Bukit mertajam: Over 10,000 Catholics gathered at the Minor Basilica of St Anne here to mark the annual Feast of St Anne, the largest religious celebration of its kind in the country. The devotees began gathering at the church grounds since early evening before Mass was held at 7 pm, followed by the procession featuring a float bearing the statue of St Anne and her daughter Mary, as the faithful thronged alongside, holding candles as they made their way out of Gate 3 at 8.30 pm.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the annual procession, the highlight of the 10-day religious celebration that began on July 18, traversed the 1.6 kilometre route along Jalan Kulim, Jalan Kampung Baru and Jalan Berjaya before re-entering the church at Gate 1 at about 11 pm. R Thhivya Bharti, 32, who came with her husband Jevi Jensan, 32, and son J Ebenesh, eight, said they came to fulfill their vows after their prayers were answered. She shared how her husband was healed after they prayed for his health last year, and this year, they came to pray for another child.

Factory supervisor, Diana Blomindas, 29, from Ipoh noted that this year’s celebrations were more festive, with many stalls and even more visitors compared to previous years. She recounted how her parents had brought her here when she was a child and that they would never miss celebrating the Feast of St Anne every year, adding that she was here this year to pray that her mother, Lourdes Mary Jacob, 68, who suffers from knee pain and has difficulty walking, be healed.

Meanwhile, gym owner, Valentina Kaur, 28, and her husband Tunping, 38, revealed that they attended the procession tonight to seek blessings and give thanks after their wish for a first child was finally fulfilled after four years. Valentina shared her gratitude after her prayers for a child were answered, and she was confirmed pregnant two months later.

This year’s celebrations, with the theme ‘Celebrating, Listening and Walking as Pilgrims of Hope’ began on July 18, and includes nine days of Novena, and the actual Feast of St Anne and night procession on July 26. The Church of St Anne, which was upgraded to the Minor Basilica of St Anne in September 2019, was built in the mid 1800s, and is the first church of its kind in South East Asia.