Hyderabad: The Shrine of Our Lady of Health at AC Guards officially began preparations for its annual feast on Thursday with a ceremonial flag hoisting. The event marked the start of a 10-day series of special prayers and novena, culminating in the main feast on September 8. The ceremony drew a large gathering of devotees, who participated in the Holy Eucharist led by Rev Dr Karnam Dhaman Kumar, Bishop of Nalgonda.
Each day leading up to the feast, different parishes from across the city will lead the celebrations at the shrine, offering prayers, novena, and adoration. Many devotees from other parts of the state have arrived at the shrine and will stay on the premises to attend the daily Holy Mass and other special prayers.
The parish clergy and council are responsible for managing the amenities for the devotees, ensuring their comfort during the celebrations. The feast at the shrine is expected to be on par with the well-known celebrations at the Mother Mary Church in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu.
Special arrangements have also been made for the day of the feast, with the RTC providing transport services and the police department deploying security personnel to ensure the safety of attendees.
Francis Nitin David, joint secretary of the Parish Pastoral Council, noted the large turnout for the flag hoisting ceremony, which included devotees from parishes across the city. "The 10-day event will feature special Holy Masses each day," he said. He also acknowledged the challenges of crowd management and arranging amenities, explaining that a council of 15 members, including priests and nuns, is overseeing the planning and execution of the event.
