San Pedro back home

CEBU, Philippines - Cebuano devotees warmly welcomed the arrival of the pilgrim image of San Pedro Calungsod, the first saint from the Visayas, yesterday at the Pier 1 along with the Duaw Nasud Visayas-Mindanao leg team.  Thousands also attended the first triduum Mass at the Shrine of the Our Lady of Guadalupe last night, the first of three before the National Thanksgiving Mass.

From Pier 1, the pilgrim image arrived at 12:45 p.m. at the San Pedro Calungsod Shrine in the Archbishop’s Palace via motorcade.

Devotees attended the welcome rites at the Shrine where a halo was placed behind the image’s head as a sign of sainthood. After the prayers, the devotees were allowed to touch the image for veneration.

After the veneration, the pilgrim image was then transferred to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine for the first triduum Mass celebrated by Danao City parish priest Bishop Emilio Bataclan.

But before that it made a short stop at the Capitol where Governor Gwendolyn Garcia led hundreds of provincial employees and students in greeting the pilgrim image.

Today, the pilgrim image will be transferred to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral for the second triduum Mass, which will be celebrated by Sto. Rosario parish priest Bishop Julito Cortes.

From the Shrine of the Our Lady of Guadalupe it will pass through V. Rama to Natalio Bacalso Ave. to Osmeña Boulevard to D. Jakosalem St. to P. Gomez St. and then to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

After the Mass will be the blessing and releasing of the commemorative stamps of the saint.

At 5 p.m. today, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma will bless the ship that will ferry the pilgrim image during the fluvial procession from the Ouano Wharf to the South Road Properties for the National Thanksgiving Mass.

Tomorrow, from the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, the pilgrim image will be transferred to the San Pedro Church at SM in SRP.  There will be a Mass at 3 p.m. to be celebrated by Palma, after that the will be the blessing and consecration of the church.

From SRP, the pilgrim image will be transferred to the St. Joseph’s Shrine in Mandaue City for the third triduum Mass at 8 p.m., which will be celebrated by Bishop Antonio Rañola.

On Friday, there will be a farewell Mass at the St. Joseph’s Shrine at 7:30 am, to be celebrated by Msgr. Adelito Abella and the image will be brought to Ouano wharf.

Duaw Nasud experiences

The Duaw Nasud team headed by Fr. Jayme and Msgr. Marvin Mejia expressed their respective feelings and experiences after visiting the 18 dioceses in the Visayas and Mindanao areas.

“It is so overwhelming that the Filipino people from all walks of life, di maihap ang gidaghanon sa mga tawo nga mipakita sa ilang debosyon ngadto kang San Pedro Calungsod,” said Mejia.

There are two dioceses who requested to be visited by the team and some of the devotees in the Germany, Switzerland and the United States also want to be visited by the pilgrim image.

The Duaw Nasud team also shared the different experiences relayed to them by the different pilgrims in the Visayas.

Ruby Dee said she saw a sickly woman at the side of the street who waited for the image to pass.  When it stopped, the whole family helped her wipe a scarf on the image.

In San Carlos City, Mejia said a man who used to suffer from cancer said he believed he was healed after praying to San Pedro Calungsod.

At the San Pedro Shrine yesterday, Nonoy Santinor, who had difficulty walking after a stroke, still made sure that he could welcome the saint.  When it was his turn to venerate the image, he told San Pedro that his faith will never fade.

Special trips

Special trips of buses and mini-buses shall be provided to the devotees of San Pedro Calungsod after the National Thanksgiving Mass.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7 Regional Director Ahmed Cuizon made this announcement at the 888 News Forum at the Marco Polo Plaza yesterday.

Cuizon said that the arrangement was made with the Land Transportation Office, City Traffic Operations and Management and the provincial bus and mini-bus operators associations.

Buses and mini-buses shall be on standby near the Cebu Institute of Technology-University and the Bureau of Internal Revenue along N. Bacalso Avenue that will carry passengers going to south and north.

Cuizon said that regular fare rate applies to the south while a special rate at P10 per passenger shall apply to SM City Cebu up to the North Bus Terminal in Subangdaku, Mandaue City.

Another pick-up area is at the back of Cebu Technological University for northern passengers dropping off at the Plaza Independencia.

The buses and mini-buses shall carry passengers to SM City up to North Bus Terminal at special rate of P8.

Cuizon explained that they only allow special trips up to the North Bus Terminal because there are already a lot of buses and mini-buses that can carry passengers going to the north.

Cuizon said that big bus companies like the Ceres Bus Lines and Metro Cebu Autobus already have committed.

Meanwhile, the P5-million facelift of the New Imus Road center island project is almost complete and already presentable in time for the National Thanksgiving Mass.

Mayor Michael Rama ordered its immediate completion for the thousands of pilgrims who will come to Cebu City for the event.

The center island is the first of the several center islands that Rama wants rehabilitated and beautified in Cebu City. The other center islands he wants beautified are those in N. Bacalso Ave., Salinas Drive and Gorordo Ave. and P. del Rosario Ext., among others.

Rama said that the improvement of the center island in N. Bacalso will be a corporate social responsibility project of WTG Construction that holds office along that avenue. He said he will tap the University of San Carlos to beautify the P. del Rosario Ext. and the International Pharmaceutical Company to take charge of Pope John Paul II Ave..

The New Imus Road center island will be maintained by the different barangays along the New Imus Road and by the establishments in the area including the Department of Education.

The mayor ordered the Streetlighting Division of the Department of Public Services to install street lights along the New Imus Road to maximize security.  –with Gregg M. Rubio and Jessica Ann R. Pareja/BRP (FREEMAN)