Submitted by Vox Bikol on
NAGA CITY, Feb. 27, 2010- As the countdown of the Tercentenary of the devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia continues, the Caceres Archdiocesan Tercentenary Committee, headed by the Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi, OP, DD, released the roster of activities for the remaining seven months before the grand novena week in September.
According to Legaspi, "since 2007, the Church in the Bicol Region has been making efforts to worthily thank, renew and share the gift of our devotion to Ina for all her devotees in the country and the world over. These efforts themselves celebrate a religious milestone not to be repeated in our lifetime."
A number of activities, meeting the concern to drum up the Tercentenary, have been added to the ones implemented last year and were proven to have more impact on the devotees, such as a day or a two-day pagsungko (visit) of the pilgrim image in every parish, recruitment and formation of volunteers to the Cofradia de San Jose and Guardias de Maria, the holding of a penitential procession called perdon.
The month-to-month roster of activities for the remaining 200 days of the Tercentenary are:
For the month of March:
The movie project on the devotion of the Bikolanos to their Ina-the local word of endearment for "Mother"-written and directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya with Judy Ann Santos on the lead role, begins on March 3; the book "Little Stories of Faith" featuring miracle stories attributed by devotees to their Ina will be launched at the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary at 4:00 in the afternoon of March 6, later on March 10 in Metro Manila; likewise on this same day, Ina will commence her pagsungko (visit) in the Vicariate of St. John the Baptist in the Partido parishes.
For the month of April:
Ina will commence her pagsungko in the Vicariate of St. Michael, which covers the coastal parishes of Caramoan, Garchitorena and Balaton on April 7; simultaneous summer catechetical missions will kick off in the Parish of Divino Rostro in barangay Bahi, municipality of Garchitorena, in the Parish of St. Dominic Parish in barangay Tabgon, municipality of Caramoan and in the Parish of Our Lady of the Visitation in barangay Casuray in the municipality of Magarao, all in Camarines Sur on April 10; the new Parish of the Divino Rostro in barangay Bahi, municipality of Garchitorena will be canonically erected on March 26; and the Parish church of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Balaton, municipality of Lagonoy, will be blessed and consecrated on March 27 where the Caceres clergy will hold their assembly.
For the month of May:
The Regional Congress for Music Ministers and Animators, taking the song Gikan sa Dios (A gift from God) for their theme, will be held at the Universidad de Santa Isabel Auditorium, Naga City, on May 1; the pilgrim image of Ina will visit the Vicariate of St. Paschal Baylon, comprising the towns of Manguiring, Tinambac and Siruma, from May 1 to May 24; the pagsungko of Ina will be at the parishes in the Vicariate of La Porteria in the municipality of Calabanga on May 31; Peñafrancia summer activities will be held in various venues from May 25 to May 29; the Archdiocesan Congress of the Cofradia de San Jose will be held at the Universidad de Santa Isabel and at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral on May 29; Marian Images from parishes in the Archdiocese will be brought to, in a procession through the main streets of, Naga City to end at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral on May 29.
For the month of June:
Formation activities volunteers to the Cofradia de San Jose and Guardias de Maria will be held in various parishes and at various venues from June 1 to June 30; the pilgrim image of Ina will visit the Vicariate of St. Ann in the parishes in Canaman, Magarao, and Bombon starting on June 15.
For the month of July:
The pilgrim image will make her pagsungko in the Vicariate of Our Lady of Peñafrancia and its parishes in the City of Naga starting July 1; likewise the pilgrim image will be brought in caravan to schools, hold campus tours and activities in different schools in Naga City from July 1 to July 30; in different parishes and at different venues, formation activities of volunteers to the Cofradia de San Jose and Guardias de Maria will be held for the whole month.
For the month of August:
For the whole month, the pilgrim image of Ina will visit the parishes in the City of Naga which are under the Vicariate of St. John the Evangelist; likewise for the whole month Ina's caravan will hold campus tours and activities in different schools in the City of Naga while in the parishes at their respective venues formation activities for volunteers to the Cofradia de San Jose and Guardias de Maria will be held; a month-long Tercentenary exhibit will be launched at the Naga Cathedral, SM City Naga and Mall of Asia in Paranaque City.
For the month of September:
The first day of the month will kick off with a caravan called Harubay para ki Jesus asin para ki Maria (Crying out for Jesus and Mary), to announce the start of the special month for Ina while plying around the street of the city of Naga and ending at the Basilica grounds; book-launching of Orgulyo (pride) and a Painting Exhibit on Ina by Pancho Piano will be held on September 8; the usual novena and Masses, dawn processions and pilgrimages in honor of the Divino Rostro will be held at the Basilica Minore, City of Naga, and outreach activities will be undertaken in selected community in the City, from September 1 to September 9; the Feast of the Divino Rostro will be held at the Peñafrancia shrine on September 10 and in the afternoon the traslacion procession of the two images-that of Ina and that of the Divino Rostro-through the streets in the City will start the week-long novena in honor of Ina;
After the traslacion a Pontifical Mass and the Grand Tercentenary Celebration will be held at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral at 5:00 p.m. with Most Rev. Leonardo Legaspi, O.P., D.D., Archbishop of Caceres, presider and preacher, in concelebration with other Bikol bishops, the Bishop from Coria-Caceres, Spain, to be graced by ecclesiastical dignitaries, clergy and devotees from the Philippines and other countries; in attendance to provide liturgical music are the Philippine Madrigal Singers, the UP symphony Orchestra and the Caceres Grand Choir; at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral Patio a concert as well as fireworks will be held featuring the Philippine Madrigal Singers, UP symphony Orchestra and premier Bikolano artists;
From September 10 to September 18, novena, confessions and masses in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia will be held at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral; outreach activities will be held in selected communities; from September 10 to September 19, nightly perdon and dawn processions will be held from the Metropolitan Cathedral along the streets in the City of Naga; on September 11, the Philippine Madrigal Singers will hold a concert at the Ateneo de Naga University; cultural events will be presented in different venues from September 11 to September 17, featuring among others Manto ni Ina Musical; on September 12, the Philippine Madrigal Singers will present A Tribute to Priests at the Basilica Minore at 7:00 in the evening; from September 13 to September 19, Pontifical Masses will be said at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral;
The Union of Bikol Clergy (UBC) will gather at the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary from September 14 to September 16; the Voyadores Festival will have its street presentation on September 15; the International Peñafrancia Associations will hold a congress at the Basilica Minore from 9:00 A.M. until 10:00 P.m. on September 17; the fluvial procession will be on September 18, capped by a Pontifical Mass at the Basilica Minore at 6:00 p.m. with Most Rev. Joseph Edward Adams, D.D., Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, its presider and preacher; after the Mass, the Bikol Artists will also present a concert for Ina at the Basilica Minore grounds, to be followed by fireworks.
On September 19, the Grand Fiesta of Our Lady of Peñafrancia will have continuous Pontifical Masses at the Basilica Minore. The following day, September 20, masses in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia will also be said. (Mediacom, Fr. Andrew Recepcion, Jose Obias)