1948 Tragedy Commemoration

A commemorative Mass, celebrated aboard a Gozo Channel ferry, honours the victims of the tragic maritime disaster of 30 October 1948. Paying tribute to the hardships endured by Gozitans in their struggle to earn a living and their deep longing to return home, the ceremony serves as a poignant remembrance of one of the most significant events in Gozo’s modern history. On that fateful day, a luzzu carrying 27 passengers, most of them Gozitans making their way back to the island, sank in rough seas near Ras iċ-Ċawl, close to Ħondoq ir-Rummien. Leaving an indelible mark on the collective memory of the Gozitan people, the maritime disaster remains the greatest tragedy within living memory for Gozo.