Dinagyang Festival religious activities kick off today

Religious activities to usher the 2017 Dinagyang Festival (Pictured) kicked off Wednesday with an early morning mass at the San Jose Church here in this city. (Photo: Dinagyang Festival/ Facebook)

ILOILO CITY –Religious activities to usher the 2017 Dinagyang Festival kicked off Wednesday with an early morning mass at the San Jose Church here in this city.

Rev. Fr. Raymundo ALcayaga, Parish Priest, said that devotees are invited to join the various religious events in celebration of the feast of Señor Santo Niño.

The daily novena mass will end on January 19. The afternoon mass will be followed by a “mini-sadsad” or merry making, one of the innovations introduced by the parish this year.

“We are introducing mini sadsad that will last for five to 10 minutes,” he said.

A grand merry making, however, will be held on January 21 after the 5:30 p.m. mass, which is expected to entice a huge numbers of devotees because of the miracles they experienced. This celebration is composed of prayers, dancing and chanting wherein praising Señor Santo Niño.

Another religious activity is the fluvial and foot procession in the afternoon of January 20. It will start at Fort San Pedro and culminate in front of the Bureau of Customs  in Muelle Loney area.

Other activities include games, feeding and gift-giving for around 400 children from barangays surrounding the parish this January 14 and a medical and dental the next day.