EVERY year, a different theme is chosen to celebrate the annual St Anne’s Feast at the Minor Basilica of St Anne in Bukit Mertajam, specifically inspired by scriptures from the Bible.
This year, the feast will focus on highlighting inclusivity, a quite remarkably relatable word that tells a lot about the history of the church.
Drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and devotees from across the globe in July every year, inclusivity is the perfect word to complement the minor basilica’s power of gathering not only Christians but individuals of other faiths with the hope of miracles in a single place of worship.
The main theme for this year is ‘Enlarge the Space of Your Tent’ (Isaiah 54:2).
Rev Deacon Lazarus Anthony said that the tent, unlike any other building material, is a flexible and portable shelter that can be extended to accommodate our preferred number of people.
“Here at the minor basilica, everyone is welcome regardless of race or religion, and over the years, we have continuously welcomed hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and devotees, including friends of other faiths.
“St Anne is the personification of God’s love for the world, and this is a ground, as claimed by many, that has answered prayers and worked miracles for families that need it.
“Just like every year, on behalf of the minor basilica, I pray and hope for everyone’s safety, especially those travelling from far away to attend the feast.
“May this gathering help to strengthen the bonds of the different races and religions in the country,” Rev Deacon Lazarus said during an exclusive interview with Buletin Mutiara today at the Minor Basilica of St Anne in Bukit Mertajam.
The nine-day novena starts on July 19, with masses scheduled in all four languages, namely in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, and Tamil, throughout the day until July 27.
On July 27 (Saturday), an open-air mass will be held within the minor basilica’s vicinity, followed by an annual procession at the end of the mass.
The mass, which will see the participation of various clergy and religious leaders, is expected to be led by the Catholic Bishop of Penang Cardinal Datuk Seri Sebastian Francis.
There will be a final English mass on July 28 for those who wish to attend before the feast ends for the year.
Meanwhile, Rev Deacon Lazarus said more than 100,000 pilgrims and devotees are expected to throng the minor basilica this year.
He also mentioned that food donations have been confined to only three days this year, which are from July 26 to 28, during specific times only.
“On another note, we would also like to encourage the pilgrims and devotees to bring their recyclable containers to get the Holy Water.
“We are trying to cultivate environmentally friendly practices among the people,” he added.
More than 2,000 volunteers from the minor basilica will be on duty throughout the week, including personnel from the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela), and 24-hour ambulance service.
To know more about the mass schedules and other details, kindly visit the minor basilica’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/share/p/oZgtzNiVtHz3NdWS/.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi