The Catholic Church will observe a number of important events on Wednesday, Dec. 8, to coincide with the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
At the Manila Cathedral (Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception) in Intramuros, Manila, holy masses in celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception will be held at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., and at 4 p.m., The fiesta mass and investiture with the pallium on Manila Archdiocese Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula will be held at 6 p.m. The pallium is the symbol of His Eminence’s authority as a metropolitan archbishop.
All the masses will be streamed live through the Facebook page and YouTube channel of the Manila Cathedral.
Novena masses were held from Nov. 29 to Dec. 7.
The national consecration of families to St. Joseph will also be observed today as one of the highlights and concluding events of the Philippine Church's celebration of the current Year of St. Joseph.
Meanwhile, in Catholic churches and Marian shrines across the country, devotees are expected to attend the special commemorative masses in honor of the Principal Patroness of the Philippines – the Immaculate Conception.
Novenas, special devotions, candle offerings, and the recitation of the holy rosary will also be observed.
The observance of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the Roman Catholic dogma, “Ineffabilis Deus,” as defined by Pope Pius IX on Dec. 8, 1854 which affirmed the belief that the Blessed Virgin Mary, “in the first instance of her conception, was, by a unique grace and privilege by the Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.”
According to Church officials, “The universal redemption of Jesus was anticipated for Mary at the time of her conception by her mother, Saint Anne, in view of her divine motherhood. Mary’s Immaculate Conception enhances Jesus’ redemptive work. While humans are cleansed from original sin through baptism, in Mary, Jesus’ work was so powerful as to prevent original sin at the onset.”
In the year 1858, during the Blessed Mother’s apparition in Lourdes, France, she introduced herself as the Immaculate Conception to St. Bernadette.