This Saturday, 26, 2013
This Saturday, 26 January the Dominican Republic celebrates the bicentenary of the birth of founding father Juan Pablo Duarte. It is a holiday in the Dominican Republic.
As part of the celebrations, Congress will hold a special session on Friday, 25 January. Historian Juan Daniel Balcacer, who is president of the governmental commission for national historic dates, will speak.
Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez will say mass at 10am to be attended by President Danilo Medina, key government members and diplomats to be followed by an offering at the Altar de la Patria. Then President Medina will visit the Instituto Duartiano, based in Duarte’s birthplace in the Colonial City.
On Saturday, 26 January, the actual Duarte Day, a Te Deum will take place at Catholic cathedrals and churches all over the country. The Ministry of Sports has organized a bike and horse parade through Santo Domingo. Commemorative publications on Duarte’s legacy compiled by Vetilio Alfau Duran will be presented at 5pm. The Dominican Municipal League has organized several concerts in city parks across the country and church bells are scheduled to ring in unison at 6pm nationwide.
The Youth National Symphony orchestra will be playing a concert in Santo Domingo’s Plaza Espana at 8pm, organized by the Ministry of Culture.
Hoy newspaper says it will be publishing research on Duarte and his legacy in the newspaper on Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting 6 February supervised by Minerva Isa, a winner of the 2010 Journalism Award.
Dominican Republic Live, From DT, 25.01.13, 5pm
