The annual Manajanikkara Perunal and 78th feast of the Syrian Patriarch St Elias-III will be celebrated at the St Ignatius Diara premises at Manjanikkara near here from February 7 to 13.
Addressing a press conference at Mar Ignatius Diara at Manjanikkara on Saturday, Geevarghese Mar Dionysius, diara chief, said the annual festival will begin with a holy Tri-mass followed by the flag hoisting (kodiyettu) ceremony at the diara premises on February 7 morning.
Youhanon Mar Milithios, Geevarghese Mar Athanasios and Mathews Mar Theodosius will lead the Tri-mass at the diara church, later, at 8 a.m.
The Patriarchal Flag will be hoisted at all the parishes attached to the Church on February 7, he added.
Kuriakose Mar Julios will be the chief celebrant at the flag hoisting ceremony to be held at Omalloor Cross, later, in the afternoon.
A holy Eucharist at 7.30 a.m. and afternoon mass at 5 p.m. will be held on February 8 and 9. Geevarghese Mar Dionysius will inaugurate the religious convention at 7.30 pm on February 9. Geevarghese Mar Athanasius will deliver the religious discourse on the occasion.
Zacharias Mar Peelexinos Metropolitan will lead the religious retreat to be held at 10 a.m. on February 10 a.m. Free distribution of clothes will be held on February 11 afternoon.
Abraham Mar Savarios, Mathews Mar Aprem and Kuriakose Mar Cleemis will lead the holy Tri-mass to be held on February 12 morning.
Public meet
The Metropolitan said a rousing reception will be accorded to all Manjanikkara-bound pilgrimage processions on their arrival at Omalloor Cross on February 12 afternoon.
Minister for Public Works, P.J. Joseph, will inaugurate the public meeting to be held at the diara premises in connection with the reception to various pilgrimage processions to the saint’s tomb at 6 p.m.
Catholicos Baselius Thomas-I will preside over the meeting. Mor Gregorios Youhanna Ibrahim, representative of the Patriarch, will deliver the benedictory speech. Kuriakose Mar Gregorios and the Church Synod secretary, Joseph Mar Gregorios, will also address the function.
The Catholicos will lead the holy Tri-mass to be held at the diara church at 5.30 a.m. on February 13. The annual festival will come to a close with the holy Eucharist to be celebrated by the Patriarchal representative followed by holy raaza, later, at 8.30a.m.
