Jul 12, 2024 08:17 PM
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas is inviting the Catholic faithful to join the rosary fluvial procession for peace in the country particularly in the West Philippine Sea on July 16, Tuesday, to coincide with the Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The rosary fluvial procession will follow the 6 am holy mass and will take off from Barangay Cato in Infanta, Pangasinan. Apart from the holy rosary, the participating vessels will also carry an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, said Archbishop Villegas in a Veritas PH post Friday, July 12.
The Church leader, likewise, thanked all those who are participating in the 50-Day Rosary Campaign launched by the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan on June 27, to pray for peace in the WPS.
"I am grateful for the heartwarming response to our appeal to pray the rosary starting June 27 until August 15 for peace in our country especially on the West Philippine Sea which is west of our dear Pangasinan province. A nation at prayer is a nation at peace,” the prelate said.
“After the 6 a.m. mass, by the sea coast, we will pray the rosary on the shore while a few of our boat riding brothers and sisters will sail offshore praying the rosary too, each boat carrying a venerated image of Our Lady. We will also install prayer banners on which are printed the image of Our Lady to float over the sea as an act of trust and gesture of trust in her loving protection,” Archbishop Villegas said in a statement.
Those who will not be able to personally join the fluvial procession may still participate through spiritual unity or solidarity in praying the rosary on July 16 at 7:30 in the morning, the archbishop said.
“We will pray for both China and the Philippines. We will pray not just for protection from conflict but to make all of us, Chinese and Filipinos together, as peacemakers. Beyond human ideologies and political parties, the peoples of China and the Philippines belong to the same human family.”