Event in Each Festivity

Novenario to the Divino Rostro

The festivities begin in a nine-day novenario to the Divino Rostro or “the Holy Face” or “Divine Face”. The divino Rostro is brought to the old Peñafrancia Shrine, the old home of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia, via a procession, and stays there for nine days of novenario. The novenario usually centers on the sick, and the faith in the power of Jesus.

Traslacion

The second Friday of September marks the feast day of the Divino Rostro after his nine days of novena at the shrine. Bishops and delegates from other dioceses attend the grand mass concelebrated by Archbishops in the Philippines, outside the shrine to commemorate the feast of the Divino Rostro.

During dawn, the image of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia is transferred to her old home for the Traslacion in the afternoon. After the procession, a Community and Thanksgiving Mass is celebrated to honor the arrival of Ina. After the mass, the Grand Pontifical Mass, celebrated by Archbishops around the Philippines, is celebrated to commemorate the feast day of the Divino Rostro.

During noon, the Traslacion begins 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.

A mass is celebrated before the Traslacion while the people flock for the main procession. After the mass, the Divino Rostro leaves the shrine and heads to the Cathedral at a very slow pace. After a recital of the Holy Rosary, or sometimes two recitals, depending the distance and speed from the Divino Rostro, the Our Lady of Peñafrancia follows and moves at a very slow pace, somewhat slower than the Divino Rostro.

After 2 hours or three hours, the image of the Divino Rostro arrives at the Cathedral, and after an hour, the image of Ina arrives at the Cathedral. A Solemn Pontifical Mass is celebrated after the procession, outside the Cathedral.

After the mass, the nine-day novenario for Ina begins inside the Cathedral.

The 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, even the Bishop himself, celebrating the novena is healed. The novena centers around Mary’s intercession to Jesus as we make our way, closer, and nearer to him.

Parades

Different parades are held during the nine-day novena to the Our Lady.

During the Saturday, after the Traslacion, the majorettes, CAT, and the Drum and Lyre, exhibits their skills in dancing and playing the instruments.

Tuesday, before the Fluvial Procession, the Regional Cheer-dance Competition is held at the Plaza Quezon, almost all of the schools in Bicol participated in this long, but very entertaining event.

Wednesday, the Boy Scouts, and Girls Scouts, including the Drum and Lyre, and majorettes from different elementary schools in Bicol parade in the daylong, BSP/GSP Drum and Lyre parade and competition.

Thursday, the most engrand 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.

Friday, the most awaited,and the century-old military parade, participated by all High Schools, and College Schools in Bicol, including the Philippine Constabulary, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, parade in the major streets of Naga City. It is considered to be the longest parade outside Manila due to its daylong, sometimes reaches nighttime, parade.

Fluvial Procession

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 surrounded by a battalion of exclusively male devotees, for Bicolano folk custom holds that no woman, Filipina or foreigner, may board the barge with the Virgin as this will surely spell disaster.