Editor: Augustine Bobe,
LARANTUKA |LINTASTIMOR.Com)– Approximately 2,800 Pilgrims Semana Santa was packed with the Sea Procession when picking up Mr. Menino’s Procession Procession which will be delivered to the Contest of the Chapel of St. Anthony to be placed.
This was conveyed by the Head of Transportation Office of East Flores Regency Yitno Wada which was confirmed at Larantuka Sea port Friday 7 April 2023
“This time there are quite a lot, yes, maybe Pilgrims have a form and a longing since three years since Covid hit so that it will only be implemented in 2023,” he said.
The head of the transportation service said that this time the Sea Procession with the number of ships or the sea fleet used was approximately 140 ships.
“The types of ships used are Tobilota Crossing Ships, Fiber, Fast Boats, Very ASDP Ships, Security Ships, Basarnas and other Small Sampan which have been well coordinated by the Syabandar Seaport and the East Flores Regency Transportation Service, East Nusa Tenggara, “he explained.Yitno Wada also said that every procession went well, despite the considerable public interest.
“I am grateful that all the events of this procession went well, each ship also has a passenger capacity of 20 pilgrims, some are more suitable for the weight of the existing ships,” said Yitno Wada, Head of the East Flores District Transportation Office.
The procession of Samana Santa has been canceled for three years, Catholics and parish priests are doing this in front of Tuan Ma’s statue
The Sea procession is part of the Semana Santa Procession. During the Sea Procession, pilgrims take Tuan Meninu or the Baby Jesus statue from the Kota beach to Uce Beach in Larantuka Village, Larantuka City.
According to tradition, Tuan Meninu’s delivery was carried out using a small rowing boat accompanied by dozens of large and small motorized boats.
At Uce Beach, pilgrims wait and will continue the procession to the Larantuka Cathedral Church. The Larantuka Cathedral church is the starting point for the Sesta Vera procession or Good Friday procession.
During Good Friday night, millions of candles will be lit on the two-kilometre-long road and in front of the people’s houses through which the procession passes. The new procession will end until early morning.
In the climax of the Semana Santa procession on Good Friday or in the local language it is called Sesta Vera, a statue of Jesus Christ, locally named Tuan Ana, and a statue of Maria or Tuan Ma, are carried out to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ.
