Information about Our Lady of Peñafrancia

Our Lady of Peñafrancia (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia in the Philippines, and Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia or Virgen de la Peña de Francia in Spain) is a wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in Naga City, Bicol, Philippines. The image comes from the original image enshrined in Salamanca, Spain. It is currently housed at the Peñafrancia Basilica where every September is held for the novena festivities in honor of the image as the principal Patroness and Queen of Bicol.

Pope Pius XI granted the image a Canonical coronation on 20 September 1924 via his Apostolic delegate, Monsignor Guillermo Piani. On 3 December 2015, a mosaic image of the Virgin Mary under this title was officially enshrined at the Vatican Gardens for the 14th slot at the pontifical mandate of Pope Francis. The ceremony was attended by former President of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino III who unveiled the image with honors.

History of Our Lady of Peñafrancia

In Salamanca, Spain

On September 4, 1401, in the city of Paris, capital of France, a child was born to pious and religious parents, Rolan and Barbara. He was christened Simon. The family was quite well off, and their property was more than sufficient to maintain a family of four. Early in his youth, however, Simon despised wealth although his parents could well afford his wishes. When his parents and his only sister died, Simon inherited all their property. To avoid trouble, which he thought might ensue from his possession of such wealth, he sold his patrimony and donated the proceeds to the Church, the poor and the destitute, as well as to charitable institutions. He then applied for a position as a chamber boy in the convent of a Franciscan church in Paris.

Simon would frequently visit the church and spend hours in prayer before the altar of the Virgin Mary. Many times, in his deep meditation, he would ask the Holy Virgin to inspire him in what he might do to please her. Once, while he was absorbed in spiritual contemplation of the beauty of the Holy Mother, he lost consciousness. His prayer was answered for he heard a clear voice that tried to rouse him from slumber: “Simon, wake up; be on the watch…. From now on your name will be Simon Vela. Go to Peña de Francia west of this country, and there you will find the shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary".

For five (5) years Simon Vela traveled far and wide among caves, hills and mountains, in search of Peña de Francia but he could not find the place. He wanted to give up the search, and was in fact already on his way back to Paris, when one night he heard the same voice once more saying: “Simon, do not give up the search; do not give up what you have begun. Persevere and your labors will be recompensed.” This suddenly buoyed up his spirits and so he resumed his search the next day.

Simon went to the Church of Santiago de Galicia. And while he was passing the market place of Salamanca, he saw two men quarreling. One was seriously wounded and fell at Simon's side. The offender was caught by the crowd who milled around them and he brazenly remarked: “Had I killed my enemy, I would have escaped to Peña de Francia where no one, not even the king, could find me.” Simon was overjoyed when he heard this for now he knew that such a place did actually exist.

Several hours afterwards he resumed his way to the church of San Martin. On his way he met a man selling charcoal. Simon asked the man where he came from, and the man said he came from a place called Peña de Francia. This was the second time that Simon heard the name of the place mentioned. He then begged the man to guide him to the place called Peña de Francia but for some reason the latter refused to do so.

Simon traced the road through which he thought the man has passed. He then reached a villa called San Martin de Castañar on May 14, 1434. He went to church and after the mass, he asked a man to kindly indicate where Peña de Francia was. The man took Simon Vela to a place some distance from the church and pointed to him a hill in the far distance saying that the hill was the Peña de Francia he was looking for. Simon was very grateful and thanked God for having found the man who showed him the place of his dream.

Simon then set out for the place indicated and, after a long weary journey, came to a steep rocky hill. By this time, his supply of provisions had been depleted and he was beginning to feel the pangs of hunger. The climb over the hill had considerably weakened him, but he was not disheartened because he knew deep within him that God had not forsaken him to a fruitless and useless search. And indeed how right he was for on the road otherwise abandoned he found a packet containing a loaf of bread and piece of meat. This relieved him so much until night overtook him and he sought shelter in a cave. Inside he prayed for guidance and soon he was lost in deep slumber.

Early in the morning of the next day, Simon began the search for the shrine in every cave where he had slept the night before. He felt distressed and discouraged for his seemed as distant as it was when he started. He knelt and prayed for strength and courage. Soon, he heard the same voice he had previously heard resounding clearly through the cave: “Simon, be awake: do not sleep.” Simon continued the search with more zeal in the morning of the next day. At a distance on a rocky hill, he saw a glaring and dazzling light filling the place with its brilliance. Trembling with joy, he approached it and there he found the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus in her arms sittings on a golden throne. He Knelt before her and prayed with all the fervor of his soul. The ecstatic Simon said, “Oh, Lady, the dream of my soul, the inspiration of men and women! My labors are now ended. Many years have I traveled far and wide to seek you and to drink in the beauty of your eyes! Do not forsake me: be my protection.”

In sympathy for Simon, the Lady answered: “Simon, rejoice! Your constancy will be rewarded. Your dream will be realized. Your labors are now ended. Take heed and keep in your heart what I wish you to do. Dig in this spot and take what you can see and place it on the summit of this rocky hill. Build on this hill a beautiful dwelling. You are to begin it and others will come to finish it.. This must come to pass as it has been the wish of my child.” Then the Lady suddenly disappeared and Simon was left standing alone and rooted in the spot with wonder and awe.

On the morning of May, 1434, on the spot where the apparition of the Holy Virgin disappeared, Simon began the work of digging and excavating. He, however, heard the same voice again saying: “Simon, do not attempt to undertake that big task alone. Undertake it in the presence and with the help of two, three, or more persons.” Evidently this was to avert any doubt or suspicion from people as to a veracity of the miracle and the credibility of Simon. So Simon went to San Martin del Castañar, a nearby town from the spot, and asked five men to help him. They were Anton Fernandez, Pascual Perez, Benito Sanchez, Juan Hernandez and Antonio Sanchez, the parish scribe of the place.

These men thought that they were digging for hidden treasure but they were informed that they were going to dig for objects worth far more than any worldly goods their hearts could cherish. They dug unceasingly, clearly following directions from divine inspiration. Finally, on May 19, 1434, after removing a huge stone, they found embedded among the rocks, the most coveted image of the Holy Virgin with the Child in her arms.

In the Philippines

According to locals in what is now Naga City, a Spanish colonial official from Peña de Francia, Spain (a native of San Martín de Castañar) settled with his family in Cavite in 1712. One day, Miguel Robles de Covarrubias, a son of the official and a seminarian studying at the Universidad de Santo Tomás in Manila, fell seriously ill. He and his family prayed to Our Lady of Peñafrancia, whose picture Miguel clutched to his breast as he hoped for recovery. Miguel vowed that if cured, he would out of gratitude construct a chapel on the banks of the Pasig River in Manila which is now called Paco.

Miguel was miraculously cured, and ordained a priest not in Manila but in Ciudad de Nueva Cáceres (now Naga City) by Bishop Andrés González. To fulfill his vow, Miguel (who was the first diocesan priest ordained in Naga), did two things. First, he mobilized natives along the slopes of Mount Isarog to build a chapel from the local nipa and bamboo, at a site by the banks of the Naga River and not the Pasig as he earlier desired. Second, he ordered a local artisan to carve an image patterned after the picture of Our Lady of Peñafrancia that he always carried with him.

Stories of miracles surrounding the image began circulating immediately, beginning with the account of a resurrected dog. The animal was killed for its blood, which was to be used in painting the newly carved image of Our Lady, and the carcass was dumped into the Naga river. The dog suddenly came back to life and began swimming; hundreds allegedly witnessed the event. News of many other miracles spread quickly, as did public devotion to the image. A letter sent by Miguel to the Dominicans in Salamanca, Spain in 1712 reported numerous miracles through the intercession of Our Lady. The number of devotees eventually increased beyond the Diocese of Nueva Cáceres, which comprised the Bicolandia and Marinduque, and in modern times the devotion has reached other parts of the world along with the Filipino diaspora.

The image is known to devotees by the title Ina, a local term for "Mother".

Other history

Canonical coronation of the image

The Canonical Coronation of Our Lady of Peñafrancia as "Patroness of Bicolandia" took place on September 20, 1924, officiated by Monsignor Guillermo Piani, the Apostolic Delegate. The image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia currently enshrined in the church on Calle Balatas is approximately 275 years old, making it highly sought-after by antique dealers and collectors.

Theft of the image

On the morning of August 15, 1981, the image was stolen from its shrine inside Peñafrancia Church. The news shocked the entire region, and devotees were incredulous of the sacrilegiousity of the theft. A massive search for the image was immediately undertaken by the military and civilians, during which a policeman was killed and a police lieutenant wounded when their jeepney was ambushed by heavily armed men somewhere in Bolo Sur, Sipocot, Camarines Sur.

Devotees almost lost all hope in finding the image, with many of the tip-offs proving to have been false. The approaching feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia necessitated an image to be borne during the traslación or transfer of the image and the accompanying fluvial procession. A replica was commissioned by church authorities and another image was donated by the First Lady Imelda Marcos.

Recovery

A little over a year later, the image was returned to Rt Rev. Monsignor Florencio Yllana, P.A., Liaison Officer of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and former Rector of the image's shrine. On September 8, 1982, (the Feast of the Nativity of Mary), a motorcade from Manila bearing the image arrived in Naga at the height of Typhoon Ruping. The foul weather did not deter thousands of devotees who braved the raging winds and devastating floods to celebrate the image's return. At 10:00 in the evening of the same day, the image was safely re-enshrined at the Metropolitan Cathedral, where a concelebrated pontifical Mass was offered in thanksgiving for the image's safe return and arrival.

The image is now enshrined at the Minor Basilica along Calle Balatas in Naga, which was built as its new home after the old church, given the rising numbers of devotees who were attending services there in the late 1970s from all over the Bicol region and nationwide at the former church.

Devotion

The feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia is celebrated on the Sunday after the Octave (8 Days) of September 8 (The Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary) that usually falls on the second or third Sunday of September in Naga City. All roads and routes will lead to Naga City in Camarines Sur where six million Bicolanos from both Bicol and abroad will flock to that progressive city to pay honor to the Virgin of Peñafrancia, miraculous patroness of the Bicol Region. Bicolanos from all walks of life gather in Naga City to meet their relatives, friends and fellow devotees, share food, drinks, and prayers with them, and most of all, to pay homage and make thanksgiving to the Virgin of Peñafrancia, whom the Bicolanos fondly call Ina. They will shout "Viva la Virgen" to the high heavens. The feast day is preceded by a novena, or 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 flatboat 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. Millions of Bicolanos, year after year, show to the whole Christian world their strong faith and loyalty to their Heavenly Mother. Amongst triumphant sounding shouts of Viva la Virgen, Bicolanos and pilgrims by the thousands, with lighted candles in their hands, will kneel on the ground and bow their heads in prayer as the colorful fluvial procession carrying the Virgin plows through the Bicol River in downtown Naga.

A multicolored pagoda carrying the images/icons of the Virgin of Peñafrancia and the Divino Rostro will pass through the Bicol River. Male, sunburned devotees of the Virgin will adhere to the huge pagoda in a heartwarming display of faith and devotion. Actually, the fluvial procession marks the return of the Virgin from the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral to her home shrine at the Basilica. Upon its arrival, the Virgin will be received in formal religious rites by Roman Catholic dignitaries of the Bicol Region led by the Archbishop of Nueva Caceres, which is its home diocese.

Considered the biggest and most popular religious event in the Philippines, the Peñafrancia fiesta is in fact a one-week affair that starts on the second Friday of September when the miraculous Ina is transferred from her shrine to the centuries-old Naga Metropolitan Cathedral where a nine-day novena and prayers are held in her honor. Ranking government officials, Cabinet members, ambassadors, provincial governors and board members, mayors, senators, congressional representatives of the Bicol Region, business/industry leaders, landlords, employees of the government and state firms, etc., vie for the distinct honor of sponsoring novena masses and prayers at the Naga Cathedral during the novena period.

Events of the image's feast

The September festivities of the Lady and Mother of Bicol form an opening salvo to the long celebrations of Christmas in the Philippines, which begin in the very month the celebrations are held in Bicol and in countless other parts of the country.

Novena to the Divino Rostro

The festivities begin in a nine-day novenario to the Divino Rostro, a local icon of "the Divine/Holy Face". The Divino Rostro is brought in procession to the old Peñafrancia Shrine, where it stays for nine days of the novenario, which usually centres on the sick, and faith in Christ's power. Alongside the novena period is the hosting of the regional Miss Bicolandia beauty pageant, which marks the first salvo of the long festive period for the peoples of Naga City and all over the region. Usually, the first devotees coming from all over Bicol begin their celebrations during this period. Regardless of the period of the novena prayers, the only fixed celebration, that of the Nativity of Mary on September 8, is marked by Masses in the old shrine or the Metropolitan Cathedral, also in thanksgiving for the safe recovery and return of the image in Naga in 1982.

Traslación

The second Friday of September marks the feast day of the Divino Rostro, following nine days of the novena at the shrine. The image of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia is transferred at dawn to her old home for the Traslación in the afternoon. After the procession, a community and thanksgiving Mass is celebrated to honour the image's arrival. Bishops and delegates from other dioceses in the country then attend a Pontifical Mass concelebrated by archbishops outside the shrine to commemorate the feast of the Divino Rostro in the midday.

The Traslación begins after the noon mass from the procession of the students, delegates from other regions, teachers, government officials, and other professions while the images are being prepared for the procession.

After the Mass, the Divino Rostro icon leaves the shrine and heads to the Cathedral at a very slow pace. After a recital or two of the Rosary (depending on the Divino Rostro's speed), the image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia follows and moves at a very slow pace, quite slower than the Divino Rostro's.

After two or three hours, the Divino Rostro icon arrives at Naga Cathedral, and after an hour, the image of Our Lady enters via the Portae Mariae (Gate of Mary) in the grounds. A Solemn Pontifical Mass is celebrated after the procession outside the Cathedral grounds, and following this the image is transferred to the interior of the Cathedral.

After the Mass, the nine-day novena period for Our Lady begins inside the Naga Cathedral.

Novenario to the Our Lady of Peñafrancia

After the Traslacion, the nine-day novena to the Our Lady is held inside or sometimes outside the Cathedral. Millions of devotees come to the Cathedral for the novenario, praying for the divine intercession of Ina to her son, that their prayers be heard and be fulfilled.

The novenario is said to have healed countless devotees and even the Bishop concelebrating the novena mass. The novena centers around Mary's intercession to Jesus her son as the people pray to Our Lady to help them grew closer in holiness and to strengthen their faith.

During some of the days of the novena period, dawn and evening processions are mounted within the vicnity of Naga wherein the images of both Our Lady and the Divino Rostro are brought out to the streets of the city.

Parades and celebrations

Different parades are held during the nine-day novena to the Our Lady, and these events are open to the public, with coverage on radio and television as well as on online streaming.

The Saturday following the Translacion is the day the citywide Marian Youth Congress is held, gathering young people all over the city and region to share and strengthen their faith.

During the Sunday after the Traslacion, the majorettes, CAT, and Drum and Lyre Corps, plus marching bands, exhibit their skills in dancing, music playing, and silent drill at the Robredo Coliseum, with the best winners announced after the long day of events.

On the Tuesday before the Fluvial Procession, the Regional Cheer-dance Competition is held at the Robredo Coliseum. Almost all of the schools and universities in Bicol participate in this long, but very entertaining event.

On Wednesday, school contingents of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of the Philippines, from elementary, high schools and senior high schools from all over the Bicol Region together with their school Drum and Lyre corps, drum majors and majorettes parade in the daylong, Regional BSP/GSP and Drum and Lyre Corps parade and competition at the Plaza Quezon. The event is attended by representatives of both organizations in the region. Awards are given to the best contingents and DLCs which have distinguished themselves.

On Thursday, the Civic Parade of the Government workers, and different associations, and organizations in Bicol, and the Float Parade that is joined by hundreds of floats, honoring Ina, is held in the morning. This is followed by, in recent years, a street dance competition of schools in the city and the region in the afternoon at Plaza Quezon, with the winning contingent awarded after all the performances.

On Friday, the most awaited and the century-old military parade, participated by all high schools, senior high schools, colleges and universities all over the Bicol region, also including service personnel of the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fire Protection, parade in the major streets of Naga City. It is considered to be the longest ever military parade outside Manila due to its daylong, sometimes reaching nighttime, parade, and is one of the largest ever to be held in Southeast Asia, with an estimated 70,000 marches, mostly youth and university cadets together with athletes. Dubbed the Bicol Region Military Parade, it is also one of the big highlights of the celebrations, with the Mayor of Naga acting as the reviewing officer, together with retired and active military and police officers and personnel in attendance, together with selected members of the House of Representatives, the Naga City Council and provincial officials, who take the salute at the Plaza Quezon grandstand together with armed forces and police veterans. Awards and decorations are handed out at the end of the long parade to the best contingents who marched past.

Fluvial Procession

A fluvial procession at the end of the novena caps the feast. Following a farewell service at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral, the images are both carried through the streets and then in a pagoda (the Filipino term for a decorated shrine-barge, usually with more than one tier, used in fluvial processions) on its return journey to the minor basilica, where a Pontifical Mass is held. Along the route, people shout "¡Viva La Virgen!" and people wave their handkerchiefs and towels.

The images of both Our Lady and the Divino Rostro are escorted by a battalion of male (and sometimes foreigner) devotees, most of them are aboard colorful paddle boats pulling the pagoda and those who are privileged are joining the icons on the pagoda together with the bishops of Bicol, priests, seminarians, and representatives of the city, provincial and national government and legislature. Crowds by the hundreds line both banks of the river, praying and hoping to see the two images in the procession. Tradition holds that if a woman, either a Filipina or foreigner, rides on the pagoda during the September fluvial procession, it will spell disaster for everyone involved.

Festival Sunday

Festival masses held on the Sunday after the Octave of the Nativity of Mary at the Peñafrancia Minor Basilica mark the official termination of the festivities. Masses are held all day long in all the Catholic parishes and diocese cathedrals of the Bicol Region. In addition, masses are held in many parts of the country in her honor, organized by local devotees' associations.

Changes in the 2020 Peñafrancia Fiesta celebration

With the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, the Archdiocese of Caceres and the Naga City Government decided to tone down the 2020 festivities to comply with the minimum health standards implemented in the country. The following changes shall be observed for the celebrations all September:

Instead of the traditional novena to the Divino Rostro (the Holy Face of Jesus) from Sept. 2-10 and the novena to Our Lady of Peñafrancia from Sept. 11-19, at the Peñafrancia Shrine, Metropolitan Naga Cathedral, and the Basilica Minore, the practice of the devotion is encouraged in the homes of the faithful. The Novena prayers and guides have been made available through social media and the Archdiocese of Caceres website

The annual Traslación and Flvuial Processions are canceled for 2020. The images of the Divino Rostro and Our Lady of Peñafrancia will remain in the Peñafrancia Parish Church and Basilica Minore for the entire duration of the novena

Parishes in the Archdiocese shall hold novenary masses on the aforementioned dates.

The traditional Pagsungko ni Ina shall continue without any form of procession.

The fiesta mass on 20 September 2020 shall be streamed live from the Peñafrancia Basilica.

There will be no kissing and touching of the images

The other dioceses of Bicol shall be allowed to hold novenary masses on the same date as Naga to deter people from coming to the city for the celebration

Cancelation of all civic and commercial activities that coincide with the feast such as the Voyadores Festival, civic and military parades, trade fairs, exhibits, concerts, and other mass events (all for 2020), are to be enforced

The Tercentenary Celebration

Tens of thousands of pilgrims, devotees, and tourists come to Naga City, Philippines every September for a nine-day festivities in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, the Patroness of Bicol. The festivities begin with the Traslacion procession during which the images of the Lady of Peñafrancia and the Divino Rostro (Holy Face) are brought by barefooted male voyadores from the Basilica through the main streets of the city to the Cathedral. This procession, which usually lasts for 4 hours, is participated in by thousands of devotees from all over Bicol and other parts of the country.

The devotion started in 1710, when Fr. Miguel Robles de Covarrubias had an image carved, a chapel built and processions held in honor of the miraculous image of the Virgin of Peñafrancia on account to the many favors he received through the help of the Virgin, especially pertaining to his health. Since then the devotion has grown, including among non-Filipino Catholics. Devotees’ accounts of healing and favors received through her intercession are a reason for the spread of the devotion. In 2010, the devotion marked its 300th year.

The Archdiocese of Caceres has outlined a three-year preparation for the tercentenary with each year centered on a particular theme and objective.

Year 1 (September 2007 to September 2008 ) whose theme was “Remembering the Gift of the Devotion to Ina”, was dedicated to revisiting the history of the devotion in view of a deeper understanding of the same devotion.

Year 2 (September 2008 to September 2009) whose theme was “Renewing the Faith through Ina”, was dedicated to appreciating the devotees’ giftedness towards a more vibrant and relevant faith life.

In Year 3 (September 2009 to September 2010) whose theme was “Sharing the Future in Hope”, was dedicated to envisioning the future with the intent of sharing the fruits of the devotion to the next generations.

In Year 4 (September 2010), the church in Bicol celebrated in thanksgiving the grace of 300 Years of Devotion. The overall theme of the celebration is “A Gift received, a Gift to share” (Balaog inako, Balaog itao).

Hymn

The "Himno a la Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia" or "Resuene Vibrante" as Bicolanos call it, is the official hymn of the devotees to the Lady of Bicolandia composed by Fr. Maximo Huguera, CM in the year 1924. It won the first prize during the hymn-writing competition for the Lady's canonical coronation. This was translated to Central Bikol by Fr. Jesus Esplana and Fr. Sohl Saez.

But after the Tercentenary celebration in 2010, the full Spanish text was played again in all masses.

Spanish text

Coro:

Resuene vibrante el himno de amorQue entona tu pueblo con grata y emociónResuene vibrante el himno de amorQue entona tu pueblo con grata emociónPatrona del Bícol, Gran Madre de DiosSé siempre la Reina de Nuestra RegiónPatrona del Bícol, Gran Madre de DiosSé siempre la Reina de Nuestra Región.

Estrofa I:

Los ríos murmuran tu nombre al correr

Los montes proclaman tu gloria y poder

El pueblo creyente con gozo te ve

Te canta amoroso y besa tu pie

El pueblo creyente con gozo te ve

Te canta amoroso y besa tu pie.

(Repeat Coro)

Estrofa II:

Patrona del Bicol altar del amor

Reliquia bendita que el cielo nos dio

Escucha benigna del pueblo el clamor

Que acude a tu Templo con fé y devoción

Patrona del Bicol altar del amor

Reliquia bendita que el cielo nos dio

Escucha benigna del pueblo el clamor

Que acude a tu Templo con fé y devoción.

(Repeat Coro)

Estrofa III:

Los pobres y tristes te buscan con fé

Te miran llorando les miras también

Al punto sus lágrimas se truscan en bien

Y a casa gozosos les vemos volver

Los pobres y tristes te buscan con fé

Te miran llorando les miras también

Al punto sus lágrimas se truscan en bien

Y a casa gozosos les vemos volver

(Repeat Coro)

Bicol text

I

Maski an kasalogan, Sambit an si'mong ngaran

Maski an kabukiran, Ika an rokyaw.

Kami si'mong aki, Pano' nin kaogmahan

Si'mong nangangako, Ika kamo'tan.

Kami si'mong aki, Pano' nin kaogmahan

Si'mong nangangako, Ika kamo'tan.

Chorus:Awiton an awit nin pagkamootSa saimo samuyang idinodolotAwiton an awit nin pagkamootSa saimo samuyang idonodolot.Patrona nin Bikol, Ina ka nin DiosMagdanay na Reina nin samuyang region,Patrona nin Bikol, Ina ka nin DiosMagdanay na Reina nin samuyang region.

II

Patrona nin Bikol, Inang mamomo'ton

Pamanang banal, Balaog nin Dios.

Pakihimatea mga inagrangay, Kan si'mong banwaan

na napaalaw.

Patrona nin Bikol, Inang mamomo'ton

Pamanang banal, Balaog nin Dios.

Pakihimatea mga inagrangay, Kan si'mong banwaan

na napaalaw.

(Repeat Chorus)

Popular Artifacts

These two are some of the many artifacts of Our Lady which can be seen by visitors and devotees alike at the Peñafrancia Museum, which forms part of the Basilica complex.

Cherished Manto of Ina During the Historic September 20, 1924 Canonical Coronation

The third face of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia was made in the City of Naga. According to the picture of Ina from the devotional book by Fr. Miguel Robles de Covarrubias, the image of Ina is a 17-inch santol wood sculpture. This image of the Queen Mary is the Regional Patroness of Bicol – “Ina” as referred to by the Bikolanos. The replica of Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia is the second Marian image in the entire Asia and in the Philippines that has been given a Canonical Coronation. This coronation took place at the Church of Naga, currently known as the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral: Parish of Saint John the Evangelist, on the 20th of September 1924. It was presided by the Apostolic Delegate Papal Legate Guillermo Piani, own representative of Pope Benedict XV, and Michael J. O’Doherty, Bishop of Manila. Msgr. Piani placed the bejeweled crown on the head of the statue of Ina while a significant number of teeming devotees from different places chanted, “Viva la Virgen!” Also, it was on this solemn celebration that the award-winning piece of Maximo Heguera the “Himno a la Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia,” popularly known as “Resuene Vibrante,” was sung. The actual manto used by Ina during the Canonical Coronation is currently kept and displayed at the Our Lady of Peñafrancia Museum. Along with the mantle, a description says that, “threadbare and torn this “manto” was worn by Our Lady for many years until her devotees started donating new ones... she has more than enough now.” It also states that the manto was ordered from Spain which has a label on the inside lining which appears to have the words Fabrica de Ornamentos de Yglesia, Jose Candela Albert, Sto. Tomas 18, Valencia, and a logo. This manto is a significant artifact that would commemorate the historic Canonical Coronation of Ina on September 20, 1924.

Holy Manto of Ina found in the Peñafrancia Cemetery in the aftermath of the 1981 theft of the image

On August 15,1981 at around 4:30 in the morning, the caretaker of the Peñafrancia Shrine discovered that the image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia was gone from its familiar pedestal on the altar. The police reported that the culprits sawed the iron grills at the back of the church and took the Image. The identity of the thieves remained a mystery; however, investigators said that they were from the black market who were trying to sell valuable items. The manto and the steel bar which held the image was thrown like garbage in the cemetery grounds of Peñafrancia Shrine but the image was not found with it. On May 1982, an antique dealer and also a Peñafrancia Devotee, Francisco Vecin, acquired information about the lost image when a man in Mabini St. of Malate, Manila offered the Image. At that time, it was in the hands of a friend. He reported to Msgr. Florencio Yllana that the Lost Image was located in Cebu. It was on September 3, 1892 that the image in a sealed box was turned over to Francisco. The image was returned in Naga on September 8, 1982 it was the time when Typhoon Ruping hit the region but it was not a reason for the devotees to not celebrate the return of the image. The theft of the image of Ina opted for the production of a replica to be used in the 1981 Peñafrancia celebrations and today the original image is being kept safe at a prayer room in the Basilica grounds.

Content is taken from Wikipedia