Bharananganam: The feast of St. Alphonsa, the first native Indian saint, has commenced here on Tuesday at 10.45am, as Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, Bishop of Palai diocese officially inaugurated the feast by hoisting the flag. The 70th year of the saint’s demise and entry into heaven is commemorated on Tuesday. The feast ends on 28.
The feast this year is special as it falls in the year of Mercy. Fr. Berchmans Kunnumpuram, Rector of the pilgrim centre, informed that the 10-day-long festal celebrations will be graced with the presence of 14 metropolitans, who would celebrate the Holy Eucharist of the Mass, and also deliver sermons.
Following the flag hoisting, Mar Jacob Murickan, the Auxiliary Bishop of the diocese of Palai, will celebrate the Holy Mass. The Mass timings during the feast days will be at 5.15 am, 6.30 am, 8.30 am, 11 am, 2.30 pm and 5 pm. Every day at 4 pm, there will be ‘Ramsha’, which will be followed by a candle procession at 6.30 pm. 111 priests will be celebrating the Eucharist on the feast days. The feast culminates on 27th and 28th of this month.
