La Naval de Manila 2014

Today is the feast day of La Gran Senora de Filipinas, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, La Naval de Manila. Today, we devotees remember the victories of 1646 where the Filipino-Spanish forces won over the vastly superior Dutch armada in what we believe was through the intercession of the Virgin Mary. It can be said, this day is an important day for our nation both in its history and the people's faith.

Earlier today, I went to Our Lady's shrine, Sto. Domingo Church and attended the 10 AM mass. Thousands of people attended the celebrations a while ago. While the masses were going on at the church, the carrozas for the grand procession are being readied and before and after the mass, I just went around the place.

Here's some pics from Sto. Domingo today:

The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Sto. Domingo Church

The saints in preparation for the grand procession.

Our Lady's altar is amazing!

Carroza truinfal of Our Lady of La Naval

I'll be uploading more pics here

Later on, the grand procession in honor of Our Lady will begin at 4 PM and I'm gonna return to Sto. Domingo to attend it. I have been attending these celebrations since my first one in 2007 and as it's always been every year, it's a blessing to attend this celebration and I intend to do this again in the years to come, when I can.

To all devotees, happy fiesta! VIVA LA VIRGEN!

The Queen Enthroned and UST's Fiesta

Yesterday, the image of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, La Naval de Manila was enthroned at her altar at Sto. Domingo Church, QC, marking the start of this year's fiesta celebrations. I wanted to visit the church yesterday but plans didn't go through since it rained hard, but just passed by and saw what was going on there from the jeepney on the way home from school. Today, the first day of the novena in honor of Our Lady, I got the chance to go to Sto. Domingo since I've got no classes and I have all the time to do so. I attended the 10 AM novena mass kanina. Few people attended, mostly because it's a weekday and more people attend the evening novena to Our Lady.

The altar was very beautiful as it has always been for La Naval de Manila. Even looking at the sanctuary, with the image of Our Lady enthroned in her baldachino, commands reverence and devotion to Our Lady's devotees. Seeing the altar of the church like that makes me happy.

Pics (Sto. Domingo):

Sanctuary of Sto. Domingo Church, La Naval de Manila 2014

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, La Naval de Manila

The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Sto. Domingo Church, QC

Bas relief at the church facade

As a devotee of Our Lady of La Naval, it's great that it's that time of the year again... In all the years I've been attending La Naval de Manila, this is the first time that I'm blogging about this event. :)

Along with the celebration of La Naval de Manila, UST's parish, Santissimo Rosario Parish is currently celebrating it's fiesta. The celebrations there started last week with the enthronement of the image of Our Lady and today is one of the novena days. UST's feast day will be this Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014.

Here's some pics of UST's fiesta celebrations:

Nuestra Senora del Santissimo Rosario, UST

Singing the "Despedida a la  Virgen"

VIVA LA VIRGEN! VIVA NUESTRA SENORA DE LA NAVAL! REGINA SACRATISSIMI ROSARII, ORA PRO NOBIS! 

You can check more pics et al. at my Flickr account

Edit (10/7/14): Let me add better pics of Our Lady, from last Sunday and yesterday during the Besamanto.

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, La Naval de Manila. Taken 10-5-14

 Taken yesterday, during the Besamanto.

As October Begins (La Naval de Manila 2014)

Cover photo of the La Naval de Manila official facebook page

For Catholics, the month of October is dedicated to the Rosary. In connection to this is one of the biggest and most historical fiestas in the Philippines; the feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of La Naval de Manila or simply, La Naval de Manila.

This fiesta commemorates the Battles of La Naval in 1646, where the Spanish and Filipino forces fought against the far more powerful Dutch armada, and miraculously won through the intercession of Our Lady.

Our Lady of La Naval. La Naval de Manila procession 2013

At that time, the Dutch wanted to conquer our nation and the only line of defense for our country back then were two old Galleons that were armed for the battle. Compared to the opposing navy, our forces would have no chance of winning. In those moments, our forces turned to Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary for her intercession and for victory over the Dutch forces. And after 5 naval battles at different parts of the nation, the Spanish and Filipino forces triumphed through the intercession of Our Lady and this miraculous victory is still remembered in the celebration of La Naval de Manila every second Sunday of the month of October (this year, October 12, 2014). This is why the devotion is known as La Naval, referring to the events of 1646.

You can read a history of Our Lady of La Naval at http://www.lanavaldemanila.com/about_la_naval/

Thousands attending the procession along Quezon Ave. La Naval de Manila 2013

Tomorrow, the celebrations begin with the enthronement of the image of Our Lady of La Naval at the altar of her church, Sto. Domingo Church, QC, where it will all take place. Starting this Friday October 3 until Oct 11, Saturday will be the days of the novena. On October 4, 6, 8 and 10 will be the Besamanto at 7 PM after the novena mass, in which the image will be lowered from the baldachino for devotees to venerate. The feast is on October 12th, the 2nd Sunday of the month which is when her feast is annually celebrated and it will be highlighted by the grand procession that starts at 4 PM on that day.

 

Baldachino of Our Lady of La Naval prepared for the fiesta. Sto. Domingo Church, Quezon City

Banner of Our Lady hanging at the footbridge in front of Sto. Domingo Church, carrying this year's fiesta theme.

This fiesta has been one that I've been looking forward to every year whenever it's October. I've been attending these celebrations for years and for sure, I will be attending it again, especially the feast day itself.
Viva la Virgen! Viva Nuestra Senora de La Naval! Regina Sacratissimi Rosarii, Ora Pro Nobis!

Official Facebook Page of La Naval de Manila

edit: Did a few edits to this post and added the besomanto to the activities

Going to the Sayaw sa Obando 2014

The month of May is known to be a month of fiestas and I don't know what made me, some college student think about it for a while, but I decided to go see the Obando Fertility Rites in Obando, Bulacan, one of the well known fiestas in the country. Well known to even be referenced by Jose Rizal himself (guess it was already famous back in the day), the feast is a 3-day celebration held on May 17th-19th honoring the 3 patrons of Obando; San Pascual Baylon, Sta. Clara de Asis and the Nuestra Senora de Salambao on those 3 days respectively. During the feast, couples come to this town to dance to the song "Sta. Clara, Pinung Pino" in hopes of having children in the future. People and tourists come to the feast as well and dance along to the music to have their prayers answered, or at least see this in person. It's so popular that people from all over come to Obando in these 3 days of dance and merrymaking. I have never been to this fiesta... until now.

Now, I have already been to Obando before, just once though, but I have never been during the feast. Since it isn't that far from our place and not wanting to miss an opportunity to see a good fiesta up close, I thought of it for a while and I decided to go there for the 1st day of the feast. It was exciting also because it was the 1st time I'll be going there in person and by the way, I went there by myself :). I left the house at 6 am, had breakfast at a Jollibee near Munoz and arrived in Obando at around 7:30 AM. The mood was festive, vendors were all over and there were a few puddles on the way (dunno why, must've rained before). When I came to their church, a beautiful old church, it was already packed because of the people attending the mass and waiting for the procession. It was later that I found out that the procession started earlier at 7 AM, and people were waiting for it there. I had to ask where it was and went around to look for it along the procession route when I saw it. For the 1st time in the feast, I heard the tune of "Sta. Clara Pinung Pino" and saw people dancing to the song. From a distance, I saw the image of San Pascual Baylon (but not yet Sta. Clara and the Virgin Mary) and after that, I headed back to the church. I saw what I came for in Obando. The procession made it's way to the church and it was there where I saw the other two images in the procession, accompanied by bands, dancers and hundreds (if not thousands) of people. By the time the 8 AM mass ended, the images of the Saints entered the church and everyone in it started dancing to the hymn to Sta. Clara. I cannot deny, it was a powerful moment, seeing a great expression of faith and the joy was just infectious. I left Obando around 9:30-40-ish, tired but happy.

I'll share some pics of the experience.

Festive mood all over Obando

San Pascual Baylon Church, Obando

Inside Obando church

The 3 patrons

It's more fun in Obando

Performing the Hymn of Sta. Clara

Sayaw sa Obando

Dancing to "Sta. Clara Pinong Pino"

San Pascual Baylon

Sta. Clara

Nice bamboo instruments

Nuestra Senora de Salambao

Some of the dancers

San Pascual enters the church

As the images enter the church, the people erupted into dancing to the music of Sta. Clara's hymn

Dancing to Sta. Clara Pinong Pino. A beautiful moment. Pic is blurred though

High altar of the Obando church where images of the 3 patrons are enshrined

What an awesome experience to be there. At least, in a way, I was able to go out of town this summer (Well... it's in Bulacan, so... :P). Next year, hopefully, I am coming back. :D