Pope Francis presents gifts to Il-Ħaġar Museum and St George’s Basilica
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Earlier this month the Laudate Pueri Choir of St George’s Basilica, Gozo, sang together with the Pontifical Choir of the Sistine Chapel, on of the Epiphany of the Lord, at a High Mass presided over by Pope Francis at St Peter’s Basilica
During their stay in Rome the Choir and the accompanying entourage had a private audience with the Holy Father, at the courtyard of his residence, Casa Santa Marta, inside the Vatican walls.
Archpriest Emeritus Mgr Joseph Farrugia, founder of the Choir, accompanied by its musical director Can. George J. Frendo, Bishop Mgr Mario Grech and Archpriest Mgr Pawlu Cardona, presented His Holiness with a wonderful painting by Celia Borg-Cardona, themed San Giorgio, Vittoria della Pace.
The Pope greeted each and every Gozitan personally, while the Choir spontaneously burst into the Maltese hymn ‘Nadurawk, ja Hobz tas-Sema’ (which the Pope recognised as a melody he knew from his First Communion celebration in Buenos Aires), Fil-Hlewwa ta’ Mejju and the Magnificat.
After blessing the Choir, the Pope, accompanied by his personal secretary Mgr Alfred Xuereb, asked Mgr Cardona and Mgr Farrugia to join him inside his residence, where he presented them with two precious gifts to be kept at St George’s Basilica and at its Museum Il-Hagar – Heart of Gozo.
(as reported on www.gozonews.com)