In this third article in this series we are going to have a look at the Fraternity of the Crucifix and of the altar of Our Lady of Sorrows which belongs to this Fraternity. This Fraternity is also in charge of the Oratory of the Crucifix which is annexed to the parish church, but which will be treated separately later on.

     The Fraternity of the Crucifix was set up in Senglea in 1715. At that time the Parish priest was Dun Mikiel Testaferrata. This Fraternity was set up in the same chapel where there already existed the Fraternity of Our Lady of Charity. This Fraternity had been set up for about one hundred years but its members were dwindling and it was no longer very active. So the Fraternity of the Crucifix took over all the duties and obligations pertaining to the older Fraternity. The main important duty was to organise the funeral and burial of the poor in the Fraternity’s own graves and free of charge. It was also bound to spread the devotion towards the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Fraternity set up another goal, that of helping the poor financially from its own resources and from collections it used to organise for this just cause.

       In 1773 the Fraternity of the Crucifix was made a member of the Arch Fraternity of the Crucifix which is based in the church of St Marcel in Rome.

      The Fraternity was doing such a good job in helping those in need that in 1814 it was entrusted with the administration of the Hospice of St Anne.

      This is a large house on the Senglea marina which was bequeathed by Senglea benefactors Nicola Dingli and his wife Madalena Cornelio so that old and poor women, who had nobody to take care of them, could find refuge there. Since then the Fraternity continued to run this house. Some twenty years ago this old house was pulled down and a new modern building erected instead. This new building can take a larger input of people than before and in greater comfort. The Fraternity was the main source which financed this very useful project. Without doubt it is the largest social entity in Senglea.

     In order to increase the devotion towards the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ, from its early days of existence, the Fraternity took under its wings the organization of the procession of Good Friday. At the same time it also organised the solemn feast of the Holy Cross which is the main feast of the Fraternity. On top of all this the Fraternity’s main job is the caring of the miraculous statue of Jesus Christ the Redeemer which is held with much devotion in the Basilica and has its niche in the Oratory of the Crucifix. The members of this Fraternity have always been very numerous and also took their duties seriously. They followed with great care and diligence the devotion they had to carry out according to their statute especially during the weeks of Lent. The Fraternity always attracted the best citizens of Senglea and sometimes even those from outside our city, the most famous among its members was Emmanuel Pinto who for nine years between 1763 and 1772 was a member of the Fraternity and later on he even became its Rector. Emmanuel Pinto eventually became a Grand Master.

     Without any doubt this Fraternity always had the most number of members and was always the most active among the other Fraternities in Senglea.

Decorations and altar ornaments

     As we mentioned above, the Fraternity has in its care the altar of Our Lady of Sorrows which is found in the transept on the left hand side of the church. The large altar titular painting was painted by Corrado Giaquinto in 1725. It shows the time when the death body of Jesus Christ was removed from the Crucifix and put in the laps of his Mother. There are also St John the Evangelist and Mary Magdalena who are tying to console Mary on the loss of her Son Jesus. Underneath this picture there is an artistic wooden crucifix which was given to the Fraternity by Mons Pietru Cavendish in 1957. Previously the crucifix was on top of an altar in a chapel which was situated at Corradino’s seafront and which was dedicated to St Francis from Paola.

     The altar is made of fine marble and it was made in 1957 as part of the rebuilding of the church which was destroyed in World War II. The altar’s perspective was decorated and gilded in 1982 when the decoration of the whole church was carried out.

     The silver candlesticks on top of the altar were made by Francesco Cassar in 1960. They are modelled on the old candlesticks which were used on the main altar and which were made by Marianu Gerada. In between the candlesticks there are silver gilded statuettes made by Wistin Camilleri and which represent St John the Evangelist, Mary Magdalene, Mary of Cleophas and Mary Salome who were present on the Golgotha together with Our Lady. The silver altar front was made at the end of the 19^th century.

 It was designed by the Senglean Mikiel Degiovanni and was assembled overseas.

          The hanging oil lamp was made by the silversmith Francesco Asenza in 1747. The altar cards were made by the silversmith Aloisio Fenech in 1758 and were donated by Guglielmo Castaldi. There is also a silver missal which was made in the beginning of the 20^th century and a pair of small candlesticks on the altar which were made in 1850 by Saverio Cannataci. The top altar cloth made of velvet embroidered in gold on a design by the well known designer Attilio Palombi. It was made in France and up to 1920 was used on the main altar of the church until this altar was changed when the Collegiate became a Basilica and the altar’s layout had to be changed.During the procession the Fraternity followed its standard made of violet silk and in the middle has a cross embroidered in it. As a sing that this Fraternity practised poverty the standard pole, the cross and lanterns carried during the processions were not made of silver but of walnut. This Fraternity also preached humility and so during the processions it walked in the front of the other Fraternities and ceded the precedence she had over the other Fraternities.

          The procession with the Holy Cross used to be held on the 3^rd May but has not been held since 1978. During this procession the Holy Reliquary of the Vero Lignum (true wood), which contains a little bit of the Cross of Jesus, was carried in procession and as a special sign of devotion this Reliquary was carried beneath a canopy.  This canopy is made of red silk embroidered in golden threads and it was made in 1856. During these last years the Reliquary has been carried out under this canopy during the procession with the miraculous statue of Jesus Christ the Redeemer on the third Sunday after Pentecost.

         The Fraternity remained the most active Fraternity in Senlgea and up to this very day many of its members take part in the processions held on Good Friday and of that of Jesus Christ the Redeemer.