The Asian and Pacific Island Catholics for Mary 13th Annual
Pilgrimage drew around 1,000 people to the Basilica of the
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington
May 2.
The Mass began with opening remarks from Msgr. Walter R.
Rossi, who asked the faithful to pray for victims of the
recent earthquake in Nepal. Archbishop Mario E. Dorsonville,
auxiliary bishop of Washington, was the celebrant and
homilist.
Deacons included John Liu and Perfecto Santiago. Father
Michael Weston, who is the director of liturgy at the
basilica, was the master of ceremonies.
During the Prayers of the Faithful, petitions were read in
Chinese, Sinhala, Korean, Tamil-Indian, Burmese, Vietnamese,
Samoan, Indonesian, Tagalog, Cambodian and Bengali, and in
English.
The pilgrimage began with a welcome drum procession led by
Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Church in Arlington. The procession
included members of Asian and Pacific Island communities from
the Washington metro area, Richmond, North Carolina and New
York. A call to prayer, crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary
and the rosary also preceded the Mass.
Stoddard can be reached at [email protected].
