Starting them young in devotion

Once again, it is “down memory lane” mode as devotees of Our Lady of Penafrancia in the city of Naga, Philippines, celebrate her feast this month.

I was introduced to the devotion to The Lady when I was a child when my father would take me with him to visit relatives in the city.

At 7 years old, the colorful religious procession, the millions (or so it seemed to me then) of lit candles, the sea of people lining the streets, the white handkerchiefs in the air, and the hair-raising chanting of "Viva la Virgen!" made such a strong impact.

This devotion to "Mahal na Ina" or the "Beloved Mother," as we Bicolanos fondly call her, is shared with my family.

In the first few years of my marriage, my husband and I would pay our respects to The Lady every time we visited my hometown in Albay province.

Through the years, when the kids came one after the other (we have five), we would consecrate each one to "Ina" during our visits.

My husband eventually became so devoted to Ina that it was he who would insist that we visit the shrine every year.

In one of our visits, we met Sister Clarita of the Daughters of Mary congregation whose community lived in the building for retired priests behind the shrine of Ina.

Since then, our visits to Ina also became a visit to Sister Clarita, a jolly, gracious, and generous nun who would make sure that we would not get hungry. The nun would always prepare fried chicken and nut candies for our picnics during our visits.

It was always a long 14 or more hours travel back to the city, and we would stop in picnic groves for our meals. The stops were part of the children's adventure as well for the fried chicken and the nut candies.

During one visit, Sister Clarita asked my husband to translate the novena prayers to Filipino because they only had English and Bicol versions. He was so happy that it took him only a day to finish the translation.

In gratitude, Sister Clarita gave us a cloth used as lining of the mantle of Ina and an old mantle itself embellished with gold ornaments called a "manto." For devotees of Our Lady of Penafrancia, a manto, the mantle worn by the image, is a precious possession.

Illuminated by flickering candles

The feast attracts millions of devotees, pilgrims and local and foreign tourists from all over. Last year’s estimates were that more than six million visitors joined the annual celebration of the feast on the third weekend of September.
 
To honor Our Lady, the replica of the image is brought in a religious procession from its shrine to the cathedral in Naga at dawn on the first day of the nine-day prayers, or "novena."

At the end of the novena, a farewell service is held at the cathedral and the image is carried through the streets and placed on a pagoda used for the procession in the river.

From the windows of houses along the banks of the Naga River, the route is illuminated by flickering candles. Devotees on small boats decorated with lights and paper bunting shout "Viva la Virgen!"

Amidst the chanting, white handkerchiefs are waved as if the devotees are trying to catch the attention of the Virgin.

Historical accounts report that the original image of Our Lady was found by a man called Simon in Pena de Francia, Spain, in May 1434. Now it is enshrined in a cathedral in Salamanca.

A Spanish official from Pena de Francia brought with him a picture of Our Lady to the Philippines. When his son Miguel fell seriously ill, the De Francia family prayed to Our Lady for a miracle.

Miraculously cured, Miguel, a seminarian at the University of Santo Tomas, vowed that he would construct a chapel for Our Lady.

Miguel fulfilled his promise when he was ordained as the first diocesan priest in Naga by Bishop Andres Gonzalez. The young priest later built a small chapel on the slopes of Mount Isarog. A local artisan was commissioned to carve an image.

The canonical coronation of Our Lady of Penafrancia as "Patroness of Bicolandia" took place on Sept. 20, 1924, and was officiated by Monsignor Guillermo Piani, the apostolic delegate.

The more than 275-year-old image is currently enshrined in the shrine at Calle Balatas.

People in the Bicol region and devotees from all over the world attribute healings, protection from natural disasters, conversions and answered petitions to the Virgin's intercession.

One of the earliest documented "miracles" was about a dog that was killed for its blood to be used to paint the newly carved image. The decapitated dog was dumped into the river, and in the sight of those who threw the carcass, the head and body rejoined and the dog swam toward the shore as if nothing happened.

The practice of seeking the Virgin's intercession, whether it would be in thanksgiving or as a petition, has passed on from our children to the grandchildren.

Thank God for the opportunity of introducing Our Lady to them and for the grace of starting them young in the devotion. Viva la Virgen!

Edita Burgos is a doctor of education and a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites. Gunmen believed to be soldiers abducted her son Jonas Burgos in Manila in April 2007. He is still missing. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of ucanews.com.