Haitian Catholics Mark Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Catholic faithful in Haiti gathered for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, according to Le Nouvelliste. In a procession described by the outlet, a statue of the Virgin Mary was raised on an allegorical float as believers prayed to the mother of Jesus. The report opens with the scriptural verse: "Quelle est celle-ci qui s'avance comme l'aurore, belle comme la lune, éclatante comme le soleil, terrible comme une armée rangée en bataille?" ("Who is she that advances like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, radiant as the sun, terrible as an army in battle array?"). Le Nouvelliste reported that the faithful, dressed in white T-shirts bearing the image of the Virgin, walked along the Avenue de la République. The outlet described one woman raising her hands toward the sky in prayer, reciting the Magnificat: "Mon âme exalte le Seigneur. Exulte mon esprit en Dieu mon Sauveur" ("My soul magnifies the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior"). The Immaculate Conception is a significant date in Haiti's Catholic calendar. The full account was published behind a free registration wall on the newspaper's website.