The annual St. Mary’s Feast is set to go virtual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement issued on Thursday, Archbishop Peter Machado of the Archdiocese of Bangalore said alternate arrangements had been made to celebrate the festival “spiritually and meaningfully through digital and other social media networks”.
This decision of the archdiocese was made following advice from the government and police to have a low-key celebration and avoid crowding of devotees at the St. Mary’s Basilica.
Every year, thousands of citizens from across the city visit the basilica during the nine days of Novena, starting with the flag hoisting on August 29. Lakhs congregate on the Feast Day.
“We have decided to live stream all the spiritual programmes through various digital platforms on all nine days of the Novena (from August 29) and on the Feast Day (September 8),” the press statement read.
The archbishop has appealed to devotees to confine themselves to their homes and participate in the Holy Masses and Adoration. “On these Novena Days and the Feast Day, we will be praying very specially for all devotees, and the people in Bengaluru and Karnataka,” he said.
The programmes will be telecast on www.stmarysbangalore.com; www.bangalorearchdiocese.org and on the YouTube channel of the Bangalore Archdiocese, among other platforms.
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