Albayanos honors Nstra Señora de Salvacion ahead of 250 yrs of devotion

By Rhadz Barcia

LEGAZPI CITY --- On the first day of August, thousands of Albayanos from the four island communities of Albay paid tribute to the miraculous image of Nuestra Señora de Salvacion through the 45th Annual Maritime Procession, held three weeks before the celebration of 250 years of devotion and the 50th anniversary of the image’s Canonical Coronation.

The annual maritime procession brings together devotees from the BARACAS Islands—Batan, Rapu-Rapu, Cagraray, and San Miguel—in a moving display of faith and unity in honor of Ina, as the Blessed Virgin is affectionately called by devotees.

Participating in the procession were parishioners from the Sacred Heart Mission Parish in Barangay Cabasan, Cagraray Island, Bacacay; St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Visita, San Miguel Island, Tabaco City; St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Villahermosa, Batan Island, Rapu-Rapu; and Sta. Florentina Parish in Poblacion, Rapu-Rapu. The four island parishes are under the pastoral care of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT).

Devotees also brought the images of their respective patron saints aboard the participating boats. After several hours of sailing across the Pacific waters, they landed at Barangay Salvacion in Cagraray Island and joined a procession before attending a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Bishop Joel Z. Baylon of the Diocese of Legazpi.

This year’s maritime procession also marked the 45th anniversary of the Sacred Heart Mission, making the celebration even more meaningful for the island communities.

The grandest maritime procession will take place on August 15, 2026, at the Diocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Salvacion in Joroan, Tiwi, as part of the celebration of 250 years of devotion and the Golden Jubilee of the image’s Canonical Coronation. Thousands of devotees, pilgrims from across the Philippines and abroad, and local parishioners are expected to converge in the pilgrimage town.

The original miraculous image of Nuestra Señora de Salvacion, also known as Our Lady of Light, is permanently enshrined at the Diocesan Shrine in Barangay Joroan, Tiwi, and Albay. Devotees believe the Blessed Mother intercedes for hope, healing, protection, abundant blessings, strength, inspiration, and unity.

Every third Saturday of August, pilgrims from different parts of the country and overseas gather in Joroan for the traditional “Aurora in the Sea,” one of the most distinctive Marian celebrations in the Bicol Region.

According to Fr. Joseph Salando, parish priest of Joroan and shrine rector, pilgrims visit the shrine throughout the year, but the number of devotees significantly increases from July until September, particularly before the Feast of Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia. The largest crowds arrive on the eve of the Aurora in the Sea and remain through the Segunda Dia celebration.

The third Saturday of August is observed as the shrine feast through the Aurora in the Sea, while the last Saturday of August features a nine-kilometer foot procession from St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish in Tiwi to the Diocesan Shrine in Joroan.

The Aurora in the Sea is a unique religious tradition as hundreds of boats from Albay’s coastal municipalities and neighboring Camarines Sur sail together in honor of Ina. The sea procession has become one of the most anticipated Marian events in the region, drawing thousands of faithful every year.

The devotion traces its origins to the 1770s, when numerous miracles were attributed to the image during the Spanish colonial period. Historical accounts recount that during pirate raids, residents sought refuge in the hills of Joroan, where they prayed before an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary for protection.

Tradition also tells of Mariano Dacuba, who discovered a tree whose leaves never withered. Sculptor Bagacumba carved three sacred images from its wood: Nuestra Señora de Salvacion, San Antonio de Padua, and Nuestra Señora de Soledad (Our Lady of Sorrows).

The images of San Antonio de Padua and Nuestra Señora de Soledad, now enshrined in Buhi, Camarines Sur, are regarded as the “siblings” of Nuestra Señora de Salvacion and will join this year’s grand celebration.

On August 25, 1776, the image was formally entrusted to the people of Joroan on the condition that a chapel be built in her honor. In 1853, the town of Buhi relinquished its claim to the image in exchange for P50 and P25 for the purchase of a church bell.

In 1805, a powerful typhoon prompted the temporary transfer of the image to Tiwi, leading to a long-standing dispute over its custody. The conflict was finally settled during an assembly in 1918, and the image was returned to Joroan the following year.

In 1975, then Bishop Teotimo Pacis of Legazpi officially proclaimed Nuestra Señora de Salvacion as the Heavenly Patroness of Albay. A year later, the Diocese celebrated the bicentennial of the devotion by constructing a new shrine and preparing the image for its canonical coronation.

On August 25, 1976, Jaime Cardinal Sin solemnly crowned the miraculous image in a Canonical Coronation.

As part of this year’s jubilee celebration, the Diocese of Legazpi will commemorate the 250th anniversary of devotion and the Golden Jubilee of the Canonical Coronation with a Pontifical Concelebrated Mass on August 22, to be presided over by His Eminence Jose F. Cardinal Advincula Jr., Archbishop of Manila, together with bishops and members of the clergy.