The Feast of Immaculate Conception will be celebrated this coming December 7, instead of the usual December 8.
The decision to celebrate early is because December 8 falls on Sunday, and as per liturgy rules of the Catholic Church, Sunday should only venerate Jesus Christ and nothing else.
The Marian image is the patron of Puerto Princesa making it the fiesta of the whole city.
The Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa in their latest meeting with the local pastoral council decided to celebrate the fiesta a day before the actual date, making December 6 the eve of the celebration highlighted by the annual and traditional caracol or fluvial parade of the image of Immaculada.
Liturgy Worship Committee Chairman Erlinda Valeros said the decision to move the date is not new to the parish.
They already did the same thing in 2013 wherein they celebrated the fiesta on Monday. Another reason in moving the fiesta’s date is because it falls in the second week of advent that the church is strictly practicing.
The “Pista Ng Immaculada Concepcion” this 2019 will mark the cathedral’s 147th celebration.
Among the line-up of activities this year are the traditional 9-day novena that will start on November 28 at 4:30 in the afternoon, except on Sunday that will be observed at 12:30 to give way for the procession of the Marian image from the Cathedral to the pier, for the Caracol. The mass of ecology is set at 2 in the afternoon inside the port area.
December 7 will be highlighted by an hourly mass starting at 5 in the morning up to the celebrated mass at 4:30 in the afternoon, and the last mass is at 6 in the evening before the grand procession around the city.
The Immaculada Concepcion image is now on display inside the cathedral.
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