Bishop Denis Wiehe of the Seychelles and the island s Minister Alain St.Ange met and discussed the coming La Digue Island Feast among other issues
Almasalla, Gate Arab Tourism News -Bishop Denis Wiehe of the Roman Catholic Church of Seychelles met with Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture at the Ministers Offices at ESPACE in Victoria to discuss the coming La Digue Island 15th August Feast. Minister St.Ange was in La Digue only last week accompanied by Benjamine Rose, his PS for Culture to meet with the Organising Committee of the Lafet La Digue as they were meeting to put final touches on the 2014 edition of the Lafet La Digue, the feast so loved by the Diguois who spends a lot of time to be prepared for their annual Feast of the Assumption falling annually on the 15th of August.
The feast on August 15, which is a Roman Catholic religious feast, has always been a must-attend event among the several religious festivals in the country. Following his working visit to La Digue Minister St.Ange had said:- "The 15th August is itself a cultural event in its own right as our religion and beliefs remains part of our cultural heritage. But La Digue and the Diguois as a whole should also use that opportunity to bring out the uniqueness of the island in the field of food, of music, of artisanal products that have a La Digue label to it" Minister St.Ange has said. On La Digue Minister Alain St.Ange and PS Benjamine Rose had also met with Fr Francis, the La Digue Island Resident Priest.
Today was the opportunity for the Minister and Bishop Denis Wiehe to exchange views and discuss the coming 15th August Feast of the Assumption because the feast remains first and foremost a religious celebration.
Minister St.Ange who was meeting Bishop Denis Wiehe accompanied by Anne Lafortune, his PS for Tourism explained that the Ministry of Tourism and Culture is standing behind the La Digue Feast because religion in Seychelles is part and parcel of our island’s culture.
This year, the religious celebrations on La Digue will start with a procession with the effigy of the Virgin Mary at sea on August 14, which will then be followed by the blessing of the cross situated on the granite boulders right at the entrance of La Passe. This will be done by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese Denis Wiehe himself accompanied by Fr Francis, the parish priest who will be accompanied by the fishermen of the island.
The cross on the Roche La Passe had been broken and the replacement cross will be blessed during the 2014 edition of the Lafet La Digue. On August 15, the day of the feast itself, a procession will start from the Grotto marching towards the La Digue Church where Bishop Wiehe will be presiding over the mass at the island’s Ste Mary’s Church, preaching in Creole for the congregation and also using the English language to welcome visitors flocking to the island for this must-attend festival.
Different other points were touched on during the meeting between Bishop Denis Wiehe and Minister St.Ange who is himself a Diguois with a strong attachment to the island he grew up on.
Minister St.Ange assured Bishop the Roman Catholic Bishop that the celebration at La Passe on La Digue would only start after Mass had ended and that the organisers remain conscious that the religious feast of La Digue remains an important event of the Calendar of Events of the islands as a whole. This year La Digue will be treated to new additions that will mark their annual 15th August celebrations.
