Monday July 28, 2008
Grateful couple among thousands at St Anne’s feast
By DERRICK VINESH
BUKIT MERTAJAM: Leo Jude, 43, and his wife Marina Santiago, 41, had been a depressed couple for the past three years.
Their son Joshua, now three years old, was diagnosed with kidney tumour when he was seven months old.
He underwent a successful operation recently and yesterday Jude, who works as a store division manager in a hypermarket here, and his wife joined tens of thousands of people to give prayers of thanks at the annual St Anne’s Novena and Feast at the St Anne’s Church.
“We wanted to especially thank St Anne for interceding in our prayers for Joshua,” said Jude.
Special prayers: Pilgrims offering prayers before the statue of the saint at St Anne's Church in Bukit Mertajam Sunday. The couple gave out alms to the poor after participating in the morning mass yesterday.
Foreign worker Vilma Macalinao, 37, from the Philippines, said this was her first time attending the grand feast at the church.
“It is quite similar to the feast in my country.
“However, the feast of St Anne is held on a different month and day in the Philippines,” she added.
Housewife A. Puvaneshvari, 30, and her husband A. Tanimalai, 34, from Sg Petani, said they humbled themselves by collecting alms and offering them back to the church to fulfil a personal vow.
Schoolmates Iyvonne Lo, 17, and Tan Ley Ting, 17, said they have attended the feast since they were in Year Three.
Christian duty: Santiago and Jude giving alms to the poor at the St Anne's Church grounds Sunday. Many pilgrims also offered prayers at the newly-built Our Lady of Lourdes grotto, which was blessed by the apostolic delegate to Malaysia, Archbishop Selvatore Pennacchio on Saturday
Church priest Monsignor Stephen Liew said this year’s feast theme “Deepening our Discipleship: Through the Word of God” was aimed at making the word of God the rule of life.
The 10-day long celebration, which concluded yesterday, drew people from all over Malaysia and also from neighbouring countries.
The event’s highlight was a candlelight procession at the church grounds on Saturday night.
News Poll
- Man posted doctored photos of Nik Aziz
- Heartbreaking wait for mum
- Sodomy II: Karpal claims judge lied (Updated)
- The world just got bigger
- Opposition leaders decry court’s ruling
- Weather warning for Perak, Selangor and Sabah
- Thumbs-up for Najib
- 5-0 for BN’s Zambry
- Saiful files report over death threat
- WWF: Orang asli being used
- 60 lose RM25mil in gold investment scam
- Canberra to set new skills list
- Sodomy II: Karpal claims judge lied (Updated)
- Weather warning for Perak, Selangor and Sabah
- MAS offers CNY bargains
- Heavy vehicle ban during CNY rush
- ‘Flashing candy’ a health hazard: Health Ministry
- Saiful files report over death threat
- Fleet card cloning ring busted with arrest of trio
- WWF: Orang asli being used
RSS
