The annual August 15 Feast of the Assumption of La Digue in the Seychelles, a celebration that falls on the calendar of events of the Roman Catholic Church, is today also celebrated as a national event. The Ministry of Tourism and Culture and its Tourism Board worked with the celebrations committee of La Digue island to stage the feast that brought together the religious procession and mass, as well as a musical and fun fair events.
Thousands of Seychellois and tourists alike descended on La Digue for this annual celebration which since the last couple of years has grown to become a key event on the country’s calendar of events. Bishop Denis Wiehe of the Catholic Church of Seychelles was personally on La Digue to lead the religious side of the celebrations, and Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, accompanied by his PS for Culture, Benjamine Rose, and his PS for Tourism, Anne Lafortune, were also on La Digue to work with the La Digue island celebration’s committee and ensure a great 2015 La Digue Feast.
The launch of this year’s event was with a flotilla that started at L’Union Estate to the La Passe Jetty where Bishop Wiehe was in the first boat carrying a statue of the Marie, the Mother of God.
The large crowd that had gathered at the jetty, including Minister St.Ange, PS Rose, and PS Lafortune welcomed Bishop Wiehe and the flotilla, and many then walked in procession to the island’s church. It is after that inaugural event that Minister St.Ange spoke on the airwaves of the SBC (Seychelles Broadcasting Station) saying that Seychelles was proud of its culture and that the La Digue celebrations demonstrated that religious beliefs were part and parcel of the island’s culture. Minister Alain St.Ange congratulated the Seychellois people for the respect of the Seychellois culture which he said was getting stronger day by day.
Seychelles is a founding member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .
