Spanish dioceses hold prayer vigils and missionary marches for Domund weekend

Dioceses across Spain are holding "Vigils of Light," missionary marches and prayer gatherings this weekend for Domund, the Spanish Church's annual World Mission Sunday campaign.

The vigils follow numerous activities held across Spain to mark the start of the missionary month of October and the feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, patroness of the missions. In Vitoria, the initiative "Domund al descubierto" ("Domund Uncovered") hosted the campaign's national opening address yesterday, delivered by former soccer player Óscar de Marcos. The program continues with prayer and testimony through the weekend.

Prayer vigils in every diocese

In Vitoria, the "Vigil of Light" will be held tomorrow at the Monastery of San José, home to the Discalced Carmelites. The Poor Clare convent in Monzón will also host a vigil to pray for the mission and for missionaries, "so that they do not falter in their work of evangelizing the world and continue to pass on the love they have received from God."

In the Archdiocese of Burgos, the prayer vigil will take place at Hermano San Rafael parish, and on October 23 and 30 there will be a rosary and vespers at the Dorothean and Poor Clare convents. The Diocese of Coria-Cáceres will hold two vigils at the same time tomorrow: one at the diocesan seminary in Cáceres and one at San Ignacio parish in Coria. On Saturday, a "Domund Familiar" event on the Paseo de Cánovas in Cáceres will be open to families and the general public to introduce the missionary and charitable meaning of the day.

The Diocese of Cuenca will hold its Domund vigil on Saturday at the Franciscan Conceptionist convent. In Almería, San Pedro church will host the Prayer Vigil for the Missions tomorrow, Friday, with the help of the youth ministry office, the Hakuna movement, Ecas and mission volunteers. In the Diocese of Huelva, the vigil will be held tomorrow at Santa María del Mar parish in Punta Umbría. In Oviedo, it will take place at Nuestra Señora de Begoña parish, run by the Carmelite fathers in Gijón. In Orense it will be held at Santo Domingo church, and in Soria at San Juan de Rabanera church.

Special diocesan initiatives

In the Diocese of Salamanca, the vigil will be held at Santa Marta de Tormes parish, with the diocesan bishop presiding. In Plasencia, the prayer vigil will take place at Santa María de la Esperanza church, where diocesan missionary Ildefonso Trujillo will give his testimony. In Zaragoza, the vigil on Saturday at Santa María Magdalena parish is titled "100 Years of Missionary Passion."

In León, the vigil, titled "100 Years Beating for the Mission," takes place today, with the diocesan bishop presiding in the chapel of the Diocesan and Holy Week Museum, which is showing an exhibition this month on the Domund anniversary.

The missionary march and the Málaga event

The seventh missionary march will pass through the streets and parishes of central Bilbao on Sunday, ending with a family Mass at San Adrián parish. The Diocese of Bilbao also has a rosary and floral offering to Mary scheduled this afternoon at the Quinta Parroquia, along with adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with the Guinean community at Corazón de María parish.

Many parishes in the Diocese of Málaga will join in prayer on Saturday with vigils at different times: at 8 p.m. at Virgen del Carmen in Los Boliches (Fuengirola), Nuestra Señora del Rosario in la Cala del Moral, Jesús Obrero (Málaga), Inmaculada Concepción in Arroyo de la Miel and San Sebastián (Alhaurín de la Torre); at 8:30 p.m. at Santo Cristo del Calvario (Marbella), Nuestra Señora del Socorro (Ronda) and San Juan y San Andrés (Coín); and at 9 p.m. at Santísima Trinidad (Antequera) and Santa Ana y San Joaquín (Málaga). The diocesan missionary gathering will be held Saturday, October 24, at the Maristas Nuestra Señora de la Victoria school in Málaga.

Vigils in other Spanish dioceses

Pamplona's "Vigil of Light" takes place today, October 15, at San Saturnino parish. Seville's diocesan missionary vigil will be held tomorrow at Santa Cruz parish in the city center, preceded by today's university prayer vigil at Santísimo Redentor parish.

The vigil for the Diocese of Sigüenza-Guadalajara was held last Tuesday, October 13, at the co-cathedral of Santa María la Mayor in Guadalajara, followed by a holy hour. Also on October 13, San Vicente parish in Zamora hosted the diocese's main Domund prayer gathering, presided over by Bishop Fernando Valera of Zamora.