Thousands of Christian devotees reached the historic Queen of the Mission Cathedral in Berhampur, Odisha, on Sunday to celebrate annual candle day.
It is believed that the statue of Mother Mary worshipped in this cathedral is the first ‘Queen of the Mission’ idol established in Asia. According to sources, this ‘Queen of the Mission Cathedral’ in Berhampur is the only cathedral in India where the statue of Mother Mary is worshipped as ‘Queen of the Mission’. This statue was first established at Aska in Ganjam district of Odisha in 1855. On July 8, 1928, the statue was shifted to the present cathedral in Berhampur.
Christian community celebrates a nine-day-long festival every year to commemorate appearance of Mother Mary before St Catherina Laboure of France in 1830. The annual festival ends on November 27 evening with ‘candle day’.
Christian devotees from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh reached Berhampur to take part in the ‘candle day’ celebrations on Sunday. Several bishops and vicars from Odisha and other States participated in the rituals, including the special holy mass held at the ‘Queen of the Mission Cathedral’ on Sunday morning.
In the evening, devotees marched through the city with lighted candles in their hands. The march started from the cathedral and culminated there. An idol of Mother Mary was carried on a decorated vehicle.