In Catholic churches and Marian shrines all over the country, hundreds of devotees are expected to attend the special commemorative masses in honor of the Principal Patroness of the Philippines.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle will celebrate a high mass in commemoration of the feast at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, Manila today at 6 p.m.

Holy Masses will also be held at 7:30 a.m. and at 12:10 p.m.

Novenas, special devotions, and candle offerings, highlighted by the recitation of the holy rosary will also be observed.

The much-awaited grand Marian procession featuring close to a hundred popular and well-venerated images of the Holy Mother under her different titles was also held in Intramuros yesterday.

The observance of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the Roman Catholic dogma, “Ineffabilis Deus,” as defined by Pope Pius IX on Dec. 8, 1854 affirming the belief that the Blessed Virgin Mary, “in the first instance of her conception, was, by a unique grace and privilege by the Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.”

Church officials said, “The universal redemption of Jesus was anticipated for Mary at the time of her conception by her mother, Saint Anne, in view of her divine motherhood. Mary’s Immaculate Conception enhances Jesus’ redemptive work.

While humans are cleansed of original sin through baptism, in Mary, Jesus’ work was so powerful as to prevent original sin at the onset.”

In 1858, during the Blessed Mother’s apparition in Lourdes, France, she introduced herself as the Immaculate Conception to St. Bernadette.

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