The devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia originates from the province of Salamanca, Spain. The statue of Our Lady of Peñafrancia located in Naga originates from Our Lady of Peña de Francia enshrined in the Santuario de Nuestra Senora de la Peña de Francia [es] on top of Peña de Francia, Salamanca, Spain.
According to locals, a Spanish government official from Peña de Francia, Spain, a native of San Martin de Castañar, settled with his family in Cavite in the early 1680s. One day, Miguel Robles de Covarrubias, a son of that Spanish official and a seminarian studying at the Universidad de Santo Tomas, Manila, became seriously ill. He found a painting of the image found by Simon Vela, and would place the painting on whatever part of his body that greatly pained him. This gave him relief from his suffering. “So many are the miracles that have happened that I cannot count them. All I could say is that I am the miracle of her miracles.” Miguel wrote. He and his family prayed to Our Lady of Peña de Francia whose picture he clutched to his breast as he hoped for recovery.
In gratitude to her, he built a small church made of nipa at the small riverlet near Pasig River containing the first copy of painting of Pena de Francia (which is now the Nuestra Senora de Penafrancia situated in Paco, Manila), done on canvas in the 1690s (or earlier). After that, he was invited to Ciudad de Nueva Caceres (present day Naga City) and ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Andres Gonzalez OP.
According to locals, a Spanish government official from Peña de Francia, Spain, a native of San Martin de Castañar, settled with his family in Cavite in the early 1680s. One day, Miguel Robles de Covarrubias, a son of that Spanish official and a seminarian studying at the Universidad de Santo Tomas, Manila, became seriously ill. He found a painting of the image found by Simon Vela, and would place the painting on whatever part of his body that greatly pained him. This gave him relief from his suffering. “So many are the miracles that have happened that I cannot count them. All I could say is that I am the miracle of her miracles.” Miguel wrote. He and his family prayed to Our Lady of Peña de Francia whose picture he clutched to his breast as he hoped for recovery. In gratitude to her, he built a small church made of nipa at the small riverlet near Pasig River containing the first copy of painting of Pena de Francia (which is now the Nuestra Senora de Penafrancia situated in Paco, Manila), done on canvas in the 1690s (or earlier). After that, he was invited to Ciudad de Nueva Caceres (present day Naga City) and ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Andres Gonzalez OP.
A lot of miraculous events happened in Naga during this period. One of the most prominent story is about a dog killed, its neck slashed and its blood used to coat or paint the newly carved replica of the statue of Our Lady of Peña de Francia (now the replica in Naga) made by a local artisan ordered by Miguel. The dead dog was dumped into the river, but it swam alive once again, as witnessed by hundreds of people, including some Dominican Fathers who were then vacationing as guests of Bishop Gonzales.
Many other miracles that happened were attributed to Our Lady, and the news spread like wildfire. Thus, the devotees also increased in number. She became more popular not only with the natives but also with the Chinese community. These were all documented in Father Miguel’s letters of 1710 and 1711. His letter to the Dominican Fathers of Salamanca, Spain (in the convent of the Santuario de la Virgen de la Pena de Francia in 1712 reported many miracles through the intercession of Our Lady. As the devotees grew in number, the devotion also spread outside the Diocese of Nueva Caceres, which before comprised not only the Bicol region, but also included Tayabas (now Quezon), Marinduque, Laguna up to Palanan, Isabela along the Cordillera ranges.
When the Most Rev. Francisco Gainza, OP, DD, arrived in Naga in 1863 to take possession of the See of Nueva Caceres, foremost among his priorities was the spread of devotion. In the dedication of the book he himself authored, he wrote that even before he set foot on the streets of the city, he had helped in the spread of the devotion by facilitating the imprimatur of the Novena to Our Lady. After seeing the sad state of the church and upon learning that the image was temporarily housed at the cathedral, he sought the renovation of the church to be the permanent home of the Lady.
Through a decree he issued on September 1, 1864, Bishop Gainza institutionalized the Traslación Procession on the Friday before the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, where the image is brought to the Cathedral through a procession for the 9-day solemn Novena, then on the afternoon of the 9th day, Saturday, the image is brought back through the “Traslación por el rio”, now known as the Fluvial Procession, to her sanctuary for the celebration of Principal Feast day on the next day, Sunday.
Date of the feast
In 1895, the Holy Father Leo XIII, acting on the petition of the Clergy and Faithful of the Diocese of Nueva Caceres led by Most Rev. Arsenio del Campo, DD coursed through the Sacred Congregation of Rites, issued a Rescript fixing the Feast day of Our Lady of Peñafrancia on the First Sunday of July and declaring the same as the Principal Patron of the City of Nueva Caceres dated June 4 and 10, on the same year.
In 1895, the Holy Father Leo XIII, acting on the petition of the Clergy and Faithful of the Diocese of Nueva Caceres led by Most Rev. Arsenio del Campo, DD coursed through the Sacred Congregation of Rites, issued a Rescript fixing the Feast day of Our Lady of Peñafrancia on the First Sunday of July and declaring the same as the Principal Patron of the City of Nueva Caceres dated June 4 and 10, on the same year.
But in 1905, the Holy Father Pius X, through a Rescript dated April 8 of the same year, granted the wishes of the Faithful of Nueva Caceres led by Most Rev. Jorge I. Barlin, DD (the first native Filipino Bishop in the Philippines) that the Solemnity of Our Lady of Peñafrancia be permanently assigned to the Sunday after the Octave of the Nativity of the same Blessed Virgin. This transfer of the Peñafrancia Festivities from July to September is the tradition that remains today.
In Spain, the celebration of the Feast of Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia is fixed on September 8 as contained in the Santoral Romano Catolico Tradicional
Thus, to determine the annual day of the Solemnity of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Bicol, the point of departure is still the Nativity of Mary on September 8. The Solemnity is celebrated on the Sunday after the octave of the Nativity of Mary, that is, the Sunday after September 15. The Traslación which marks the start of the Novenary is held on the afternoon of the Friday ten days before, and the Fluvial Procession on the Saturday, the eve of the Solemnity.
On Wednesday, school contingents of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of the Philippines, from elementary, high schools and senior high schools from all over the Bicol Region together with their school Drum and Lyre corps, drum majors and majorettes parade in the daylong, Regional BSP/GSP and Drum and Lyre Corps parade and competition at the Plaza Quezon. Awards are given to the best contingents and DLCs which have distinguished themselves.
Parades and celebrations
Different parades are held during the novena to the Our Lady. These events are open to the public, with coverage on radio and television as well as on online streaming. The Saturday following the Translacion, the citywide Marian Youth Congress is held, gathering young people from the city and region to share and strengthen their faith.
During the Sunday after the Traslacion, the majorettes, CAT, and Drum and Lyre Corps, plus marching bands, exhibit their dancing, music playing, and silent drill at the Robredo Coliseum, with the best in each category being announced at the end of the day’s events. On the Tuesday before the Fluvial Procession, the Regional Cheer-dance Competition is held at the Robredo Coliseum, with almost all of the schools and universities in Bicol participating in the event.
On Wednesday, school contingents of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of the Philippines, from elementary, high schools and senior high schools from all over the Bicol Region together with their school Drum and Lyre corps, drum majors and majorettes parade in the daylong, Regional BSP/GSP and Drum and Lyre Corps parade and competition at the Plaza Quezon. Awards are given to the best contingents and DLCs which have distinguished themselves.
On Thursday, the Civic Parade of the Government workers, and different associations and organizations in Bicol, along with the Float Parade that is joined by hundreds of floats honoring Ina, is held in the morning. In recent years, this has been followed in the afternoon by a street dance competition between schools in the city and the region at Plaza Quezon. The best float of the morning and the champion of the afternoon ritual dance showdown are awarded after the events.
On Friday, the popular and century-old military parade, performed by all high schools, senior high schools, colleges and universities of the Bicol region, as well as service personnel of the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fire Protection, parade in the major streets of Naga City. It is considered to be the longest military parade outside Manila due to its daylong, sometimes going past sundown, parade, and is one of the largest to be held in Southeast Asia, with an estimated 70,000 marchers, mostly youth and university cadets and stduents together with athletes. Dubbed the Bicol Region Military Parade, it is considered one of the highlights of the celebrations, with the mayor of Naga acting as the reviewing officer. Awards and decorations are handed out to the best contingents and bands at the end of the long parade.