Our Lady of Peñafrancia: Mother to All

By Susan Monsuela-Prieto

When one speaks of devotion to Ina, the Blessed Virgin of Peñafrancia, Naga City immediately comes to mind. For centuries, her feast has drawn millions of faithful who cry out with one voice, “Viva la Virgen!” Yet far from the cradle of this devotion, in the quiet towns and riversides of La Union, a parallel story of faith has been unfolding. It is the story of a people who, though distant from Naga, have kept the flame of devotion alive, passing it from one heart to another, as if carried by the very hands of Ina herself.

Humble Beginnings in La Union

The year was 1988. Around 500 Bicolnon had made La Union their home, with nearly 200 settled in the provincial capital, now the bustling City of San Fernando. Seeking to strengthen their bonds in a new land, they organized themselves into the Bicolnon Association of La Union. Though composed of Catholics and non-Catholics alike, many felt the familiar longing for the protective mantle of Our Lady of Peñafrancia. Some vowed to return each year to Naga for her September festivities, carrying their promises with them like a lifeline.

First Peñafrancia celebration in 1991

But the long journey was not always possible. For many, the dream of kneeling before Ina in Naga remained out of reach. Out of this yearning, the Devotees of the Virgin of Peñafrancia was born. On September 22, 1991, history was made when the first celebration of her feast was held at the Carmel of the Holy Family Chapel, inside the Carmelite Monastery at the historic Pindangan Ruins in San Fernando. Bishop Salvador Lazo, then shepherd of the Diocese, presided over the Mass that would anchor a devotion for generations to come.

Atty. and Mrs. Marcos V. Prieto donated a small image of the Virgin for the feast. Later, they acquired another statue—this time the same size as the revered image enshrined at the Basilica in Naga. Under Atty. Prieto, the first president and convener, the devotion began to take root, watered by the tears and prayers of homesick devotees.

Growing in Faith

From 1991 until 2011, the feast was celebrated through the hermano/hermana system. Every last Saturday of September, the faithful gathered for Mass and procession. From Pindangan Road to the main highway and back to Carmel, the andas of the Virgin was borne on the shoulders of elder devotees. Each year, the procession grew longer, the crowd thicker, the cries of “Viva la Virgen!” louder.

In time, what began as the devotion of a migrant community began to embrace others. Ilocanos, drawn through marriages, friendships, and the living witness of faith, found themselves praying with Bicolanos. Slowly, the community transformed. Today, it is composed of about 50% Bicolanos and 50% Ilocanos by affinity—a living testament that Ina is not the Mother of one people alone, but a Mother to all who seek her intercession.

The devotion carried them even farther. In 2008, members joined fellow devotees in Manila and, for the first time, felt the overwhelming fervor of being lifted by the crowd, echoing cries of “Viva la Virgen!” as the Virgin was carried into the Manila Cathedral. Two years later, during the Tercentenary celebration in Naga, the La Union group joined the International Pilgrims’ Congress, walking hand in hand with devotees from across the globe.

In September 2012, a milestone was reached: the enthronement of Ina at the Carmel of the Holy Family as her permanent home in La Union. The Carmelite nuns, led by Mother Superior Sr. Stella, enriched the feast with hymns, especially the beloved Resuene Vibrante. A nine-day novena was introduced, weaving a steady rhythm of prayer into the life of the community.

Serving Both Devotion and Community

The association understood that true devotion could not stop at prayer—it had to bear fruit in service. In partnership with TESDA, they launched livelihood projects. These programs uplifted families, gave skills to the unemployed, and reminded members that Ina’s mantle extends to everyday needs.

In October 2009, when Typhoon Ondoy left countless families homeless, the association collected canned goods and clothing, donating them to Alay Kapwa. A year later, in July 2010, they sponsored the Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, showing their unity with the wider Church. In 2015, we embraked on a gift-giving of rice and other goodies for indigent families of Brgy. Parian, praying and hoping it could make some difference in their lives. These initiatives became the heartbeat of their devotion: faith in prayer, and love in action.

The Fluvial Tradition

In 2015, a new chapter unfolded with the first fluvial procession along Baroro River in Bacnotan. What began as a humble initiative soon became the hallmark of the Peñafrancia Festival in La Union. We brought Our Lady of Peñafrancia for a brief visit and on that Sunday to bless the churchgoers of St. Michael Parish Church. The following year, also in Bacnotan LGU, together with the Riverfarm Seafood Restaurant, the Sigaw sa Ilog River Festival was launched, promoting both tourism and spiritual renewal. At its heart was always the same: Holy Mass, followed by the fluvial procession of Ina along the Baroro River connecting to the South China Sea. The procession culminated at Villa Asuncion Resort where we held a general membership meeting and the members enjoyed sumptuous Bicol dishes shared potluck style by the devotees.

In 2017, the land procession expanded, weaving from the chapel through Zone 6, the national highway, Pindangan Road, and back to Carmel. By 2018 and 2019, the celebration grew into a joint cultural festival, in partnership with the City of San Fernando headed by the Honorable Mayor Hermenegildo “Dong” Gualberto —sister city of Naga. Fluvial processions along the coast of Carlatan, Pagdaraoan, and the Ilocanos Norte and Sur communities drew locals and pilgrims alike.

Even during the pandemic in 2020, when restrictions silenced most gatherings, the faithful did not falter. With humility, they continued the novena and Mass, keeping the flame of devotion alive despite the storm.

Miracles Along the Way

The fluvial procession of 2015 remains etched in memory. As the devotees carried the image along Baroro River, the skies suddenly darkened. Rain began to fall, and many feared the event would be ruined. But then, as if guided by Ina herself, the clouds parted. To the north and south, the rains poured; yet in the middle of the river, where the Virgin’s image sailed, light broke through. The faithful rejoiced—her presence was with them.

Another miracle followed that same day. At the celebration hall, nearly 250 people gathered to eat. Only one lechon was prepared, and worry spread among the devotees. “There will not be enough,” some whispered, embarrassed and even tempted to leave. But one voice of faith rose: “Do not worry, Ina will multiply it.” And she did. All were fed, and still half of the lechon remained. It was a modern-day echo of the loaves and fishes.

Challenges of a Changing Time

But every devotion faces trials. Many of the founding members—the pioneers who first carried Ina into the streets of San Fernando—have since gone to their rest. With their passing, the community feels the weight of their absence. The pandemic worsened this, thinning the numbers of those who attended novenas, masses and processions.

Younger generations—the second and third—are few in their participation. For many, the devotion feels less immediate than it did to their parents and grandparents. While the community remains evenly composed of Bicolanos and Ilocanos, the younger Ilocanos by affinity are less present, less inclined to shoulder the andas or join the novenas.

This is the greatest challenge: to keep the devotion alive not just in memory, but as a living tradition. It is not easy. Yet the very story of La Union’s devotion reminds us that faith thrives when it is passed on—not by words alone, but by witness, sacrifice, and the joy of shared prayer.

The Devotion Lives On

Despite the trials, the devotion endures. Since 2015, under the steady leadership of Dr. Paz Mones, the association has pressed on with faith. Each year, Fr. Emmanuel T. De Leon, SVD, a priest from Sorsogon, joins the celebration, delivering homilies that bring to life the rich history of Ina. His words remind the faithful that their story is part of a much greater tapestry of love and devotion woven across centuries.

What began in 1988 as the longing of migrant Bicolanos has grown into a shared heritage, embraced equally by Bicolanos and Ilocanos. Pioneer members like Manang Adelaida Rilloraza, who at the age of 96 and is now with a cane, still religiously attends the Feast of Our Lady and serves as one of the  advisers. The late Atty. Marcos Prieto, though diagnosed with cancer of the colon in 1992 and went through a year round of chemotherapy, did not miss a single Feast of Our Lady despite the ravaging effects of his chemotherapy until he drew his last breath in 2014. Equally staunch in his devotion was the late Manong Juanito Eubra who patiently documented all the activities. 

To further honor Our Lady, an organized group named the Carmel’s Choir serves at masses.

The devotees make house-to-house visitation to bring Ina closer to the people. She stays in each house for a week and the household is blessed. The visitation starts with an opening prayer, readings and prayer to the Virgin. It closes with a song and a rosary prayer. 

With every procession, every fluvial voyage, every novena, the people of La Union proclaim that Our Lady of Peñafrancia is not bound by geography. She is not only the Mother of Bicolanos, but a Mother to all who cry out to her.

Yet the future of this devotion rests not only in remembering the past, but in the willingness of the next generations to carry it forward. The pioneers, who once carried Ina with strength and tears, have left behind not just memories but a mission: to keep her presence alive in La Union. The challenge now is for the young—both Bicolanos by blood and Ilocanos by heart—to take their place, to lift the andas, to sing Resuene Vibrante, to whisper prayers that echo those of their parents and grandparents.

If faith is a flame, it must be tended, or it risks fading into embers. But if it is passed on—nurtured with love, lived through charity, and offered with devotion—it becomes a fire that no time, no distance, and no trial can extinguish.

And so, as the image of Ina sails along rivers and streets, and as her children cry out in unison “Viva la Virgen!” the devotion in La Union continues to shine. It is a light not just of history, but of hope. It is a reminder that in every generation, in every land, the Virgin remains what she has always been:

A Mother to all.