Last updated 04:45am (Mla time) 10/15/2007
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La Naval De Manila
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines -- A hush fell over a crowd of devotees gathered outside the Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City when the image of the Virgen de La Naval finally emerged for the afternoon procession Sunday.
The image wore magnificent gold vestments and was borne on a carroza (wheeled carriage) adorned with pink roses.
The Catholic Church Sunday commemorated the centenary of the canonical coronation of La Naval de Manila.
Crowned in 1907 on orders of Pope Pius X, La Naval was the first Marian icon in the Philippines to be so canonically crowned. The coronation drew the biggest crowd during its time and was attended by dignitaries from the Asian churches.
The procession of Our Lady of La Naval started at 5:30 p.m. Images of saints, placed on a carroza, came out of the church, including San Lorenzo Ruiz, St. Joseph the Carpenter and finally, the Virgen de la Naval.
The crowd attending the procession showed a quiet devotion, with none of the jostling to get near the carriage, unlike other religious processions like the feast of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo, Manila.
Instead, the devotees lighted the way with candles and prayed the rosary. Some waved white handkerchiefs, others couldn’t help but record the event with their video cameras or their cell phones.
The procession went around the streets on the periphery of Santo Domingo Church. Only the southbound lane of Quezon Avenue was closed to traffic.
Just before 7:30 p.m., Our Lady of La Naval was back home.
This time, she was greeted with fireworks, a band, applause and cheers as she entered the church.
Rev. Louie Coronel, media relations officer of La Naval festivities, said some 10,000 people attended the event.
The reason is Mary
Earlier in the day, Caceres Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi said Mary is the reason, in the face of suffering, people are not more bitter or more angry.
“I’ve often wondered how despite so much suffering and hatred, our people are not more bitter, are not more angry. How is it in the midst of all this hatred … hope does not die,” Legaspi said Sunday during his homily at the La Naval Mass at the Santo Domingo Church. “I think the answer is Mary. She tells us again and again that we must keep the faith and trust in each other.”
He said the country was battling an enemy coming from within society, “a crushing tide of social malaise.” This would come in the form of poverty, corruption and other societal ills.
He cited the electorate that chose corrupt leaders and politicians who claimed they had to be corrupt because of an electorate that expected handouts.
Stupid issues
He said the Senate spent its time with “stupid issues,” while student leaders dreamt of going abroad, thinking the fight for change was obsolete.
Legaspi said the source of these problems was the people’s disunity. “The root cause of this social malaise that is killing our nation is our inability to work together for the nation.”
The prelate said the solution did not lie with Congress nor in the electoral process.
He said Mary could bring Filipinos together.
“Mary our mother has always been for our people and for our nation, from the beginnings of Christianity in our land, a symbol and creative agent of our oneness as a people, of our country as a nation,” he said.
Barefoot procession
The Marian image known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, La Naval de Manila, is believed to have helped Filipino and Spanish forces defeat Dutch invaders who tried to gain possession of the country in 1646.
With no more than two merchant galleons facing off with 18 Dutch warships, Commander Lorenzo de Orella y Ugalde vowed to the Blessed Mother in the Santo Domingo Church in Intramuros that if they win the battle, the crew would make a pilgrimage to the church.
Five battles were fought, and the undermanned Filipino and Spanish forces emerged triumphant. To fulfill the vow, the crew held a procession – barefoot -- around the church.
Declared miraculous
On April 9, 1662, the five battles of La Naval were later proclaimed a victory of confirmed Marian and divine intercession by the Cathedral Chapter of the Archdiocese of Manila. The five battles were declared miraculous.
In October 1907, La Naval de Manila was canonically crowned upon the orders of Pope Pius X, a first in the country and in Asia.
A canonical coronation is an act of the Pope wherein the Roman Catholic Church recognizes an image of the Virgin Mary under a specific name being venerated in a specific place.
The venerated image should be historically old, acclaimed, and in times of need serves as a beacon of faith and hope among the people. It also manifests recognition of the fervent devotion of the faithful.
It is believed that the 1986 People Power revolution, a bloodless uprising that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos, received assistance from La Naval de Manila. A replica of the image was brought to the gates of Malacańang during rosary vigils and processions preceding Marcos’ abdication of his office.