AMERICA/DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Thousands of pilgrims for the feast of the Patron saint of the country
La Vega (Agenzia Fides) – Thousands of faithful from different villages of Cibao (north), from Santo Domingo and from all over the country flocked to the church of Santo Cerro, a steep village between La Vega and Santiago, where the largest Sanctuary of the Dominican Republic is situated in honor of the Virgin of Mercy. Yesterday, September 24, the feast of the “Virgen de las Mercedes”, was celebrated which along with “Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia” is the Patroness of the Dominican people.
During the solemn Mass presided at the Shrine, the Bishop of the Diocese of La Vega, His Exc. Mgr. Héctor Rafael Rodríguez Rodríguez, M.S.C., said that “sorcery, lust, immorality, idolatry, selfishness, sectarianism, envy, drunkenness and corruption” do not bring any good.
According to information sent to Fides, among the thousands of faithful who reached the Sanctuary, a group of pilgrims walked about 13 kilometers to cover the distance between the city of Santiago, from where they left, and the Sanctuary. Many of them came to ask the intercession of Our Lady, in particular for health and to end dengue.
The Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic continues to be the institution with the highest social credibility among the population, as it does not hesitate to condemn situations in which the state does not intervene as it should, as is the case of dengue alert in hospitals and health centers in recent days (see Fides 22/09/2015).
On Sunday, September 20, the Archdiocese of Santiago de los Caballeros again asked the government “not to waste time”. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 25/09/2015)
Share:
Source link : https://www.fides.org/en/news/58452-AMERICA_DOMINICAN_REPUBLIC_Thousands_of_pilgrims_for_the_feast_of_the_Patron_saint_of_the_country
Author :
Publish date : 2015-09-25 03:00:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
