OVERRATED. ^^

Peñafrancia fever is here! 

By Shiena M. Barrameda and Juan Escandor Jr. 

NAGA CATHEDRAL AND PORTA MARIAE. Home of Ina for the 9-day vigil. 

NAGA CITY ---Religious fervor heats up for the Bicol Patroness, Our Lady of Peñafrancia or Ina, with the traslacion procession kicking off this Friday to start the religious activities and culminate in a fluvial procession on the eve of the 9th day of the novenario that will officially close the tercentenary celebration of the devotion introduced here in 1710.

Unique to the homegrown devotion to Ina, the traslacion evolved with the growth of devotees over the years which required the transfer of the image of Ina to bigger venue, from Peñafrancia Shrine to the Metropolitan Cathedral.

The transfer of the image of Ina and Divino Rostro, from the shrine to the cathedral, is penitential in character with barefoot all-male devotees participating.

Believed started during the colonial period at the incumbency of Bishop Francisco Gainza, the traslacion was said to end self-

interests by both the cimmarones, the natives of the old Naga City, and the Spaniards and friars.

According to historical accounts the cimmarones were named as such by the Spaniards and friars because they fled from the colonizers to settle at the foot of Mt. Isarog until Fr. Miguel Robles de Covarrubias convinced them back to the Catholic faith through the devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

With Our Lady of Peñafrancia originally the patroness of cimmarones, testimonies of miracles started when the sacrificed dog, whose blood was used to darken the image, resurrected after being thrown into the river.

Over the years, the devotion spread throughout the region, then brought to other places inside and outside the country by its growing devotees who converge here for the only regional religious fiesta in the country.

In line with this year’s theme, the Archdiocese of Caceres in a Pastoral Letter issued last August 22 by Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legazpi called out to all devotees, pilgrims and members of the Church to turn their attention inward and start incorporating the spirit of the devotion to Ina into their lives.

The theme Monstra te Esse Filium (Show Yourself To Be a Child of Ina) should be deemed as a challenge to all devotees of Our Lady to live with the devotion to Ina in their everyday lives, Father Louie Occiano, head of Caceres Commission on Communications under the Archdiocese, confirmed.

He said that after all the fanfare and expense of the 300th Peñafrancia Fiesta, celebrations this year would be less grand and more solemn after the administration of the Archdiocese gave emphasis on inspiring devotees to give a response to the gift of devotion that was passed by Spanish priest Miguel Robles de Cobarrubias to the Cimarrones of Isarog.

The Tercentenary theme Balaog Inako, Balaog Itao (A Gift Received, A Gift to Share) called out to all devotees and pilgrims to accept the gift of devotion to Ina and share it to the world.

Occiano explained that this time, the ‘gift’ must be incorporated into the lives of devotees in order to sustain the faith beyond Fiesta celebrations.

He called out to devotees to sustain the discernment and realization of their devotion to the Virgin for the tradition to live past the 300-year mark.

Unlike last year, the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Most Rev. Edward Adams will not be present for the 301st Peñafrancia Fiesta due to time constraints on his part, according to Occiano.

Peñafrancia Fiesta 2010 was marked by the declaration of Camarines Sur and Naga City as Pilgrimage Capitals of the Philippines by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 33 issued by President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. Before the opening of the celebrations, the Porta Mariae at the Metropolitan Cathedral was unveiled to commemorate the presence of Ina in the lives of Bicolanos.

Overvalued. I believe if Mary is here, she would be SAD. She’s not the one who saved our lives yet she’s given more attention than Jesus… than God the father. We might forget our real God. Beware fellas. I’m not against the catholic’s belief, but this is just a friendly reminder.