Other History

The canonical coronation of the image of Ina

The Canonical Coronation of Our Lady of Peñafrancia as Patroness of Bicolandia took place on 20 September 1924, officiated by Monsignor Guillermo Piani, their Apostolic to the Delegate. The image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia enshrined in her sanctuary on Calle Balatas is approximately 275 years old. It is an ancient statue that has become an object of desire for some collectors of antiques.

Colgante Bridge tragedy

More than a hundred devotees were killed when the Colgante Bridge in Brgy. Peñafrancia collapsed from the weight of spectators waiting for the pagoda of Bicol’s patroness to pass halfway to its destination during the fluvial procession along the Naga River on Sept. 16, 1972, a Saturday. The procession was bringing back the image of Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia to her shrine from Naga Metropolitan Cathedral after the novena.

Naga, the “Heart of Bikol” situated 382 kilometers south of Manila, was then simmering with rumors of a supposed meeting of New People’s Army (NPA) leaders with Jose Maria Sison, secretary general of the Communist Party of the Philippines. This was splashed on the frontpage of the local weekly newspaper Naga Times on its Sept. 17 issue. [1]

The image of Ina was stolen

On the morning of August 15, 1981, this miraculous image was stolen from her shrine at the Peñafrancia Church. The entire region was shocked by this news and every devotee of Our Ina could not believe that such a dastardly and sacrilegious act could be perpetuated. Immediately a network for the massive search of the image was military and civilians alike. In the course of following leads to the theft, a policeman was killed and a police lieutenant was wounded when the jeepney they were riding in were ambushed by heavily armed men somewhere in Bolo Sur, Sipocot, Camarines Sur.

It seemed that the search would be futile altogether and people almost resigned to the sorry fate of having lost a most beloved image. Most of the leads proved to be hoaxes. The approaching feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia necessitated an image to be borne during the “traslacion” or transfer of image and the colorful fluvial procession. One was commissioned by church authorities and another image was donated by the First Lady.

The recovery of the image of Ina

A little over a year later, the region was shocked, with equal unbelief, with the news that the image has been returned to Rt. Rev. Msgr. Florencio Yllana, P.A., Liaison Officer of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and former Rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia here in Naga City. On September 8, 1982, Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, the motorcade from Manila bearing the Image arrived in Naga City at the height of Typhoon Ruping. The inclement weather did not deter thousands of devotees who braved the raging winds and the devastating floods to welcome the image of Our beloved Ina. At 10:00 in the evening of the same day, the image was safely enshrined at the Metropolitan Cathedral where a pontifical concelebrated mass offered in thanksgiving for the return and safe arrival of the image.

The image is now enshrined at the Basilica Minore at Calle Balatas in the City of Naga. She has returned to her flock and her people have gratefully built her a home worthy of her dignity, honor, and maternal position.