A journey of faith

At the crack of dawn, my alarm clock rang. This time there was no need of a second prodding. I wiggled my toes, kicked off my blanket and got out of bed excited to embark on a very special journey.  The Community of Lay Assumption (CLAY) had planned to go on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Manaoag, Pangasinan and I did not want to miss it.

At exactly 5:30 a.m., our trusty driver Santi drove into Assumption San Lorenzo in Makati.  In the softest sunlight, the blooming gardens by the parking lot glistened with early morning dew. There we spotted the gleaming beige, gold and blue Assumption bus, huge as a beached whale. We proceeded to park beside it so we could pick up a spillover of passengers.

 This was one trip where everyone arrived on time. Our dedicated Assumption San Lorenzo CLAY head Inez Polotan, accompanied by her very supportive husband Tito, was gently shepherding her flock of four Assumption sisters, 37 CLAY members and their families into the bus. Vicky Pajarillaga and Risa Nepomuceno, my CLAY prayer-mates, arrived to join me. We were tickled pink as Sr. Annunciata Malvar, R.A. and  Sr. Isabel Villacarlos, R.A. emerged to join us in our convoy vehicle. Their loving presence doubled our joys.

This odyssey had its inception at the start of the year when Sr. Irene Cecile Torres, R.A., superior of Assumption San Lorenzo’s CLAY-Emmaus community, met with Inez to plan monthly CLAY activities for 2013. Sr. Irene’s purpose was to align the members with meaningful activities in the Year of Faith, a legacy left to us by Pope Benedict XVI. This is a good time to celebrate and rediscover the joys of believing. It is time to come back to the church. And with great enthusiasm, it is time to communicate our faith. Sr. Irene thought it’s fitting for us to celebrate this sacred year by striving to know and follow Jesus more devotedly with the intercession of our Blessed Mother and Assumption foundress, Saint Marie Eugenie. Hence, the decision to calendar a CLAY Marian pilgrimage in the month of April.

Sr. Irene sought the help of gracious Loudette Banson who immediately contacted Bishop Socrates Villegas about her plans. The good bishop generously agreed to celebrate Mass for the group at his cathedral and host a luncheon at his residence. How could we resist such kindness? He even offered to accompany the pilgrims to Calasiao and to the shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag.

Malou Vasquez was tasked to organize the logistics for the trip, which she did so enthusiastically with the help of her sweet daughter Magic. So thrilled was she to have Bishop Soc as our personal tour guide. Sr. Irene, who has given our CLAY community such wonderful recollections, thoughtfully prepared a pilgrim’s guide for each one of us. It contained our itinerary, a history of the three churches as well as prayer and reflection guidelines to make a fruitful pilgrimage. 

With everyone aboard, the AC bus left Makati. They began their journey by praying the most Holy Rosary followed by morning prayers. The gospel that day made our journey more meaningful as John 6:16-21 was about the disciples who went into the sea on a boat. When a strong wind blew, they saw Jesus walking on the water and they were frightened. But he said to them: “It is I, do not be afraid… ” Truly, God assures us of his abiding presence. He is a God of surprises. He is gracious and generous. We were all very grateful for this message.

After a refreshment break at Luisita in Tarlac and a pleasant drive through riverside towns and fishponds teeming with milkfish, we arrived  at Dagupan’s St. John the Evangelist Cathedral. Here, we received the warmest welcome from Bishop Soc who looked youthful as ever. During the holy sacrifice of the Mass, he gave a brief yet memorable homily as he asked the assembly to remember three important things: 1. There is a God. 2. You have a soul. 3.There is life everlasting. The cathedral, according to Bishop Soc, is an affiliate of the Basilica of St. Paul, outside the walls of Rome. If you visit this cathedral after having complied with the necessary requirements such as confession, Holy Communion, prayer for the Pope, a plenary indulgence is gained.

Lunch was memorable. Bishop Soc, an engaging storyteller, led us to the dining hall of his residence where he regaled us with a detailed history and stories surrounding the church. We found ourselves in a 100-year-old structure made of wooden beams bricks and clay tiles. Rustic pieces of wooden furniture and pieces of soulful sculpture adorned the hallways. The food was wonderfully prepared. The chicken-pork adobo was tender and tasty, the milkfish fat, fresh and succulent, the pancit made us want to go back for more. The meal was capped by our beloved Badette Nana blowing candles on her cake as the group led by Bishop Soc wished her a blessed birthday. He then joined the pilgrims aboard the bus for the trip to Calasiao and Manaoag.

Saints Peter and Paul Church in Calasiao is one of the largest churches in Pangasinan and is listed as a National Cultural Treasure. After praying, we toured the museum in the compound. It was difficult for teacher Marilen Reambillo  to leave the solemnly beautiful adoration room. So drawn was she to the cross made of ancient wood, artistically preserved in its natural form. We also learned that the town of Calasiao is famous for producing the most excellent rice cakes (puto), a good source of livelihood for the townspeople. While the group bought and sampled the luscious variety, Sr. Isabel thoughtfully sent driver Santi along to buy some puto as pasalubong for his family.

 Finally we arrived  at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Manaoag. This church is an affiliate of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Italy. Again, plenary indulgences may be gained. Our Lady of Manaoag has a 400-year-old history of renowned miraculous and pious events. The image is one of the most venerated in the country.

Sr. Isabel, Sr. Annunciata, Vicky, Risa and I  sat side by side on a wooden pew happy to catch the community rosary and Holy Mass. With our journey of faith complete, we emerged from the church feeling jubilant and immensely blessed.

For Carlo Makalinao, who happily boarded the AC bus with his wife and two daughters, the best part of the pilgrimage is the journey back. He said that like the three wise men we should endeavor to take another route back, meaning  we should make a commitment to change our way of life and allow the time spent with Jesus to transform us to live a life of faith.

As the sun began to set, Santi drove us back to Manila passing through the provinces of Tarlac, Bulacan and Pampanga. All the way home, we shared triumphant love stories, basking in the love of  God our Father, that we had found in one another.

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