OUR Lady of Penafrancia finds a new home in Manila when she is enshrined in the chapel of the Loyola Grand Villas Subdivision on October 26, 2008 in a solemn liturgical reception and Eucharistic celebration to be presided by Rev. Fr. Manny Sarez, Parish Priest of the Our Lady of Santa Maria della Strada Parish, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City.

        After being touched by Our Lady of Penafrancia during her recent visit (Pagsungko) last September 18, 2008, the homeowners of the Loyola Grand Villas requested from Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi, OP and Msgr. Romulo Vergara, Rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of Penafrancia, to have INA as their village patroness. Both agreed to the proposal after hearing their extraordinary experience on Our Lady.

        Mostly unaware about INA, the village welcomed INA for a brief visit in their multi-purpose hall when suddenly her pilgrim image allegedly surprised all those praying before her. The testimony of Ms. Aggie Cabugao in her blog clearly describes the entire incident:

        “I wrote about Ina (or mother), the name fondly given by her devotees to Our Lady of Penafrancia, and how she touched our village, the Loyola Grand Villas, with her physical manifestation when she seemed to wriggle out of the clutches of the marshals as they were bringing her out of our multipurpose center.

        The male marshals came to take her from the table and bring her out for the recessional. First two men tried to lift her, but they couldn't. I jokingly told my neighbor, Sofie, that she didn't want to leave us. But was thinking what is this statue made of because it couldn't be so heavy since it was probably just two feet high. Then four men tried to lift her, and still they couldn't. And then the statue seemed to take on a life of its own. It sharply tilted to the right and to the left and this went on for several seconds. Mila then announced that this sometimes happened when Ina didn't want to leave a place and so she led the congregation in praying the Hail Mary and the Memorare. I felt goose pimples come over me and knew that Ina was really with us. I fell on my knees in prayer. Suddenly, the statue was still, and finally one marshal lifted her, turned around, knelt in front of the cross for Ina to say goodbye to her Son, and then brought her out. We took turns touching and kissing her.” (http://aggie317.blogspot.com/)

        A week after the Penafrancia fiesta, a group of homeowners made a pilgrimage to Naga to personally visit the shrine of Our Lady of Penafrancia and made the formal request that INA will stay with them.

        Moreover, as the Archdiocese prepares for the 300 years of the Devotion to INA, all devotees who want to share their experiences with her by sending their testimonies/opinions to ina300th@yahoo.com.


NEW DEVOTEES OF INA. Homeowners of Loyal Grand Villas in Quezon City pose with Penafrancia Basilica Minore Rector Msgr. Romulo Vergara and Fr. Dan Imperial when they came to visit her at her home in Balatas, Naga City last Oct.1, 2008.