Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia de Naga

The Image of the Mother of the Bicolanos - Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia (Complete title: Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Penafrancia de Naga)- is arguably one of the most popular and most venerated image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the country. The image is a wooden statue of the patterned after the image of Virgen del Santo Rosario de Peña de Francia in Salamanca, Spain and Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia de Manila of Paco. With several miracles that would fill many volumes to its history and the affection that Bicolanos showered to her earned her the title the Principal Patroness and Queen of Bicol Region or simply "Ina" to her devotees, Bicolanos and non Bicolanos alike.

It is currently enshrined at the Basilica Minore de Nuestra Senora de Penafrancia in Naga City, Camarines Sur and millions of pilgrims and devotees arrive in Naga City every September for the nine-day novanario and Fiesta festivities in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, The shrine in Naga gathers more than five million devotees every year and is known as one of the biggest Marian pilgrimage sites in the world.

Features of the image

Details of the original image

The image is richly dressed with beautifully embroidered robes or "Manto" that are given by devotees from all over the country. A metal plate done in "pukpok" syle covers the bastidor body of the image and bib (babero) covers the neck of the image.The image is a de bastidor type image which is built to vesting and its distinct feature is its conical shape body that is patterned to the style of the Spanish Noblewoman of Royal court of the Felipes.

A peculiar feature of original the image is that it the image has no hands which is evident to all her replicas to give an illusion of the mother holding her child in his body yet a hand was attached to the child Jesus in a gesture of blessing and facing his mother while the Mother is gazing at the beholder. This feature of the Child Jesus is somehow absent in majority of its replicas, notably in the Festejada image, to give a notable distinction to the original.

History: The Saga of the Virgin from Salamanca to Nueva Caceres

The original image of Nuestra Señora de Peña de Francia
of Salamanca, Spain

The Salamanca Origin

In the 1400's in Paris, France, there was a wealthy family who bore a son named Simon who is very devout of the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the poor. Despite his enormous wealth, he denounced these worldly pursuits and lived a holy life, particularly serving the poor. On the death of his parents and his sister, he gave all his inheritance to the Church and donated much to the plight of the poor and the destitute. He later entered a Franciscan monastery as a chamber person and lived the rule of St. Francis of Assisi.

Simon would frequently 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. One day, while in deep spiritual contemplation he heard a voice and instructed him to go and find the place named "Pena de Francia" where he will find an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary that was buried in the mountain.

From Salamanca to Naga

According to locals in what is now Naga City, a Spanish colonial official from Peñafrancia, Spain (a native of San Martín de Castañeda) 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.

A painting of Virgen de Pena de Francia
of Salamance - this could be
the basis of the image of
Virgen de Penafrancia of Naga

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 mobilised 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 Bikol 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 Peña de francia 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 Bikol 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 Canonical Coronation of the image

Canonical coronation of the image

The Canonical Coronation of Our Lady of Peñafrancia as "Patroness of Bicolandia" took place on 20 September 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. The image is the Second Marian image in the Philippines and in Asia to receive Canonical Coronation.

The Colgante Bridge tragedy

More than a hundred devotees were killed when Colgante Bridge in Barangay Peñafrancia collapsed on Saturday, 16 September 1972. The overloaded bridge collapsed from the weight of people waiting for the pagoda barge bearing the icon to sail halfway through the fluvial procession on the Naga River. The procession was returning the image to its shrine from Naga Metropolitan Cathedral after the novena in the Virgin's honour.

Naga was at the time simmering with rumors of a supposed meeting between leaders of the insurgent New People’s Army and José María Sison, secretary-general of the Communist Party of the Philippines. This made headlines in papers such as the Naga Times the day following the accident.

The Theft and return of the image

The condition of the image after it was
sacrilegiously stolen

In August 15, 1981, the image was stolen from its shrine. 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 and the Feast is fast approaching at that time. A replica was commissioned by church authorities and another image was donated by the First Lady Imelda Marcos.

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 Grand Feast of the Virgin

The feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia is considered one of the biggest and most popular religious event in the Philippinesis. THe Feast is celebrated on the Sunday after the Octave of September 8 - The Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary that usually falls on the second or third Sunday of September in Naga City, Camarines Sur. 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. They will shout "Viva la Virgen" to the high heavens.

The New Basilica of Our Lady of Penafrancia

The original image prior to her second restoration

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 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 will once again 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, 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. 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.

The Traslación

The Pagoda carrying the images of Virgen de Penafrancia
and El DIvino Rostro

A fluvial procession at the end of the novena caps the feast. The image is carried 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 basilica, where a Pontifical Mass is held. Along the route, people shout "¡Viva La Virgen!" The image is always escorted by rhe Voyadores. The Voyadores are male devotees who are on barefoot with colorful headbands who share the burden of the Image’s carriage. The female devotees instead pray novenas and the rosary.Only male devotees are allowed to be a Voyador and accompany the Virgin for it is believed that once there is a female in the Pagoda, the boat will sink and the Virgin somehow wishes to be the only woman in the Pagoda.

The Bicolanos’ deep devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia is what makes the region’s faithful different and distinct from other devotees. Devotional expressions such as kissing or touching the image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, immersing into the Bicol River during fluvial procession, walking barefoot, lighting a candle, waving handkerchief, shouting, and many other forms of devotion cannot substitute for serious Christian commitment, persevering, and practical actions. “Viva la Virgen!” “Viva el Divino Rostro!” are shouts of lively faith and praise of Mary and Jesus. But these shouts of honor are also admonitions to us to live our lives in accordance with God’s commandments.

With the tremendous miracles of the Virgen de Peñafrancia de Naga, The Blessed Mother has brought Filipinos and other people from the rest of the world even closer, which only proves that cultural traditions are here to stay; clearly signifying that we are one as God’s children; and that Miracles do happen, even in these modern times.