Il-Vari Tal-Gimgha L-Kbira F'Malta

Il-Purċissjoni tal-Ġimgħa l-Kbira f'Raħal Ġdid hija l-aktar waħda riċenti fil-gzejjer Maltin u bdiet tiġi organizzata fl-1971. Iżda tajjeb niċċaraw li fl-1945, din il-Parroċċa għamlet il-vara tar-Redentur u sentejn wara dik tad-Duluri u minn dan iż-żmien sal-1970 dejjem ħarget purċissjoni b'dawn iż-żewġ vari biss.

Fl-1971 twettqet xi ħaga li ma nafux li qatt ġrat xi mkien ieħor. Fi spazju ta' xahar, ċertu Patri Amando Ballucci, bil-permess tal-kappillan ħa l-inizjattiva li joħloq sett vari temporanji minn bċejjec ta' statwi u kurċifissi skartati jew imkissra li sab jiġru 'l hemm u 'l hawn. Bil-għajnuna ta' Biagio Galea, irnexxielu ilesti l-Marbut, l-Ecce Homo, il-Veronika, il-Vara l-Kbira u Kristu mejjet. Bil-għajnuna ta' numru ta' voluntiera tlesta wkoll l-armar kollu meħtieġ biex tiġi organizzata l-purċissjoni. Is-Sur Carmelo Buġeja daħal għax-xogħol tal-injam u ħadem il-bradelli, il-bankuni, il-lasti u l-lasti furċini filwaqt li s-Sur Joe Deguara ħadem ix-xogħol tal-ħadid u tal-landa bħall-brazzi u l-fanali. Wara dan ix-xogħol kollu kellu jiġri li waqt il-purċissjoni, infetħu bibien is-sema u fi ftit ħin, ir-reffiegħa kellhom jiġru lura lejn il-knisja b'dawn il-vari bilkemm imżanżna.

Wara din l-esperjenza, il-Parroċċa daret fuq l-istatwarju Antonio Farrugia (li kien diġa' ħadem l-istatwa tar-Redentur 28 sena qabel) biex jibda jaħdem sett ġdid ta' vari. Dan tlesta sal-1975. Peress li l-knisja ta' dan il-lokal hija kbira, Farrugia ħaseb biex l-istatwi jkunu akbar min-normal. Il-Veronika kienet vara bi tliet figuri għax kienet tinkludi mara Lhudija b'tifel magħha.

Mill-1987 sal-lum, Raħal Ġdid tista tgħid bidel il-vari kollha ħlief ir-Redentur u parti mid-Duluri ma vari ġodda, xogħol l-aħwa Alfred u Michael Camilleri Cauchi.

Din il-vara ġdida fjamanta hija xogħol l-istatwarju Għawdxi  Michael Camilleri Cauchi  u żżanżnet għall-purċissjoni tas-sena 2009. Naraw fiha lil Kristu f'mument ta' niket kbir u jinsab imfarraġ minn anġlu li jidher maqtugħ mill-art qed jittajjar. Sas-sena li għaddiet, il-vara tal-Ort li kienet takkumpanja l-purċissjoni kienet miss-sett li Antonio Farrugia kien hadem għal din il-lokalita bejn l-1972 u l-1973.

 This is one of the latest additions to the Paola set and first joined the procession in 2009.  It is the work of Michael Camilleri Cauchi, which shows Jesus in a state of great sadness, comforted by an angel which almost appears to be floating behind him.  This statue replaced the one that made part of  the set commissioned to Antonio Farrugia between 1972 and 1973.

Vara oħra ġdida ta' Michael Camilleri Cauchi  li akkumpanjat il-purċissjoni għall-ewwel darba fl-2007. Hija vara fejn tispikka d-drammatiċita' fil-mument li Kristu qed jgħid lil Ġuda li kellu jittradih b'bewsa. Ġuda jidher mifxul waqt li Kristu minkejja kollox għandu espressjoni ta' ħniena f'wiċċu. Il-vara ta' qabel din kienet miss-sett ta' Antonio Farrugia.

This is again another statue that replaced Antonio Farrugia's work for this parish.  It is the work of Michael Camilleri Cauchi and was completed in 2007.   Camilleri Cauchi managed to portray the moment before Judas is about to kiss Jesus to betray him, in dramatic fashion. While Judas is seen confused,  Jesus has a merciful expression on his face.

This statue was added to the Paola set in 2005 substituting a former work by Antonio Farrugia. The artist Alfred Camilleri Cauchi, in this unique statuary group presents Jesus with both his hands tied to a column, well above his head, while he is being  brutally whipped by the flogger at the back.

Vara oħra riċenti ta'  Michael Camilleri Cauchi  li tlestiet fl-2007. L-istatwarju qed jurina b'mod drammatiku l-mument proprju meta Pilatu ippreżenta lil Kristu msawwat u mżeblaħ lill-folla - Ecce Homo (Ara r-Raġel). Il-vara ta' qabel, xogħol Antonio Farrugia kienet ukoll tinkludi l-figura ta' Pilatu u bħall-vari l-oħra kienet saret fl-1973.

This is another of the recent additions to the Paola set  of statues  It  is the work of Michael Camilleri Cauchi which he delivered in 2007.  The artist depicts the moment when Pontius Pilate presents a beaten and ridiculed Jesus to the crowd of gathered Jews – ‘Ecce Homo’ (Behold the Man).  The former work of Antonio Farrugia, which this statue replaced , also featured the figure of Pontius Pilate.

Ir-Redentur hija l-ewwel vara li Antonio Farrugia kien ħadem għal dan il-lokal fl-1945, u dik is-sena kienet l-ewwel darba li saret il-purċissjoni tar-Redentur f'din il-Parroċċa. Kien biss tmienja u għoxrin sena  wara li l-istess statwarju ġie mqabbad biex ikompli jaħdem is-sett kollu tal-Passjoni. Illum, dan huwa l-uniku xogħol ta' dan l-istatwarju li għadna naraw fil-purċissjoni ta' Raħal Ġdid

This statue  is the only remaining effort by Antonio Farrugia which is still included in the Paola Procession.  It is in fact,  Farrugia’s first work for this parish and featured in the earliest procession of the Redeemer in 1945.

L-uniċi żewġ vari tar-raba' stazzjon f'Malta nsibuhom hawnhekk u Hal Qormi (għalkemm hemm oħra x-Xagħra, Għawdex) u huma t-tnejn xogħol l-istatwarju Alfred Camilleri Cauchi . Din ta' Raħal Ġdid hija vara verament sabiħa u drammatika. Jispikka l-isforz qawwi ta' Kristu waqt il-mument li qed ifittex il-faraġ t'ommu Marija. Naraw ukoll żvilupp fis-salib li sar f'għamla ta' zokk ta' siġra. Tajjeb li ngħidu li qabel din il-vara, dan il-lokal diġa' kellu oħra tar-raba' stazzjon li kien ħadimha Antonio Farrugia fl-1975.

Representations of the Fourth Station of the Cross are only found here and in Qormi  in Malta (while another can be found in Xaghra Gozo), both of which are the art of  Alfred Camilleri Cauchi.  This one found in Paola, is perhaps his best effort.   The drama captured through the figures of Jesus, as he reaches out with his hand seeking the comfort of His Mother,  is quite striking.  Again this statue substituted another of Antonio Farrugia’s works.                                      

The statue of Saint Veronica was also commissioned  to artist Michael Camilleri  Cauchi which he completed in 2005.  Unlike other presentations of this episode, this statue  is composed of three figures.  Veronica is seen  in the middle beholding her white veil bearing the effigy of Jesus face, while a Jewish woman and a youth are on either side, bewildered by what they have  just witnessed. Suffice to say that a similar statue by Antonio Farrugia preceded the one seen here.

This is yet another of Michael Camilleri Cauchi’s contributions which he completed in 2002.  One must remark about the size of this statue, as the tip of the crucifix reaches a height of about six and a half metres, when the statue is  carried along the streets of Paola.  Before 2002 the crucifixion group was the work of Antonio Farrugia.

F'Raħal Ġdid, din il-Vara li turi d-difna ta' Sidna Ġesu' Kristu tieħu post il-Monument tradizzjonali li nsibu f'imkinijiet oħra. Hija vara drammatika li bħalha nsibu biss fil-katidral t'Għawdex u fiha naraw il-figuri ta' Nikodemu, Ġużeppi ta' Arimatea u San Ġwann iqandlu l-ġisem mejjet ta' Kristu għal fuq is-sodda tal-blat fil-qabar. Din l-opra saret fl-1990 mill-istatwarju kontemporanju  Alfred Camilleri Cauchi .

This statue represents Nikodemus, Joseph of Arimathea and Saint John , as they carefully place  the body of Jesus in the tomb.  This episode is only present here in Paola and at the Gozo Cathedral . It is the fine work of contemporary artist Alfred Camilleri Cauchi from 1990.

Id-Duluri kienet it-tieni vara li saret għall-Parrocca ta' Raħal Ġdid wara r-Redentur li tkellimna fuqu aktar il-fuq. Inħaddmet mill-istatwarju Wistin Camilleri u tlestiet fl-1947. Oriġinarjament, il-Madonna kienet akkumpanjata minn anġlu ċkejken iżda dan inbidel mal-figura ta' San Ġwann sena wara. Ir-ritratt li jidher hawn fuq huwa tal-vara wara r-restawr li sar fuqha fl-2009 minn Alfred Camilleri Cauchi  li ħadem ukoll l-istatwa l-ġdida ta' San Ġwann. Ġiet imżanżna fil-purċissjoni tad-Duluri nhar il-Ġimgħa 3 ta' April 2009.

The statue of Our Lady of Sorrows is in fact the second oldest in the Paola set.   Originally, the work of Wistin Camilleri from 1947, featured the Holy Mary together with a small angel which was quickly replaced with a figure of Saint John just a year later.  What we see in this photo is the result of the restoration performed by Alfred Camilleri Cauchi in 2009, who also sculpted a new figure of Saint John in time for the 2009  Lent processions.