A contingent of 120 people which included the St. Lawrence Band has just toured Rome as part of a devotional tour of places related with St. Lawrence. This tour included visits to the City of Amaseno, the Basilica of San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura and the Vatican. On Monday 24th April a visit was made to the City of Amaseno, which is so well known to the Lawrenceians around the world, because it contains the relic of the blood of Saint Lawrence. Upon arrival in Amaseno the group was welcomed by the Mayor and the Civil and ecclesiastical Authorities, as well as by the local band. Here, the Vittoriosa Saint Lawrence Band joined the Amaseno Band and together they played marches in the local square where they later arrived at the Church where the Blood of Saint Lawrence is venerated. A short program was organised and during this event everyone had the opportunity to see this relic that was taken out of a niche specifically for this occasion. The two respective Mayors made a small speech and announced that they will start the process to sign a twinning between the two cities.

On Tuesday 25th of April on the occasion of St. Lawrence International Day the St. Lawrence Band performed a Musical Concert under the direction of Mro. Jonathan Abela in the square in front of the Basilica of San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura where it welcomed several representatives of Lawrenceian Communities from around the world. Afterwards, the official entry of the Vittoriosa community into the Basilica was made, including the band, which played the Popular Hymn to St. Lawrence composed by Lorenzo Galea on the tomb of St. Lawrence. Afterwards a Solemn Pontifical Mass began. In the afternoon the Band played lively marches in the Chiesa Rettoria San Lorenzo in Panisperna, the exact place where Saint Lawrence was martyred. But it is certain that the day that will remain engraved with golden letters in the history of the Saint Laurence Band Vittoriosa is that of Wednesday 26th April. The Saint Lawrence Band welcomed His Holiness Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square for the General Audience with the Anthem March ‘Centinary’ composed by the former director of the band Band Mro. Paul Schembri. Meanwhile the band performed several hymns and marches including the March Hymn to Saint Lawrence by Giuseppe Frendo and the Popular Hymn. At the end of the audience the Committee of the Saint Lawrence Musical Society together with the band, the Archpriest Canon Carmelo Busuttil and the Mayor Mr. John Boxall and members of the organizing Committee met with the Head of the Catholic Church where they took a commemorative photo. The Archpriest presented the sum of six thousand euros to Pope Francis, so that a medical instrument for eye testing will be purchased and will be used in the “Madre della Misericordia” clinic which is a clinic founded by Pope Francis where his doctors take care of the poor. The Archpriest also paid a courtesy visit to the clinic where he was welcomed by the Prefect of the Dicastery of the Pope’s Charities, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski as well as by the CEO of the same clinic Dr. Massimo Ralli. All this was possible with the help of the Ambassador for the Holy See, Mr. Frank Zammit. Between 11.30am and 12:30pm there was a march by the St. Lawrence Band in Piazza San Pietro which ended in Via della Conciliazione.

This was the sixth tour of St. Lawrence Band Vittoriosa abroad and it will surely continue to be mentioned among the best of all time.