Hundreds seek blessings from La Divina Pastora

At 8 am, the church was filled to capacity while others who could not get in, stood inside tents pitched nearby as Archbishop of Port-of- Spain Joseph Harris officiated at the Mass.

A statue of the Virgin Mary, kept in the church, has become famous as it is worshipped by Hindus and Catholics alike on Good Friday and has been christened ‘Suparee Mai’ by Hindus. Harris called on the congregation to unite as one and to have complete faith in God at all times. “This is the only way to deal with any kind of difficulties in life,” he said.

At noon worshippers carried the statue on a make-shift platform on to a vehicle and it was ready for a parade through the streets of Siparia. The feast of La Divina Pastora is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Easter. A large crowd followed the procession by foot from the Church on La Pastora Street, through Mary Street and onto Daisy Voisin Street and High Street. They then turn into La Pastora Street and back into the church. the procession took one hour to complete.

During the Mass yesterday, dozens of people including children gathered on the pavement near the church waiting for alms from worshippers which has become part of annual devotions to ‘Suparee Mai’.