T’puram: Thousands of devotees are expected to participate in a pilgrimage and candlelight procession on Tuesday as part of 73rd memorial feast of Archbishop Mar Ivanios Metropolitan in Pattom.The main pilgrimage, which began at Perunad in Ranni, will resume from Pirappancode on Tuesday morning and pass through Vettinadu, Vattappara, Aruviyode, Bethany Ashram at Nalanchira and Mar Ivanios Vidyanagar before reaching the tomb of Mar Ivanios at St Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, at 5pm. Pilgrims will be received by Major Archbishop-Catholicos Cardinal Baselios Cleemis.Another pilgrimage, which started from Puthiyakavu in Mavelikara, the birthplace of Mar Ivanios, will proceed from Karammoodu through Kazhakkoottam and Kariavattom before arriving at the cathedral. Pilgrimages from Marthandam and Parassala will also converge at the venue in the evening.An evening prayer service led by Cardinal Baselios Cleemis will begin at 6pm, followed by a candlelight procession.The feast celebrations will continue on Wednesday morning with a solemn procession of around 500 priests and bishops from the tomb chapel to the cathedral, followed by a concelebrated Holy Qurbana. Incense prayers and devotional offerings at the tomb chapel will conclude the observances.
