EUROPE/SPAIN - PMS organises first Holy Childhood Javierada as part of initiatives to mark 500th anniversary of the birth of St Francis Xavier : “Feel Mission in your Heart!”

Saturday, 20 May 2006

Navarra (Fides Service) - The Spanish office for Holy Childhood and the dioceses of Pamplona, Logroño, Bilbao, San Sebastián, Vitoria, Saragozza, Tarazona, Burgos, Barbastro and Huesca, invited PMS delegations and dioceses to a special Javierada for Holy Childhood, the first of its kind, on 20 May with the slogan “Feel Mission in Your Heart ”. About 3000 to 3500 children are expected to take part. The purpose of the Javierada march is to celebrate with children the 500th anniversary of the birth of St Francis Xavier. According to Fr Jesús Peña, missions delegate for La Rioja, for the past 20 years the office for the Pontifical Society of Holy Childhood had organised a march to La Rioja, but this year in which the Church celebrates the 5th centenary of the birth of St Francis Xavier it was decided to organise a common march to Javier.
The march will start from the town of Sangüesa in Navarra, the usual starting point for all Javieradas. Participants will then walk 7 kilometres to Javier Castle arriving at about midday. At Javier there will be a welcoming ceremony with groups from the Basque Lands, Navarra, La Rioja and Argon, with singing, spectacles and prayers. In the afternoon there will be workshops followed by 6pm Mass presided by Military Ordinary in Spain Archbishop Francisco Pérez González who is national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Spain. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 20/5/2006; righe 17, parole 237)


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