We are honoured to have participated in the solemn Black Procession at the St Lawrence Parish Church in Birgu, where our Order led by our Lieutenant joined the faithful in Vespers, Mass, and Procession with the Insignia Relics of the Passion of the Christ. The solemn and moving procession paid tribute to the Lord’s sacrifice and ultimate triumph.
This old tradition has a rich history dating back to the 19th century. The procession is known in Maltese as the Purċissjoni s-Sewda and used to involve the participation of several people, men and women, all dressed in black, who were either penitents or else doing a penitence, sometimes by enduring severe sacrifices during the procession. Even the participating confraternity members used to dress in black.
