Archived Month: June 2003

Splendid Mnarja wraps up [29/06/03]

It was a different Mnarja for the Nadurin around the world. With all activities streamed online and all photos and information instantaneously put on the web, thousands enjoyed Mnarja from their far-away homes. However, the people of Nadur celebrated it in style. At 1830 CET  Archpriest Mgr Saviour Muscat led the singing of the vespers, accompanied by members of the Basilica's chapter. The procession with the statue of St Peter and St Paul, then, left the Church at 2000 CET, accompanied by the Mnarja Band the Victoria's Leone Band. Thousands of Gozitans packed Nadur's main streets and the square and enjoyed Nadur's big feast. Click here for photos. 

Twenty-nine good reasons to celebrate [29/06/03]

So many colours! So much fun! The Nadurin surely know how to celebrate. The traditional marc tal-hdax, the most popular band march in every local feast, started at 1100 CET and wrapped up at around 1330 CET. The Nadur youths, all with red and yellow-painted faces and sporting colourful Mnarja t-shirts enjoyed every second of the event. The St Gregory Band of Kercem and the St Helen's Band of Birkirkara played marches through the main streets of Nadur. Click here for photos.

Nadur celebrates the feast of St Peter and St Paul [29/06/03]

The people of Nadur are celebrating the feast of St Peter and St Paul. At 0900 CET, Gozo Bishop Nicholas Cauchi led a pontifical concelebrated Mass and then delivered this year's panegyric on the lives of the two apostles. Following the special sermon, the Bishop presented this year's Golden Heart Award to Giovann Tabone - a young altruistic Naduri. The St Gregory Band of Kercem and the St Helen's Band of Birkirkara will play marches through the streets of Nadur, starting at 1100 CET. Traditional horse and donkey races will be held at Ta' Xhajma Street at 1400 CET. June29th.com's photographer Joe Zammit spent Sunday morning in Nadur. Click here to have a peep at what we're preparing for you.

Hot Mnarja gets into full swing [28/06/03]

With temperatures hitting the 30°C mark, the Nadurin are fully enjoying the feast of their patron saints St Peter and St Paul. Crowds of people from all over Gozo intermingled with the Nadurin on Saturday evening and enjoyed Mnarja Eve. Enthusiastic youngsters wearing maroon june29th.com shirts accompanied the Banda Mnarja and the Banda Cittadina La Stella. Last year's special Mnarja float was again amidst the crowd and amidst the youngsters' cheer. Click here for photos.

Gozo Bishop in Nadur again for Translazzjoni [28/06/03]

Gozo Bishop Nicholas Cauchi was in Nadur again on Saturday to lead the Pontifical Translazzjoni - a procession with the relics of St Peter and St Paul. The ceremony started at around 1830 CET. Click here for photos. Meanwhile, Xaghra's Banda Victory, Victoria's Cittadina La Stella and Ghajnsielem's Banda San Guzepp will join the Banda Mnarja on Saturday evening for numerous performances around Nadur. Thousands of people are expected to jam-pack Nadur's square for what promises to be a superb fireworks display by Mqabba's St Mary's Fireworks.

Weekend of celebrations kicks off [27/06/03]

It's so nice to see a town in a big celebration. That's Mnarja! Thousands of people were in Nadur on Friday and enjoyed Jum id-Dimostrazzjoni (demonstration day). The statue of St Peter and St Paul was taken round Nadur's main roads, and then, at around midnight, it was put up on a pedestal set in the main square. The pedestal is this year celebrating its 50th anniversary. The Banda Mnarja and Banda Santa Margerita of Sannat accompanied the statue in its tour around Nadur. In the meantime, Xewkija's Banda Prekursur performed a musical program in Nadur's main square. The crowd also enjoyed a display of fireworks manufactured in Nadur! Click here for photos.

Ready, set... the feast is on  [27/06/03]

Friday was a busy day for the Nadurin as all final touches were given before Nadur hosts thousands of people for its special weekend. The dilettanti tan-nar spent hours at St Peter and St Paul's square assembling Friday evening's fireworks. The fireworks, made by Mqabba's St Mary's Fireworks Factory and by a group of Nadurin, were sponsored by J Portelli Projects. Meanwhile the new statue depicting the martyrdom of Saint Peter was also put on its pedestal in front of the Church on Friday, accompanied by the statue showing the martyrdom of St Paul. James Azzopardi carried out the work commissioned by the Kumitat Armar Pjazza. Click here for all photos.

New golden halos inaugurated  [26/06/03]

Gozo Bishop Mgr Nicholas Cauchi on Thursday inaugurated the new golden halos, which from now on, will adorn the titular statue of St Peter and St Paul. The halos were designed by Marco Azzopardi and commissioned to Vanni Bartolo of Cottonera. Expenses were forked out by 24 benefactors, whose name is engraved on the back side of each halo. Pope John Paul II blessed the halos at the Vatican City a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, all is now set for Mnarja 2003. Visit our special Mnarja feature which will be updated daily in the coming days.

Restored 100-year-old organ inaugurated [26/06/03]

Nadur's Basilica pipe organ, which has recently been restored by 27-year-old Robert Buhagiar, was inaugurated on Thursday evening. The unique organ was made by Pacifico Inzoli of Crema, in Italy, back in 1897. A concert was held at the Basilica to mark the occasion. During the concert, Buhagiar himself played works by Bellini, Durante, Bach, Camidge, Vierne and Meyerbeer. Meanwhile on Thursday, The Times of Malta published an interview with Robert Buhagiar. Click here to read more.

Traditional Mnarja evening takes Nadurin back in time [26/06/03]

The annual Mnarja folk evening was held on Wednesday at Nadur’s pjazzetta. Great food and good company mixed up for an enjoyable evening. There were also some of Malta’s best entertainers, including Malta’s Eurovision entry Lynn Chircop, Joe and Veronica (id-Dulli), the Greenfields, the Cameo Folk Dancers and the Mnarja Folk Group. A Peruvian band played a number of its ethnic songs, while the Maltese ghannejja did it the Maltese way! A Dutch TV station also filmed a good part of the show to include it in one of its special documentaries. Click here for photos. The Mnarja folk evening is rooted in history. Hundreds of years ago people from all over Malta used to mark Mnarja with a night of good food and good music as Daniel Bartolo finds out in his feature.

Xhajma double white lines get a break! [25/06/03]

The long double white lines at Xhajma Road, the road linking Nadur to Victoria, are now broken white lines. This means that one may cross the lines to overtake as long as it is safe. The double white lines were only left in dangerous spots, including corners. This was one of the changes proposed by the Nadur Local Council to the Traffic Control Board. Members of the Local Council also did a site inspection with the traffic board representatives, who, in turn, approved the proposed changes. 

MEPA approves outline permit for new cemetery [25/06/03]

The Development Control Commission Board of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) has approved the outline permit for a new cemetery to be built at Ghajn Qasab Street. The approval was announced during a meeting held on Tuesday, June 24th.

The Nadur Parish must now submit a detailed plan for MEPA's approval. Work would then start after MEPA gives its go-ahead. Visit the Nadur Local Council website for more information.

Nadur moving into feast-mode  [24/06/03]

Five days to go for Nadur's big day and its main roads are going multi-colour! Tens of young and old Nadurin are working hard to decorate their street for the feast of St Peter and St Paul. There are no less than seven committees responsible for feast decorations in Nadur.

Nadur's main streets are becoming adorned with flags, statues, bulbs, lavishly decorated cloth banners and what have you. Activity is the order of the day as groups of people are seen working at odd hours or under a scorching sun in order to settle everything in time! Visit the Mnarja feature or click here to go directly to the latest photos. 

Mnarja Band performs annual concert  [23/06/03]

Nadur's Mnarja Band held its annual concert at the pjazzetta on Monday. The event was organised by the Socjeta' Filarmonika Mnarja together with the Nadur Local Council. Amongst the musical pieces performed by the Mnarja Band were the Innu Marcia lil San Pietru u San Pawl (Vincenzo Ciappara), Movie Adventures (John Williams), The Prince of Egypt (Stephen Schwartz), Moment for Moricone (Ennio Moricone), Unchained Melody (A. North & H. Zareth), La Gazza Ladra (G. Rossini), Selections from Starlight Express (Andrew Lloyd Webber), Innu lill-Banda Mnarja (Vincenzo Ciappara) and the Maltese national anthem (Robert Sammut). Maestro Joseph Grech masterfully directed the Mnarja Band. Mayor Dr Chris Said and Band President Charles Xuereb both delivered a short address. Click here for photos.

So many exhibits make this year's fair the biggest ever  [22/06/03]

It was the biggest ever Agricultural Fair at Nadur's pjazzetta. Hundreds of people from all over Gozo visited Nadur on Sunday morning and admired Nadur's most special agricultural produce. There were also cute goats, beautiful horses, ponies, sleepy pigs, rare ostriches and also some huge pumpkins! Many were left amazed by Pawlu Muscat's show. Muscat closed himself in a glass room with thousands of bees. The bees, attracted to their queen bee, congregated on his chest and neck and formed what looked like a beard. Click here for lots of photos.

Church celebrates feast of Corpus Christi  [22/06/03]

The Nadur Parish celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi (the body of Christ) on Sunday. The feast is celebrated 60 days after Easter. Following the 0830 CET Mass, Archpriest Mgr Saviour Muscat went round Nadur's main streets carrying the Holy Eucharist. Many locals participated in the procession, while young children carpeted the streets with flowers as a sign of respect and reverence to the Holy Eucharist. The Mnarja Band accompanied the procession. Click here for photos.

Agricultural fair opens with traditional Maltese evening  [21/06/03]

This year's Agricultural Fair opened on Saturday evening with a folkloristic show. A number of tourists intermingled with a crowd of Nadurin and enjoyed the traditional Maltese song (ghana), the Folk Group Mnarja and numerous entertainers, including Tony Camilleri (l-ghannej). Numerous local farmers are also exhibiting their juiciest, biggest and most colourful crops, while local artists are taking the opportunity to promote their work. Animals and pets will go on show on Sunday morning. The fair is organised annually by the Nadur Local Council. Click here for photos.

Bizu back with Floriana FC  [21/06/03]

Brazilian striker Edoardo Do Nascimento (Bizu) returned to Floriana FC after signing a three-year contract. This was announced by the Greens in a press conference held on Saturday. Bizu  joined Nadur Youngsters last January and played a pivotal role in the whites' memorable season, during which the Nadur squad won the  championship, the Jum il-Helsien Cup, the Noel Vassallo Cup and the GFA Super Cup. The Gozo Football Association handed Bizu Gozo's best foreign player award for his superb performance in white.

Children enjoy first day of Mnarja activities  [19/06/03]

Hundreds of children were left thrilled with a special Mini & Griz show at Nadur's pjazzetta on Thursday. The popular TV puppets were the special guests at this year's Children Day. Nadur's Drama School and the young students who attend the Franciscan School were also amongst the performers. Clowns, face-painters and a mega bouncing castle transformed Nadur's pjazzetta into a mini leisure park! Meanwhile the novena Mass was also dedicated to children. Fr Michael Said led the Mass with the participation of the MUSEUM choirs. Click here for photos.

Weather Observatory predicts sunny, hot Mnarja  [19/06/03]

Writing on june29th.com, Naduri Joe Meilak - owner of the Nadur Weather Observatory - says the long-range forecast indicates that the current sunny and hot weather will continue through the end of June. The winds are expected to be light, mostly from the NW. Maximum temperatures should range from 31 degrees C to 34 degrees C. Thus, weatherwise, it looks like we're in for a great Mnarja. Click here to read a very interesting comparative analysis on weather conditions in Mnarja week during the past years.

Nadurin pack Church to hail statue  [17/06/03]

The people of Nadur enthusiastically hailed the statue of St Peter and St Paul on Tuesday, marking the first day of a whole week of celebrations in honour of Nadur's two patron saints. The titular statue was taken out of its niche following a special co-celebration led by Archpriest Saviour Muscat. A young Nadur girl, Jahel Muscat - winner of this year's Premju Qalb Generuza (generous heart award) - symbolically opened the celebrations. The Mnarja Band, then, started its official Mnarja services with a march from Agius de Soldanis Street to the Band Club. The novena starts on Wednesday. Click here for photos. 

New committee for Nadur Youngsters  [17/06/03]

Nadur Youngsters FC  held its Annual General Meeting on Monday. Joe Camilleri, Joe Portelli, Sammy Buttigieg, Rupert Grech, Paul Meilak, Charlie Grech, Damian Said and Robert Borg were elected to form the new committee for the season 2003/2004. President Joseph Portelli tendered his resignation. GFA President Joe Cordina and GFA Secretary Alvin Grech, who were both present for the Youngsters' AGM, congratulated the whites for a memorable season. The Youngsters' members unanimously thanked outgoing President Joseph Portelli and Club Manager Chris Said for their vital contribution during the past seasons. Club designations will be assigned during the first committee meeting in the coming days.

Canada Day celebrations in Gozo  [17/06/03]

Our friends at the Maltese Canadian Association (Gozo Branch) are urging all returned Canada-migrants to participate in the annual Canada Day celebrations in Gozo. A commemorative activity will take place on Tuesday, July 1st, in front of the Emigrants' Monument at Mgarr Harbour. A special evening will then be held at Palazzo Palina, Ta' Cenc Hotel, on the same day. Special Canadian songs will be sung by The Entertainers and by Canadian-born local singer Karen Polidano. Click here to book a table. 

Youngsters win first ever U/21 Championship  [15/06/03]

Nadur Youngsters won its first ever Under 21 Gozo Championship on Sunday. The Nadur squad was awarded the championship trophy after a 3-0 victory over Zebbug Rovers at the Gozo Stadium. Anthony Portelli and Kevin Buttigieg put the whites on the lead in the first half while Joseph Portelli Cauchi wrapped up the victory in the second half. Special congratulations to Nadur-striker Anthony Portelli who claimed this year's Under 21 GFA Player of the Year Award. It will surely be a season to remember for Nadur Youngsters FC, with almost all its nursery squads (Under 14, Under 16 and Under 21) winning the Gozo Championship.

First Holy Communion Day for 46 children  [15/06/03]

It was a very special Sunday for 46 children from Nadur, 25 boys and 21 girls, who received their First Holy Communion. The excited and happy children left the MUSEUM (boys) centre at around 0845 CET and walked to Nadur's Basilica, all wearing their white Holy Communion dress. The Mnarja Band performed a set of marches on the way, creating a festive atmosphere all over. The Sacrament was administered during the 0930 CET Mass. A group of children read special prayers during the Mass, while many Nadurin flocked the Church to share the children's happiness. Click here for photos.

Forty-six Nadur children receive Holy Confirmation  [14/06/03]

Forty-six children from Nadur, 24 boys and 22 girls, received their Holy Confirmation on Saturday. The sacrament gives the Holy Ghost to those already baptized in order to make them strong and perfect Christians. Gozo Bishop Nicholas Cauchi administered the sacrament. In his sermon, Bishop Cauchi reminded the 46 Form 1 students that they have now become mature Christians and should lead a responsible life. Meanwhile, more Nadur children will receive their First Holy Communion on Sunday. Radju Luminaria is streaming live all Church celebrations.

Youngsters' AGM on Monday [11/06/03]

Nadur Youngsters FC will be holding its Annual General Meeting next Monday at the Club premises. All Nadur Youngsters FC members are being urged to be at the Club at 2000 CET for this important meeting. Following a successful season, during which the Nadur squad claimed its seventh Gozo Championship, the Freedom Cup, the Noel Vassallo Cup and the Super Cup, the whites must now get ready to face another challenging season. Club committee members must be elected in the AGM to serve for season 2003/04.

Summer kick-off at Dahlet Qorrot [10/06/03]

Summer nights at Dahlet Qorrot kick off next Friday, June 13th, with a special pre-feast disco organised by the Ghaqda Zghazagh 29 ta' Gunju. DJ Jay Cee together with other local DJs will be there to get the beat going. It all starts at 2100 CET and entrance is obviously free! So, why stay home? Join the crowd at Dahlet Qorrot and dance under a full moon! All proceedings will go for this year's marc tal-hdax, which promises to be very special indeed.

Radju Luminaria live all day long on the internet [05/06/03]

Nadur's radio station, Radju Luminaria, is now being streamed live on the internet all day long with the new Mnarja schedule. From wherever you are in the world, you can join in the fun! The daily programs start at 0700 CET and wrap up twelve hours later. There's also some good music all night long. All Mnarja activities, including all Church-celebrations, the Mnarja Folk Evening, the Mnarja Band Concert, the children's activity and the Corkskrew Concert will be streamed live as well! Visit our special Mnarja feature to get to know what's on in Nadur.

Nadur Parish marks special anniversaries [03/06/03]

The Nadur Parish is marking the 100th anniversary of the death of Pope Leo XIII, who died on July 20th 1903, and also the 25th anniversary of the death of Pope Paul VI, which took place on August 6th 1978. The Nadur Church was granted the status of Collegiate by Pope Leo XIII and of Minor Basilica by Pope Paul VI. Two golden halos are being added to St Peter and St Paul’s titular statue to mark both these anniversaries. Pope John Paul II blessed the two halos last Wednesday at a special Papal audience in St Peter’s Square. The Nadur delegation was made up of Archpriest Saviour Muscat, Mgr Saviour Pace and Fr Dominic Camilleri. The Rome-visit was made possible thanks to Malta’s Ambassador to the Vatican City Dr Jimmy Farrugia, Mgr Alfred Xuereb and Naduri Mgr Joseph Attard. Click here to read all about it.

Marian manifestation at MUSEUM branch [02/06/03]

The annual Marian manifestation has recently been held at the MUSEUM (boys) branch. The manifestation started with a procession from the Church to the MUSEUM football ground. Both the MUSEUM (boys) and MUSEUM (girls) choirs sang Marian hymns. Ten-year-old Joseph Attard delivered this year’s Marian sermon, while Luke Xuereb praised the Mother of God with a special poem. A boy and a girl from each class, together with an adult and a parent, laid a bouquet of flowers in front of the statue of the Holy Mary. As has been the tradition, the boys who won this year's Nimxu Id f’Id quiz crowned the statue of the Holy Mary. Click here for photos.

Youngsters end great season on a low [01/06/03]

Nadur Youngsters wrapped up a great season on a low note on Sunday. The Youngsters lost the GFA Cup final for the second consecutive year. Ghajnsielem FC went on the lead on the 8th minute with Tarik Belhaj. Enjoying a numerical superiority after Edoardo do Nascimento (Bizu) was shown the red card, the blacks doubled the score with Dione Lautier on the 15th minute. Anthony Portelli bridged the gap early in the second half with a penalty shot. However, twenty minutes later, Aloysius Ihebulu re-increased the blacks' lead. Just before the final whistle, Anthony Portelli made the final score 3-2. Besides playing almost all the game in ten, the whites were also without three pivotal players, Immanuel Muscat, Chris Camilleri and Mark Buttigieg, who were all on the red-list.

This was Ghajnsielem FC's second honour won this season, following the Independence Cup last September. On the other hand, the Youngsters won the Gozo Championship, the Freedom Cup, the Noel Vassallo Cup and the Super Cup. It's now time for a well-deserved break for the Youngsters!

news editor: Pierre J. Mejlak