Merito dilaudatur templum'', dated 6 September 1958, confirmed

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...

's decision that the parish church was now a Basilica. With this title the church received certain privileges such as precedence before other churches, the right of the

Umbraculum The umbraculum ( in Latin, "umbrella"; , "big umbrella",Vocabolario Treccani on line

Tintinnabulum. These objects are carried in every procession that the

collegiate chapter In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college (canon law), college of canon (priest), canons, a non-monastic or secular clergy, "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-gover ...

takes part in. Also the church acquired the right to include the papal symbol of the crossed keys on a basilica's banners, furnishings and seal.

Collegiate church

On 8 December 1975, Bishop Nikol Joseph Cauchi established the first collegiate chapter of the new Pontifical Collegiate church. He decreed that the Collegiate church would be aggregated to the

Cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

Archbasilica of St. John Lateran of

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. In total Gozo has five collegiate chapters all with their peculiar privileges and insignia. The peculiarity of this Collegiate church consists in that it is the only Collegiate Chapter that has not yet been confirmed by the Holy See. The church building is listed on the

National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands The National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands (NICPMI) is a heritage register listing the cultural property of Malta. The inventory includes properties such as archaeological sites, fortifications, religious buildings, mon ...

Works of art

The first view of the basilica's interior is one exquisite architectural proportion and harmony. This parish church is referred to as "the golden church" of Gozo. It is entirely covered with marble and gold stucco. The church houses two works of art by the famous painter

Mattia Preti Mattia Preti (24 February 1613 – 3 January 1699) was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Saint John. Life Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was called ''Il Ca ...

. These are the main altar piece representing

St George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the R ...

with the dragon and the other in a side chapel representing the Holy Souls.

Titular altarpiece

In 1678 the governor of Gozo Don Francesco de Corduba commissioned a new altarpiece for the parish church of St George from

. This painting is considered to be one of Gozo's most important painting. The painting depicts St George triumphant over the dragon. The coat of arms of the donor is depicted in the bottom left corner of the painting.

Side chapels

The basilica has a total of 11 side chapels. Starting from the left side of the basilica when entering the main door one finds the chapel of St Paul with a baroque altar and a painting depicting St Paul and the

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Mariology, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not def ...

Stefano Erardi Stefano Erardi (1630–1716) was a Maltese painter whose works may be found in many churches around the Maltese Islands. His style has been described as either late Mannerist or Baroque. Biography Erardi was born in Valletta in 1630 to Sebasti ...

(1699). Next, is the side entrance chapel of St Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori which does not contain an altar though has an oval oil canvas depicting the saint by Maltese painter Ramiro Cali commissioned in 1925. Next, is the chapel of St Michael the Archangel who is depicted in a mosaic made in

in 1963 based on an older painting now located in the basilica museum. The next chapel contains a baroque altar designed by

Francesco Zahra Francesco Vincenzo Zahra (, 15 December 1710 – 19 August 1773) was a Maltese painter who mainly painted religious works in the Neapolitan Baroque style. His works may be found in many churches around the Maltese Islands, as well as in some pri ...

and produced between 1759 and 1761 by Giovanni Antonio Durante. The chapel is dedicated to the Holy Souls in purgatory and has a painting done by

. The last chapel on the left is dedicated to Jesus and Mary. It contains a painting by Alession Erardi depicting Christ the Saviour and the Virgin with St Ignatius of Loyola and St Francis Xavier (1723). This chapel also contains a wooden statue of Jesus and Mary done by Sigismondo Dimech between 1802 and 1807. Chapel_of_Mary_and_Jesus_-_St_George_Basilica

Chapel_of_Mary_and_Jesus_-_St_George_Basilica

On the other side starting from the right hand side of the choir is the Neo-Byzantine chapel of the Holy Cross and the Blessed Sacrament. Next is the chapel of

Saint Cajetan Gaetano dei Conti di Thiene (6 October 1480 – 7 August 1547), known in English as Saint Cajetan ( ), was an Italian Catholic priest and religious reformer, co-founder of the Theatines. He is recognised as a saint in the Catholic Church, and hi ...

which, up to some years ago, prior to the building of the Neo-Byzantine chapel, contained the altar of the Holy Cross. This chapel also houses the titular statue of St George (1839) and the statue of the Resurrected Christ (1996). The painting depicting St Cajetan was removed and is now housed in the basilica museum. Next is the chapel of St Lazarus which contains a painting of the resurrection of Lazarus by Giuseppe D'Arena and a baroque altar containing the corpse of St Clement. The following chapel is dedicated to St Joseph and contains a baroque altar and a painting by Giuseppe Cali depicting the Holy Family (1899). The next chapel is an entrance chapel with no altar and is dedicated to St Thérèse of Lisieux and contains a small oval oil canvas depicting the saint by Ramiro Cali. The last chapel is dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria and contains a baroque altar with a painting depicting the Mystic Marriage of St Catherine by Giuseppe D'Arena.

Interior renovation

Between 1945 and 1954 the church underwent major changes that changed its internal appearance. In 1945 work started on the decoration of the cupola of the church. The paintings in the cupola represent the theme of victory from the

Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation, also known as the Book of the Apocalypse or the Apocalypse of John, is the final book of the New Testament, and therefore the final book of the Bible#Christian Bible, Christian Bible. Written in Greek language, Greek, ...

. They were painted by Giovanni Battista Conti while the stucco decoration was done by Giuseppe Galea. Conti also designed 8 stained glass windows which decorate the dome. The dome was inaugurated in 1949. That same year a new set of

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, Way of Sorrows or the , are a series of fourteen images depicting Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and acc ...

, carved from marble and brought from

, were inaugurated. They were designed by Carlo Pisi and sculpted by ''Henreaux'' of

Lucca Città di Lucca ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its Province of Lucca, province has a population of 383,9 ...

. In 1952 work started on the decoration of the naves while the newly redecorated organ gallery was finished. Mattia Preti, Giuseppe Calì, Michele Busuttil, Giuseppe Fenech, Francesco V. Zahra, Fortunato Venuti, Injazju Cortis, Ramiro Calì, Filippo Cosimo, Giuseppe D'Arena, Salvatore Bondì, Robert Dingli, Stefano Erardi, Alessio Erardi and Alfred Camilleri Cauchi are other famous artists whose works can be admired in the basilica and its annexes. The church also possesses the whole corpse of St Clement lying inside one of the side altars.

Baroque high altar

The baroque high altar that had graced St George's since 1755 was dismantled and replaced in 1960. Following the elevation of the church to a minor basilica which gave rise to the decision to replace the baroque altar with a new papal altar. The baroque altar had been sculpted by Claudio Durante of Valletta on designs by Francesco Zahra (1710–1773). The altar contained six types of marble all quarried from

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

. When the altar was dismantled, its parts disappeared until rediscovered again in 1999. The altar was fully restored in 2011 and was formally inaugurated and exhibited in

Valletta Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...

at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura.

New high altar and canopy

In 1960 a new main altar was dedicated. It was made from white Carrara marble on the design of Carlo Pisi. The altar depicts four angels wearing clerical vestments on their knees while lifting the horizontal piece of the altar on their shoulders. This was the first altar table in

to be dedicated in any church. The bronze and gold gilded canopy over the high altar is indeed impressive. It was made in 1967 following the liturgical reform promulgated by the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , was the 21st and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City for session ...

. The canopy was based on the design of Bernini's in St Peter's

Titular statue

But the main attraction is the wooden statue of the patron saint, St George, sculpted in wood by Pietru Pawl Azzopardi in 1839. It was the first titular statue acquired by a parish church in Gozo. According to uninterrupted tradition, the statue was commissioned as an

ex-voto An ex-voto is a votive offering to a saint or a divinity, given in fulfillment of a vow (hence the Latin term, short for ''ex voto suscepto'', "from the vow made") or in gratitude or devotion. The term is usually restricted to Christian example ...

. The statue underwent significant restoration in 1903 and 1996. The statue is located on the right hand side of the chapel of

Medieval ciborium

In 1816, during demolition and reconstruction works on the façade of the basilica, a very old ciborium, belonging to St George's parish church, was discovered hidden in the walls of the church. The ciborium dates from Medieval times (12th century) and is mentioned in various manuscripts and records about the parish church. Today the ciborium is kept at the Gozo Cathedral Museum.

Byzantine chapel

Something which one may not expect to see in a traditionally classic Baroque building, such as St George's, is a Byzantine style chapel. The cornerstone was laid in 2002. Today this chapel holds the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Cross of the basilica. In 2004 work started on the building of the new dome of the chapel. The chapel was blessed by the then Archpriest Dr Joseph Farrugia on 10 July 2005. This unusual style was chosen for its cultural association with the Christian Churches of the East. The aim was to help instil in the Catholic faithful the awareness that the universal Church breathes through two lungs, that of the Western Church as well as that of the Eastern-rite sui-iuris Catholic Churches in communion with Rome. The chapel and the dome were built to the designs of Vince Centorrino. The dome includes eight Byzantine style windows and is to be decorated with gold mosaic. The floor of the chapel is covered with porphyry slabs. The chapel also includes a solid silver tabernacle, seven feet tall. It was built in the form of the ancient ciborium that was in use in St George's up to the sixteenth century when it was lost but retrieved again when it was found buried in the old façade of the basilica, some two centuries later.

Bronze door

In 2004 the new main door of the basilica was inaugurated by Bishop Nikol Joseph Cauchi. The door, named ''Porta Salutis'', is made entirely of bronze and was manufactured in Verona on a design by John Grima. The door features a total of eight designs, with the coat of arms of Pope

John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

in the middle since it was during his pontificate that door was inaugurated. The bronze door is the only one in the entire island of Gozo.

Basilica pipe organ

St George's Basilica's first organ was first introduced towards the late 17th or early 18th century, after the parish church had been rebuilt in the size and shape that it largely is today. With the organ, built by Santucci from Sicily in 1781 and installed high above the West door, a tradition of organ music was launched which continues to this day. Later a small portable organ joined the Baroque one for daily Church services. The old Baroque organ fell silent in the mid-1960s and remained in disuse for a number of years. Its place, and that of the smaller one, had been taken by a large portable electronic organ. Then, in the late 1990s, through the initiatives of Reverend George J. Frendo and Reverend Joseph Mercieca, the old organ was professionally restored in Italy by Piero Piccioni and a digital functioning new organ replaced the electronic one. As a consequence, the basilica now had the renewed availability of a fully functional Baroque organ which could be played from the gallery or from the console behind the main altar, and, beside it, a full digital organ that could be played individually or in conjunction with the old pipe organ. In 2004 a new pipe organ, dating from the 19th century, was donated to St George's Basilica by Dr Richard Vendome, an Oxford music scholar and the Oxford Girls' Choir organist and founder. The organ was formerly housed in a Methodist assembly hall in the UK. The organ was installed in St Michael's Hall and inaugurated in 2006.

Events and services

The basilica is the host of various events such as:

Feast of St George

The liturgical feast of

Martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

, protector of the island of Gozo and patron saint of the city, falls on 23 April, but external festivities are celebrated with great pomp in the city during the week leading to the third Sunday of July.

Victoria International Arts Festival

The basilica also hosts five weeks of cultural events from mid June until mid July. Th
Victoria International Arts Festival
is a non-profit organisation that makes these events possible. All concerts and events are free of charge.

Religious services

But first and foremost the basilica is a place of worship. Services start as early as 5.15am on Weekdays and at 5.00am on Sundays. Services are celebrated at frequent intervals throughout the morning and in the evening and people come from all over the island knowing that St George's basilica is always open to welcome them. The basilica is considered to be the busiest

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

on the island. In December the basilica celebrates the Christmas novena, which are nine days of festivities that lead to the feast of

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

. The Christmas

Midnight Mass In many Western Christian traditions, Midnight Mass is the first liturgy of Christmastide that is celebrated on the night of Christmas Eve, traditionally beginning at midnight when Christmas Eve gives way to Christmas Day. This popular Christm ...

is attended by hundreds of faithful from all over the country to the extent where there is no more space for people to fit inside the church. Another novena is celebrated in preparation for the feast of the patron

which also draws many people through doors of the basilica.

Basilica museum

In February 2013 the basilica opened the doors to its new modern museum, one of a kind in the country. It is the first building built for the purpose of a museum. The museum and cultural centre, named a
Heart of Gozo: Il-Hagar
displays a rich collection of historical and artistic artefacts previously inaccessible to the general public. The museum also hosts cultural events from time to time and also exhibits temporary exhibitions. The museum is found on the left side of the basilica. The curator of the museum is the Rev. Mgr. Dr. Joseph Farrugia, Archpriest emeritus of the basilica. Immaculate Conception with St Paul - Erardi

Immaculate Conception with St Paul - Erardi

Sistine Chapel Choir

The basilica was also the place where various world-famous choirs performed, among these one can mention the

Sistine Chapel Choir The Sistine Chapel Choir, as it is generally called in English, or officially the Coro della Cappella Musicale Pontificia Sistina in Italian, is the Pope's personal choir. It performs at papal functions in the Sistine Chapel and in any other chur ...

who performed a concert of sacred music. The first time the choir visited the basilica was in 2006, when on 23 April, the liturgical feast of St George, the choir sang works by Palestrina, Victoria, Perosi, Bartolucci, and Liberto. The second time the choir visited the church was on 23 February 2013, as part of the celebrations of the opening of the new museum
Heart of Gozo: Il-Hagar
Interesting to note is that this was the last time that the

sang during the pontificate of

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

, who resigned five days later. The choir performed a concert of sacred music for the third time on 7 June 2017. The basilica is also privileged to be the only church on the island of Gozo where the papal choir has ever performed.

Anglican Community of the Blessed Virgin and St George

Apart from being a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

parish church, the basilica also serves as the main parish church of the

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

community of Gozo, part of the Diocese of Europe. The community, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and St George, was established in St George's Basilica on 23 April 2005, in a

Eucharist The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...

celebrated by Canon Tom Mendel, the then Chancellor of

St Paul's Pro-Cathedral St Paul's Pro-Cathedral ( Malti: ''Il-Pro-Katridral ta' San Pawl''), officially The Pro-Cathedral and Collegiate Church of Saint Paul, is an Anglican pro-cathedral of the Diocese in Europe situated in Independence Square, Valletta, Malta. A "pro-c ...

on behalf of Geoffrey Rowell, bishop of the Diocese of Europe. The Anglican community frequently participates in ecumenical services in the basilica and frequently celebrates important services in the same basilica such as the feast of St George on 23 April."Anglicans mark 10th anniversary"
''

Times of Malta The ''Times of Malta'' is an English-language daily newspaper in Malta. Founded in 1935, by Lord and Lady Strickland and Lord Strickland's daughter Mabel, it is the oldest daily newspaper still in circulation in Malta. It has the widest circu ...

'', Malta, 10 May 2015. Retrieved on 16 June 2017.

Important dates

* 23 April: Solemnity of

* 6 September: Anniversary of the elevation of the church as a Basilica * 14 September: Feast of the

Exaltation of the Holy Cross The Feast of the Holy Cross, or Feast of the Cross, commemorates the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus. In the Christian liturgical calendar, there are several different celebrations which honor and celebrate the cross used in the crucifi ...

* 22 September: Anniversary of the Dedication of the church * 29 September: Feast of

Saint Michael Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second- ...

* 9 November: Solemnity of the Dedication of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran * 8 December: Anniversary of the establishment of the Collegiate chapter * 27 December: Solemnity of

Saint John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( – ) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John. Christians have traditionally identified him with John the Apostle, John of Patmos, and John the Presbyter, although there is no consensus on h ...

* 31 December: Solemnity of Saint Sylvester I

Recent archpriests

From 1688 until 1975 there was only one archpriest for the two parishes of Victoria. This was because of the union of the two parishes that took place in 1688. Thus the priest in charge was known as the Archpriest of Victoria or Rabat. The first Archpriest of St George, since 1688, was Emmanuel Mercieca, who became archpriest in 1975 upon the death of his predecessor Michael Cefai who was the last Archpriest of Victoria. The Virgin of Mercy with souls Mattia Preti

The Virgin of Mercy with souls Mattia Preti

* Rev. Mgr Joseph Curmi (2016–present) * Rev. Mgr Paul Cardona (2007–2016) * Rev. Mgr Dr Joseph Farrugia (1998–2007) * Rev. Mgr Salv Borg (1986–1998) * Rev. Mgr Emmanuel Mercieca (1975–1986) * Rev. Mgr Michael Cefai (1944–1975) * Rev. Mgr Alfons Maria Hili (1917–1944) * Rev. Mgr Feliċ Refalo (until 1917)

Collegiate chapter

On 8 December 1975, Bishop Nikol Joseph Cauchi established the first collegiate chapter of canons of St George's. The present chapter has a total of 13 members. *Most Rev. Mgr Anton Teuma – ''Diocesan Bishop and Dean'' *Very Rev. Mgr Joseph Curmi – ''Archpriest'' *Very Rev. Mgr Paul Cardona – ''Archpriest Emeritus'' *Very Rev. Mgr Dr Joseph Farrugia – ''Archpriest Emeritus'' *Rev. Mgr Felix Tabone – ''Chancellor'' *Rev. Can. Giovanni Gauci *Rev. Can. Joseph A. Borg *Rev. Can. George DeBrincat *Rev. Can. George J. Frendo *Rev. Can. Emanuel Buttigieg *Rev. Can. Dr Joe Zammit *Rev. Can. Geoffrey G. Attard *Rev. Can. Richard N. Farrugia

Gallery

Image:Malta Gozo Victoria BW 2011-10-08 15-32-18.jpg, View of St George's from the

Citadel A citadel is the most fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of ''city'', meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. ...

. Image:St george in glory.apse.jpg, St George in glory by Giovanni Battista Conti situated in the

apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...

of the basilica completed in 1955. Image:Conti painting.jpg, The Martyrdom of

by Giovanni Battista Conti. Image:St Catherine of Alexandria - D'Arena.jpg, The mystic marriage of St

Catherine of Alexandria Catherine of Alexandria, also spelled Katherine, was, according to tradition, a Christian saint and Virginity, virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the emperor Maxentius. According to her hagiography, she was both a ...

by Giuseppe D'Arena (18th cent.) located in the first chapel on the right. Image:Victoria - Chiesa di San Giorgio interno.jpg, Interior of the basilica. Image:Virgin and Child with st John the Baptist - Pierre Guillemin.jpg, The Virgin and Child with infant

John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...

by Pierre Guillemin (1732) located at St George's Basilica. Image:Beheading of St George by Francesco Zahra.jpg, The beheading of St George by Francesco Zahra (1763) located in the choir of the basilica. Image:Raising of Lazarus - D'Arena.jpg, The Rising of Lazarus (1677) by Giuseppe D'Arena. Image:St George Basilica side chapel copula.jpg, Cupola of the side chapel of the

Holy Family The Holy Family consists of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The subject became popular in art from the 1490s on,Ainsworth, 122 but veneration of the Holy Family was formally begun in the 17th century by Saint François de La ...

. Image:Basilica of St George, Victoria, Gozo (6620888961).jpg, Detail of the

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...

. Image:Victoria - Chiesa di San Giorgio, cupola.jpg, The interior of the main

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

. Image:St George protecting against the plague Gozo.jpg, Apse painting showing the deliverance of

from the plague by the intercession of St George. Image:Giuseppe Calì, Holy Family (St.George's basilica, Gozo).jpg, The

by Giuseppe Calì.

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint George's Basilica, Gozo, Malta Basilica churches in Malta Collegiate churches in Malta Victoria, Gozo 1672 establishments in Malta 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Malta Roman Catholic churches completed in 1678 Baroque church buildings in Malta Church buildings with domes National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands