Our Lady of Peñafrancia

This year I decided along with a friend of mine to join and actively participate in the Filipino Community at Mt. Angel Seminary. For most students, it is usually custom to learn Spanish and observe the Hispanic Community to prepare yourself for the cultural diversity in your home diocese. In Sacramento, although we do have a large number of Hispanics, I feel that some priests are very unfamiliar with Filipino Culture. In our Diocese, we have many Filipino Priests and Seminarians but I feel it a necessity to be aware of the customs and traditions of many of our people.

This past Saturday, I joined the Filipino Community in celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia. ( I enclosed information about the feast and a link to a website at the bottom of the article.) A mass was held in Beaverton, and a reception was hosted in the parochial school cafeteria following the mass. It was splendid to be able to hear the Word proclaimed in Tagalog and to be able to sing parts of the mass in their native tongue. I have enclosed some pictures of the event and I hope you read more information about the story of Our Lady of Peñafrancia at the bottom.

Thomas Dooley of Mt. Angel Abbey, Joseph Malinis of Sacramento, Manolito Jaldon of San Francisco, and myself and Michael pose with a parishnor

Michael Andrade, Ysrael Bien and I all wearing Barongs. Barongs are a formal garment in the Filipino Culture.

"The official coronation of Our lady of Peñafrancia our Patroness of Bicolandia took place on September 2, 1924, offiaciated by the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Guillermo ______ their Apostolic to the Delegate. The image therefore of Our lady of Peñafrancia enshrined in her sanctuary in Calle Balatas is about 275 years old. It is an antique statue that has even become the object of desire for many an antique collector. On the morning of August 15, 1981, this miraculous image was stolen from her shrine at the Peñafrancia Church. The entire region was shocked by this news and every devotee of Our Ina could not believe that such a dastardly and sacrilegious act could be perpetuated. Immediately a network for the massive search of the image was military and civilians alike. In the course of following leads to the theft, a policeman was killed and a police lieutenant was wounded when the jeepney they were riding in were ambused by heavily armed men somewhere in Bolo Sur, Sipocot, Camarines Sur.

It seemed that the search would be futile altogether and people almost resigned to the sorry fate of having lost a most beloved image. Most of the leads proved a haux. Meanwhile the approaching feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia necessitated an image to be borne during the translation and the colorful fluvial procession. One was made at the instant of church authorities and another image was donated by the First Lady.

A little over a year later, the region was shocked, with equal unbelief, with the news that the image has been returned to Rt. Rev. Msgr. Florencio Yllana, P.A.,Liaison Officer of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and former Rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia here in Naga City. On September 8, 1982, Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, the motorcade from Manila bearing the Image arrived in Naga City at the height of typhoon Ruping. The inclement weather did not deter thousands of devotees who braved the raging winds and the devastating floods to welcome the image of Our beloved Ina. At 10:00 in the evening of the same day, the image was safely enshrined at the Metropolitan Cathedral where a pontifical concelebrated mass offered in thanksgiving for the return and safe arrival of the image.

The image is now enshrined at the Basilica Minore at Calle Balatas in the City of Naga. She has returned to her flock and her people have gratefully built her a home worthy of her dignity, honor, and maternal position."

http://penafrancia.net/latest/the-image-of-our-lady-of-pe-afrancia.html
(2005 - 2008 Our Lady of Peñafrancia. All rights reserved)