Santo Domingo.– Today, September 24th is the 397th anniversary ofthe proclamation of the Our Lady of Mercies (La Virgen de las Mercedes)as the patron saint of the Dominican Republic and the island ofHispaniola as a whole.
A series of events are being held tocommemorate this event, which is a national holiday. The Blessing ofthe Waters will take pace today at 7:00pm at the Church of LasMercedes in the capital’s Colonial Zone.
Various Masses will be celebrated in honor of the patron saint, followed by the traditional procession through the Colonial Zone.