The annual festival of the Shrine of Our Lady of Velankanni at Anna Nagar in Madurai began with flag-hoisting on Tuesday.
Rev. Fr. Andrew De Rose, Rector of St. Paul’s Seminary, Tiruchi, blessed the flag and hoisted it and also conducted a holy mass.
There were will be a holy mass every evening on the festival days. There will be a ‘pongal’ event at 7 a.m. on September 3. A Holy Communion procession will be taken out in the evening of that day after the holy mass.
On September 7, a special Holy Mass will be conducted by Most Rev. Antony Pappusamy, Archbishop of Madurai.
On the next day, there will be special Holy Mass at 7.30 a.m., 9.30 a.m., 11.30 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. (in English). A love feast will follow the noon mass. The celebrations will come to a close with a grand car festival in the evening.
Parish Priest S. Edwin Sahayaraja oversees all the arrangements.
