Sandakan parishioners prepare themselves for 134th feast day celebration

SANDAKAN – Parishioners of St Mary’s Cathedral here prepared themselves for feast day celebration through a series of spiritual activities.

It began with a novena of Masses on 4-12 Aug 2017 at the cathedral including a Mass for the sick, the poor, the needy and the suffering of the parish.

The organisers were delighted with the increased average attendance of around 800 people per night, with different intentions per Mass.

Formation talks and Marian catechesis based on the theme for the 134th Parish Day: My Soul Magnifies the Lord (Lk 1:46) conducted in Chinese by seminarian Raymond Lee, BM by Father Stanley William and English by Father David Garaman.

On the ninth day, a rosary rally was held – a 12-hour rosary recitation by the parish groups, communities, and ministries.  It started five years ago.  Held outdoors along the Rosary Corridor, it was halted temporarily at 10:00 am at the peak of the Marian Mount to give way for an outdoor Mass and solemn blessing of the opening of the Meditation Hut cum Chapel for visitors.

Bishop Julius Gitom officiated the rite of blessing before presiding at the Mass.

The rosary recitation continued after the Mass until the last group recitation concluded at the cathedral half an hour before Sunset Mass.

The cathedral parish celebrated its feast day on Aug 13. – newsupdatedospo.blogspot.my