Thousands join Holy Week festival in Indonesian province
Centuries-old event draws Catholics from around the world.
 |
| The statue of Tuan Ma or Blessed Mother in a procession during the Holy Week festival in Larantuka, East Nusa Tenggara. (Photo by Melkhior Koli Baran) |
Bishop Franciscus Kopong Kung of Larantuka said the event attracts thousands of Catholics, locally and from abroad each year.
Among those participating were Catholics from Timor-Leste, Portugal and Poland who joined the five-century-old festival, which is locally called Semana Santa.
Over 5,000 people attended Good Friday festivities alone in the predominantly Catholic province.
Bishop Kung said the popularity of the festival has created religious tourism for the area from which the locals can benefit.
"Through Semana Santa, the local church can embrace other parties to take part as well. The local church can work together with the local government to make this traditional festival a 'people's pilgrimage' or 'religious tourism,'" the prelate said.
Religious tourism, he said, can also help improve the local people's life.
"So it is not about the celebration itself but also the whole aspect of the local people's daily life," Bishop Kung added.
Semana Santa usually starts on the Wednesday of Holy Week, which this year fell on March 20. The event saw the city's main roads closed as people began their prayers. On Holy Thursday, pilgrims visited three different chapels, where statues of Tuan Ma (Blessed Mother) and Tuan Meninu (Baby Jesus) and Tuan Anna (Jesus) were placed.
Semana Santa reached its peak on Good Friday. On this day, a 30-minute sea procession took place in the morning. A statue of Tuan Meninu was taken onboard a traditional boat to meet Tuan Ma, which was placed in a separate chapel. Pilgrims followed the voyage.
Source: UCAN
No comments:
Post a Comment