Feast of the Assumption

Statue of Mary exiting the Cathedral in procession

A mid-summer solemnity is the one we celebrate today - that of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother, a dogma of faith that was proclaimed by Pope Pius XII on November 1st 1950. In his encyclical “Munificentissimus Deus” the Pope solemnly declared “we pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma, that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, Having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”

Inside the decorated Cathedral, Rabat, Gozo, Malta

More than half the parishes in Malta are dedicated to the Blessed Mother, 8 of them precisely to the Assumption, and today, processions are held in each of them. These photos were from the Cathedral parish of Rabat, Gozo, on my last visit for that feast in 2006. Churches are beautifully decorated, solemn Masses are held during the 15 days leading to this day, and a festive yet reverent procession is held with the artistic statue of Mary. Of course marching bands and fireworks are also included.

Decorated streets with lights, banners and other miniature statues