Festi Esterni

KUMITAT FESTI ESTERNI CORPUS DOMINI U SAN PAWL


Formazzjoni tal-Kumitat

Sal-1963, il-festi taghna ta’ Corpus Domini u tal-Martirju ta’ l-Appostlu Missierna San Pawl kienu jigu organizzati minn kumitat imsejjah ‘Comitato Festa Corpus Domini – Rabato’. Dan il-Kumitat kien jiehu hsieb kemm il-festi ta’ gewwa kif ukoll dawk ta’ barra. Fis-Seduta ta’ dan il-Kumitat li nzammet fil-Kazin San Pawl taht il-Presidenza ta’ l-Arcipriet ta’ dak iz-zmien, illum Mons. Pawlu Attard, nhar il-Hadd 29 ta’ Settembru 1963, saret proposta biex jinhatar kumitat gdid bil-hsieb li jibda jorganizza l-festi esterni ta’ Corpus Domini kuf ukoll tal-Martirju ta’ l-Appostlu Missierna San Pawl. Din il-proposta giet approvata unanimament, u hekk twieled il-Kumitat Festi Esterni Corpus Domini u San Pawl.

Sa mill-bidu ta’ l-ezistenza tieghu, dan il-Kumitat wera li barra l-ghan ewlieni tieghu, jigifieri li jiehu hsieb jorganizza il-festi esterni taghna, kellu wkoll skop iehor, dak li jservi ta’ holqa principali fil-katina li tghaqqad dak kollhu li hu Rabti w Pawlin. Minn dak inhar, il-Kumitati li gew wara habirku bil-hegga kollha biex ikabbru dejjem izjed il-festi taghna, kif ukoll ma naqsux li joffru l-ghajnuna taghhom f’kull attivita organizzata fil-Parrocca taghna.

Hidma Annwali tal-Kumitat


Biex torganizza zewg festi, bhal ma jsir fil-Kolleggjata u Proto-Parrocca taghna, it-tnejn fuq livell ta’ prima-festa zgur li trid tibni bazi finanzjarja soda u lesta ghal kull ma jista jinqalgha. Ghalhekk il-Kumitat minn dejjem ipprova jigbor bizzejjed flus minn attivitajiet varji li prattikamenti isiru kull gimgha. Barra minn dan isir gbir iehor bieb bieb kemm matul is-sena kif ukoll fi zmien il-festi. Hawnhekk wiehed irid isemmi il kollaborazzjoni li dan il-kumitat isib minn hafna benefatturi li joffru ghotjiet tant mehtiega.

Hadd ma jimmagina festa bla armar. Matul is-snin missirijietna dawwruna b’armar artistiku u sabih. Dan bla dubju jehtieg manutenzjoni kontiniwa. It-temp tar-rebbiegha u s-sajf, iz-zmien li fih niccelebraw il-festi taghna joffri temp ta’ nida, xemx tahraq u wkoll xi raxxa xita u b’hekk jaghmel hafna hsara fl-armar. Barra dan minn zmien ghal zmien xi armar li jkun ilu ma jintrama jigi restawrat u giew wkoll isir xi armar gdid ghal xi toroq li jinhassu xi ftit neqsin mid-dekorazzjoni.

Biex imbaghad tarma dan kollu trid ikollok hafna nies. Dawn qatt ma jonqsu. Ix-xoghol isir kollu bil-qalb anke dak li joffri xi ftit tal-periklu bhal l-armar tal-koppla, l-faccata tal-Kolleggjata, il-kampnar u l-ark trijonfali li jintrama fi Triq San Pawl. L-armar jibda xi gimgha wara l-Ghid minn dak tad-dawl u jispicca lejliet il-festi bl-armar tal-pavaljuni u bandalori.

Fattur iehor importanti mill-festi huwa n-nar li johloq u jsebbah l-atmosfera esterna tal-festa. Il-Kumitat Festi Esterni Corpus Domini u San Pawl minn dejjem kellu taht it-tregija tieghu numru ta’ nies li f’idejhom halla l-manifattura flimkien mal-gbir ta’ fondi, l-ordnijiet u t-tqassim, kif ukoll il-hruq tan-nar fil-festi. Dawn in-nies li m’humiex ftit, b’attenzjoni mill-akbar jippruvaw dejjem joffru xoghol ta’ livell gholi. Sabiex ix-xoghol tan-nar isir f’post li joffri mill-anqas periklu lil min ikun qed jahdmu, il-Kumitat haseb ukoll sabiex tinbena l-Kamra tan-Nar ‘SAN PAWL’ fil-limiti tar-Rabat. Ta’ min jghid li x-xoghol fil-bini ta’ din il-Fabbrika tan-Nar sar kollu mill-membri bl-ghajnuna generuza ta’ numru kbir ta’ benefaturi li bejniethom offrew makkinarju, gebel u materjal iehor u fuq kollox il-finanzi mehtiega.

Il-Kumitat ghandu wkoll ir-responsabbilta tat-tregija tal-festi ta’ barra. Dawn jinkludu insurance fuq in-nar, permessi tal-pulizija u s-supervizjoni waqt il-marcijiet etc biex jigi assigurat li kollox jimxi sewwa.

Il-ktieb ‘Il-Festi Taghna’


L-organu ewlieni tal-Kumitat Festi Esterni huwa l-ktieb ‘Il-Festi Taghna’. Dan il-ktieb jigbor fih artikli storici u kulturali li jittrattaw il-Kolleggjata, il-festi u wkoll il-Kazin San Pawl Banda Konti Ruggieru. Fih ikun hemm ukoll il-programm tal-Festi u kitbiet fuq l-attivitajiet u avvenimenti li jkunu saru fil-festa tas-sena ta’ qabel. Biex ikun jista’ jigi stampat dan il-ktieb, numru kbir ta’ hwienet fir-Rabat, kif ukoll postijiet ohra jghinu billi joffru r-reklami. Ta min jghid li ghalkemm din is-sena hija d-disa w ghoxrin harga ta’ dan il-ktieb, il-Kumitat sa minn dejjem kien jistampa il-programm f’forma ta’ ktejjeb jew fuljett.

Kull ma nsibu llum beda minn dik il-laqgha mportanti li saret nhar il-Hadd 29 ta’ Settembru 1963. Illum ghandna kumitat habrieki w maqghud li jigbor fih kbar u zghazagh b’ideat differenti, izda b’ghan wiehed li b’sagrificcju madankollu b’sodisfazzjon jiccelebraw kif jixraq il-festi tal-Ewkaristija u tal-Martirju ta’ l-Appostlu tal-Gnus u Patrun ta’ Malta.


LINKS
 

  • L-Armar mal-Faccata tal-Kolleggjata tar-Rabat
  • L-Armar tal-Festa fi Triq il-Kbira
  • Triq Konti Ruggieru – Stil Uniku t’Armar
  • L-Armar ta’ Triq il-Vittorja
  • L-Armar tad-Dawl
  • In-Nar fil-Festi Taghna
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    Committee for the External Feasts of Corpus Domini

    The Committee’s Formation

    Since 1963, the committee of Comitato Festa Corpus Domini – Rabato organized our feasts of Corpus Domini and the Martyrdom of the Apostle St. Paul in Rabat. This committee used to organize both the internal and external celebrations. On a Sunday 29th September 1963 meeting presided by the then-Archparish Priest Mons. Pawlu Attard, the proposal to form a new committee responsible for the external celebrations only of both feasts was accepted unanimously, so that the Committee for the External Feasts of Corpus Domini and St. Paul was formed.

    Apart from realizing the objectives for which it was formed, the Committee has strived to promote Rabat and the Pauline heritage as a single package since the beginning. The following Committees worked hard and enthusiastically to increase the popularity of our feasts and they offered their help in every activity organized in our Parish.

    Yearly Contribution of the Committee


    A solid financial basis is essential to organize both titular feasts of our Collegiate and Protoparish. The Committee always tried to collect enough money from various activities taking place almost every week. Apart from this door-to-door fund raising activities are organized during the year and feast weeks. The Committee is very grateful towards the many benefactors.

    Maltese feasts are embellished with street decorations. Our fathers produced artistic and beautiful street decoration which needs constant maintenance. Our feasts are organized either during the Spring or Summer weeks which are synonymous with dew, scorching sun and some rainy days. These are not the optimal weather conditions for the exposition of our street decoration. Some decorations would not be exposed for a long time until restoration is completed. Every now and then new decorations would be designed and completed to decorate some barren looking streets.

    This exercise requires quite an amount of people which are never lacking. This voluntary work can be dangerous such as when the dome, the façade and the belfry of the church need to be decorated, and the triumphal ark mounted in St. Paul’s Street. The decoration process starts some time after Easter with the installation of electric cables, and ends a couple of days before celebrations commence when pavaljuni and bandalori are hung.

    Fireworks create that atmosphere which render Maltese feasts so unique. The Committee for the External Feasts of Corpus Domini and St. Paul endorses a group of people responsible for the fund raising and manufacturing of fireworks. A substantial number of people continuously work hard to provide the best fireworks’ show. The Committee strived to obtain the necessary permits to build St. Paul’s Fireworks Factory located in the outskirts of Rabat to provide the maximum level of safety. Many benefactors helped out to raise the funds necessary for the construction of this factory and, to purchase and install the apparatus.

    The Committee is also responsible for the issuing of permits by the local authorities and the supervision during the festivities. These include the fireworks’ insurance, police permits and band marches’ supervision so that everything runs smoothly.

     


    The Feast Guide: “Il-Festi Taghna”

    The official feast guide of the Committee is the yearly publication of “Il-Festi Taghna” which includes historical and cultural articles on the Collegiate, celebrations and the band club. It includes also the feasts’ programmes and other information related with the activities and events held during the feasts of the previous year. The publication of “Il-Festi Taghna” reached the twenty-ninth issue where numerous Rabat shopping outlets contribute financially.

    So everything began on that important meeting on Sunday 29th September 1963. Today we have a hard-working, united and varied committee including the participation of youths. The objectives remain the same notwithstanding the sacrifices which must be made in order to celebrate the feasts of the Eucharist and the Martyr of the Apostle and Patron Saint of Malta.

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