December 8th is special for Bahians. Devotees have been celebrating the Day of Our Lady of Conceição da Praia for 475 years, filling the Basilica and its external area during the open mass, which is located in the Comércio neighborhood, in Salvador. It was no different this Sunday (8).
With the theme “Celebrating the Patron Saint of Bahia, hundreds of people, including Bahians and tourists, followed the procession through the streets of the region.
According to the Archdiocese of São Salvador da Bahia, the program, which began on November 29th with the novenaries, will continue throughout the day.
In the Basilica dedicated to the saint, the party began at dawn, followed by five masses: at 5 am, 6 am, 1 pm, 2 pm and 3:30 pm, the latter being known as the Friendship Mass. Other parishes that are also dedicated to the Virgin Mary under the title of Nossa Senhora da Conceição have special programs.
Although the Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God is celebrated on December 8 throughout the world, when referring to the patron saint of Bahia, the correct expression is Nossa Senhora de Conceição da Praia.
History and secular devotion. The title, which refers to the sea in the name, was attributed to it because the church, close to the sea and the waters of Baía de Todos-os-Santos, reached the first chapel erected to venerate the patron saint.
Patron Saint’s Day is still a market for religious syncretism. Enslaved blacks, accompanying their “masters” to church, took advantage of the occasion to revere Oxum, Queen of fresh water.
Enhanced security
The Public Security Secretariat (SSP) reported that policing was reinforced for the festivities. The scheme has more than 100 professionals from the Military, Civil and Technical Police, in addition to the Fire Department in a special scheme to deal with possible incidents.
At the end of the event, patrols will be carried out at public transport and taxi stops, starting at 10pm.
In addition, more than 40 cameras from the SSP Facial Recognition System will be used in the operation. The technology helps identify fugitives entered in the National Bank of Arrest Warrants of the National Council of Justice (CNJ).
This content was originally published in Devotees celebrate 475 years of the Day of Our Lady of the Conception of Praia in Salvador on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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