The 11-day-long annual festival of Our Lady of Snows, which usually draws a few lakh devotees from various parts of the country, began with flag-hoisting on Monday, but without the participation of devotees due to COVID-19 lockdown norms for the second consecutive year.
As the pandemic-induced lockdown is in force this year also, it was announced by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Thoothukudi Most Rev. Fr. Stephen Antony that the annual festival would be celebrated without the participation of devotees.
Hence, only a few, including parish council members and police personnel, were present when the Bishop hoisted the flag in front of the shrine on Monday morning in the presence of Rector of Our Lady of Snows Basilica Rev. Fr. Kumar Raja following the Holy Mass celebrated at 5.30 a.m.
The Holy Mass celebrated in the early morning, flag-hoisting, crowning of Our Lady of Snows at noon and sermon and blessing with crucifix at 3 p.m. and novena in the evening were televised live on Snows Basilica Church YouTube channel. All these holy events would be televised live on the channel till the end of the festival on August 5.
Led by Superintendent of Police S. Jayakumar, more than 400 policemen were deployed and barricades erected on all roads leading to the Basilica.