Published: July 8, 2011
The Running of the Saints
Devotion and Penance
The congregation at St. Anne Catholic Church is in the midst of preparations for their annual parish fiesta in honor of their patron saint, which will occur on Saturday July 23, 11:00 am to 8:00 pm, and Sunday July 24, 12:00 noon to 8:00 pm. This year the event considered the high point of the celebration will continue: the Running of the Saints.
The Running of the Saints is a hybrid between a parade and a procession. Men from the parish jog a one mile route from Irving Avenue, four blocks to the north to Caesar Chavez Boulevard, and back. The unique element of this jog is that the men are running with statuary. The participants take turns bearing two wooden litters, eight men carrying each. Placed upon the litters are large white columns, at the top of which is a statue, one of Saint Michael the Archangel and one of St. Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These litters weigh 400 and 350 pounds respectively.
The purpose of the Running of the Saints is two-fold: to make a public statement of devotion to the saints and to do penance. Last year, the priests of the parish, Fr. Carl Gismondi, FSSP, and Fr. Dennis Gordon, FSSP, also participated. Before the procession began, the men prayed the Rosary and the priests blessed the statues. Leading the procession was an honor guard of two men dressed in native Mexican costume on horseback.
The Running of the Saints will take place on Saturday July 24 at 3:00 pm. For more information on this event or St. Anne’s parish fiesta, please contact the parish office at (619) 239-8253 or look at the weekly bulletin posted on their website http://www.stannes-sandiego.org/ . A video of the 2010 Running of the Saints can also be found on the parish website. St. Anne Catholic Church is located at 2337 Irving Avenue, San Diego, CA 92113.
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