Feast of Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia 2012

Every month of September since 2009, we drive for more than 10 hours from Pampanga to Naga City for our pilgrimage. This year is my 5th year as a pilgrim. The feast of Our Lady of Penafrancia is celebrated every 3rd Sunday of September. Ina, as the Virgin Mary is called, is the Patronness of the Bicol region. Bicolanos and other devotees all over the Philippines and abroad flocked to Naga City to pay honor to Ina. This year's theme is "Thank God for Ina, I am a Catholic now and for always."

Peñafrancia Basilica

Mass Schedule at Peñafrancia Basilica

A procession, called traslacion is the transferring of the miraculous Image of the Virgin, Our Lady of Peñafrancia and of the Divino Rostro to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Naga City for a Novena and Holy Masses passing the streets of Naga. Devotees are barefooted and acts as human barricade to protect Ina to the unruly crowd. 

On the feast day...the images are then transferred back to the Basilica through the route of Naga river by a fluvial procession. The images are carried by colorful pagodas. Those who row the boats are called voyadores. Only men are allowed in the pagoda as there is a belief that the Virgin is selosa. Ang mga babae ay nagdarasal habang naghihintay sa riverbanks.

There are many vendors who sells religious items and pasalubongs.

Lumabas ang Mahal na Ina at Divino Rostro around 4pm. At 5pm, nag start ang fluvial procession. The images reached the Basilica at around 6:30pm. As they enter the compound, everybody sings the official hymn, "Resuene Vibrante"  while waiving white handkerchief, holding lighted candles and shouting "Viva la Virgen, Viva el Divino Rostro" The mass was officiated by Manila Archbishop Luis Tagle.

 Pagkatapos ng misa.... fireworks na.

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Camarines Sur 2009

September 17, 2009. 2PM – My family decided to go to Naga City for the Penafrancia Festival. Since it’s merely 2 days before the feast, I had a hard time finding a hotel or any place to stay. This is my 5th time in Bicol. But before we have no problem with accommodation since my aunt is a nun and we are staying at the Basilica. My aunt is member of Daughters of Mary congregation. This year, they didn’t come with us. We found a tourist inn outside Naga City where we stayed comfortably.

The feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia is celebrated on the third Saturday of September in Naga City where Filipinos (not only Bicolanos) will pay honor to the Virgin of Peñafrancia, whom the Bicolanos fondly call Ina, the miraculous patroness of the Bicol Region. The feast day is headed by a novena, nine days of prayer, in honor of the Virgin. On the first day, the image of the Virgin, a copy of the Madonna in Peñafrancia, Spain, is brought from its shrine to the Naga Cathedral where the novena is held. On the last day, the image is returned to her shrine following the Naga River route. The colorful evening procession is lit by thousands of candles from followers in boats escorting the image. When the float reaches its destination, the devotees shout "Viva la Virgen" (Long live the Virgin!) and the image is carried back in a procession to the cathedral.

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