PHOTO: Batingaw in Flickr
– Ross Belle Balatbat
The Peñafrancia Devotees Association in Macau (PDAM), under the spiritual direction of Fr Alejandre Vergara, SOLT have organized the novena Masses for the feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, the principal Patroness of the Bicol Region in the Philippines. The devotion comes from Salamanca, Spain where the Blessed Virgin is venerated as Virgen de la Peña de Francia in honor of her birth which is celebrated on September 8. In the Philippines, however, the feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia is celebrated on the Sunday after the octave of September 8. Thus it usually falls on the second or third Sunday of September
The SOLT Fathers have always emphasized that true devotion to Mary leads to a deeper love of Jesus Christ, especially in the Eucharist.
The PDAM’s history dates back to 1998, which began with a group of Bicolanos. But devotees from other regions have joined through the years. PDAM President Melba Salao says that the association has 30 active members. A hundred more attend the novena and celebrations, many of whom have witnessed miracles attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Peñafrancia.
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