Bishop Mario Grech received the insignia as Dean and First Dignitary of St George's Basilica Collegiate Chapter from archpriest Mgr Joseph Farrugia in a ceremony on February 4.

The large congregation, led by the President Edward Fenech Adami and Mgr Grech's family, burst into applause as the newly invested dean embraced the archpriest and acknowledged the joyous endorsement of the historic moment. The Laudate Pueri choir also participated.

Welcome speeches were delivered by representatives of the community, after which the canons who were seated on both sides of the sanctuary, rose and proceeded to the choir stalls behind the main altar, as Bishop Grech walked towards his special stall.

The text of hymn and psalms in a beautifully produced publication that included all the liturgical celebrations of the three days of the bishop's pastoral visitation, helped the congregation to follow the ceremony better.

The Schola Cantorum Gregoriana led the prayerful singing, with Fr George J. Frendo, assistant maestro di cappella, at the organ, and Fr Joseph Mercieca leading.

Following the liturgy, the choir sang a solemn antiphon in honour of St George while the clergy left their stalls and returned to the sanctuary, surrounded the main altar and venerated the relic of St George in its golden reliquary.

The bishop sprinkled incense onto the flaming coal of the silver thurible and the holy relic.

After the choir sang the Beatus Georgius, the altar servers, seminarians, clergy and canons descended the sanctuary steps towards the sacristy, to change into sacred vestments.

Bishop Grech is the second dean of St George's Basilica, after Bishop Nikol Cauchi.