This is how the Naxxar Parish Church has been decked for Holy Week. Notice the various statues lined up between the arches along the naïve. My timing for going there last week was perfect: morning services were all over and I had the church completely to myself until the time of my departure when a coachload of tourists came round as part of an excursion. I assume that between 10.00pm after the Good Friday procession and Saturday 8.00pm helpers would remove all the black drapery and replace it with red damask for the night vigil before the celebration of Christ’s resurrection at around mid-night. I will not be there to check this out.
I have recently learned that even the statues aren’t brought out haphazardly. They are brought out and exhibited in their place in church one statue each week of lent – if there are more statues than 6 (the number of weeks of lent except Holy week) than more than one are brought out. They are also brought out in the same sequence they will follow during the procession.
Many thanks for looking and for your wonderful comments on my picture of yesterday. They are so encouraging and very much appreciated.
lovely pov and light, nicely captured - it's an amazing sight and not everything is veiled as happens in some churches. Usually all the clearing up is on the Saturday -we have a musical devotion on the Good Friday night and last year we had prayers around the cross late on the Good Friday night - http://365project.org/shanne/365/2011-04-22 - although I don't think that's happening this year. The shot before that shows the stripping of the altar on Maundy Thursday, tonight, and the shot after shows the church after the madness of Holy Saturday when everything si put in place for Easter Sunday.
Artistically speaking this is a beautiful church and so much symbolism in its decorations. Sounds like you had the perfect window of time to photograph it. There is so much detail even in the way the statues are presented. I find that very moving for some reason! Beautiful shot.
happy easter to you and your family x