The Arch Confraternity of St Joseph will be publishing a new book on the history of the processional statues of its patron saint over the centuries.
Established in the Franciscan church of Santa Maria di Gesù, in Rabat, the confraternity have been marking the feast of St Joseph – on March 19 – ever since 1509 when that day was made a public holiday and a day of obligation for all in Malta.
The main element in the traditional Maltese festa is the processional statue of the patron saint which is paraded shoulder-high through the streets on the feast day.
The feast of St Joseph in Rabat has a very long and compelling history in regards to the use of processional statues over the centuries.