The Senglea Good Friday procession

Abstract

One of the 19 Good Friday Passion processions is held at Senglea. The date of origin of this procession is still unknown but it certainly goes back as far as the year 1714, by which time five such processions were being held on the Island, two of which within walking distance from Senglea, namely at Vittoriosa and Cospicua. The procession came into being through the efforts of parish confraternities which were instrumental in creating devotion towards the Passion of Our Lord. The confraternity of Our Lady of Charity had a chapel built inside the Senglea Parish Church sometime before 1616. It was affiliated to the Roman Archean fraternity and its members carried out various works of charity. The Agony Sodality was established in 1640 with aims similar to those of the Charity Confraternity, so much so that at a later date the two Confraternities were merged into one. Many of the activities of this Confraternity, which at one time was facing serious problems, were taken over by the Holy Crucifix Confraternity set up in 1715 and by 1725 these two Confraternities were also amalgamated into one. [excerpt]