Crowd at the procession of the statue of St Anne and her daughter the Virgin Mary during the St Anne’s Feast at the old St Anne’s church in Bukit Mertajam. (July 27, 2024) —ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
THOUSANDS from all walks of life took part in the procession on the feast day of the annual St Anne’s Novena and Feast in Jalan Kulim, Bukit Mertajam, mainland Penang.
The Saturday event saw pilgrims from near and far walking behind a beautifully decorated float bearing the statues of St Anne and her daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, that was taken on a 1.6km journey outside the church in Jalan Kulim.
His eminence Cardinal Sebastian Francis earlier celebrated mass before leading the procession with other priests and deacons followed by the pilgrims around the nearby Kampung Baru area and back to the church.
The procession which began at about 8.30pm where the float was pulled was pulled by a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Gregorian chants in Latin were played over the public address system as pilgrims said the rosary and other prayers during the procession.
Pilgrims were also seen carrying rosary beads and fresh flowers during the procession.
The feast is celebrated by Catholics to honour Jesus Christ’s maternal grandmother, St Anne.
The 10-day celebration will end on Sunday.
Deacon Lazarus Jonathan said the theme for this year's celebrations is "Enlarge The Space of Your Tent".
He said more than 100,000 people, both locally and foreigners attended that 10-day celebrations.
