Organizers have announced that the XVIII Marian Day of the Family in Spain will be held on September 8 and will focus on the theme, “The Family, Sanctuary of Life.”

The encounter will take place at the Shrine of Torreciudad and will begin at midday with an offering to the Blessed Mother by several families, after which Mass will be celebrated.  After the Mass, a music festival will take place for the families while they have lunch.  A message to be sent by Pope Benedict XVI will also be read.  The event will conclude with a procession and the recitation of the rosary.

The Marian Day of the Family is part of a series of events promoted by the Shrine of Torreciudad, including events for rural families, Latin American and Eastern European immigrants, homemakers, athletes and all those “who have a sense of responsibility for guarding and passing on the light of the Holy Family,” said Javier Mora-Figeroa, rector of the Shrine.