‘I’ll Be Carrying The Statue Next Year’: With Festas Cancelled, Malta’s Religious Are Keeping The Faith Strong
The news that Malta’s iconic festas were postponed for the year didn’t come as a shock to anyone on the island – everything from schools to international events have been impacted by the global COVID-19 outbreak.
However, the thousands of Maltese men and women who are fanatical about their town’s feasts couldn’t help but feel sad that the day they were so looking forward to will not be arriving in 2020.
Paul Mifsud is just one of many festa enthusiasts from Mosta who has been working on this year’s calendar of events since last year.
While he and his fellow volunteers felt anger and sadness over the cancellation, they understood it needed to happen for everyone’s safety – but it wasn’t going to change how they felt.
Indeed, with one of the most iconic moments of Maltese festas – locals carrying the massive statues on their shoulders during the processions – being postponed till next year, Paul couldn’t help but make reference to it when asked how he and his fellow enthusiasts received the news.
“The first thing I said when I heard the news is that next year it’s my turn to carry the statue!” Paul told Lovin Malta.
Paul and his fellow enthusiasts said they were prepared for the festa to be “reduced” at the very least.
Paul Mifsud, second from left
However, if you think the Mosta team – as well as various other localities – were resting on their laurels, you’d be mistaken.
“The work we had planned to do will continue, that’s what we all agreed – but a lot of the new ideas we wanted to pursue this year, we’ve decided to stop for now due to the situation as well as finances… sponsors are harder to get now.”
“And funds that we had earmarked for the festa were needed to cater for the poor and for those in need.”
Enthusiasts setting up the monuments ahead of Holy Week
With the money meant to organise the public festas being used for more urgent needs, certain new ideas, which would have been a pleasant surprise for Mosta’s residents this year, have had to be put on hold until 2021.
But Mosta enthusiasts have still been working to set up monuments and statues ahead of the Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter Sunday as it may be streamed online this season.
However, anyone hoping to continue setting up the monuments had to take precautions as well.
A lot of work still needs to be done.
“We still set up the monuments – but where we used to be 70 or 80 people, this year we were less than 15, and split into two groups to be safer,” Paul said.
“We all signed a paper as well, so we know who was here in case something happens and one of us gets sick,” he explained.
While enthusiasts hope for a pilgrimage to be allowed in the coming months, Paul and his fellow faithful remain strong in their dedication to Catholic festas and look forward to when they can emerge carrying their religious icons once again.
“We don’t know how long this will take, and I hope it won’t take long so at very at least we can undertake the pilgrimage… so many enthusiasts have been working throughout the year, and many are going to continue doing their part,” he ended.
What do you think of their continued dedication?
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