The Maltese Franciscans celebrated the feast of the Porziuncola Indulgence in the church of Saint Mary of the Angels, Bahar ic-Caghaq, on 1 August in the evening. The celebration included a Eucharistic adoration with the singing of Evening Prayer, presided by the Minister Provincial, Fr. Paul Galea. The friars then proceeded to Porziuncola Retreat House, where they were entertained to a cold buffet by the Guardian of the house Fr. Julian Sammut.

The Porziuncola feast commemorates the chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels outside Assisi, where Saint Francis discovered his calling to live the way of life of the Gospel on 24 February 1208. The word Porziuncola in Italian means “little portion”. At the same place Clare of Assisi joined the Franciscan movement in 18-19 March 1211. The first Franciscans used to gather for their annual meetings, or Chapters at the Porziuncola, from which they would spread to various places in their evangelizing mission. Francis himself died at the Porziuncola on 3 October 1226. According to a very old tradition, in July 1216 he had a mystical experience in which Jesus and the Virgin Mary invited him to go to Pope Innocent III to ask for a special pardon, or Indulgence, for all those who visited the chapel on the day of its consecration, on 2 August. This practice has been spread in all Franciscan churches by the Popes.