La Divina – the indigenous Virgin – Apr 14

Action continues in Year of Faith – Jan 27
December 18, 2014
Activate faith, not fear – Apr 28
December 18, 2014

La Divina – the indigenous Virgin – Apr 14


La Divina – the indigenous Virgin – Apr 14 PDF Print E-mail

Revitalising Catholic Culture and IdentityBy Vernon Khelawan

As Roman Catholics in the Archdiocese of Port of Spain continue to celebrate the Year of Faith, many opportunities present themselves that, one way or the other, allow for the display of our Catholic Culture and Identity – the second Pastoral Priority as mandated by Synod 2009.

Parish Priest Fr Martin Sirju, and his various parish teams and the people of the Siparia are in the midst of feverish preparations to celebrate the feast of patron saint La Divina Pastora, next week Sunday – April 21.

Major activity began last Friday (April 12) with a vigil from 7.30 p.m. to 5.30 a.m. On the feast day itself, Archbishop Joseph Harris will serve as the chief celebrant at the Mass. The theme of this year’s celebration is Mary, Model of Faith – the Wedding feast of Cana. The celebration begins at 10 a.m.

The faith and hope in La Divina Pastora is manifested by the thousands of pilgrims from all over the country who turn up every year to pay homage to the Virgin, professing

at the same time that they are not ashamed of their Catholic identity and, truth be told, are proud of the cultural values which surround this feast. La Divina Pastora, as celebrated by Roman Catholics in Trinidad and Tobago, is alive and well.

To accommodate the anticipated large crowd, and to allow them the opportunity to participate in the Mass, mega TV sets will be mounted in the compound of the Boys’ RC School.