120,000 devotees walk with Mary

CEBU CITY -- At least 120,000 Marian devotees joined the “Walk with Mary” foot penitential procession from Fuente Osmeña to Basilica del Sto. Niño today, said Joy Tumulak of the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom).

Geline Genosulango, 56, a resident of Ermita Proper, who believed to have been cured from a disease by Our Lady of Guadalupe, participated again as her promise to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Genosulango carried along with her walk a 21-inch "Birhen sa Regla" memorabilia, which has been under her care for 27 years.

Another devotee, Tita Colongon, 69, said she traveled to Cebu alone to celebrate the Sinulog Festival 2013, especially the "Walk with Mary" foot procession.

(Photos by Nera Mariz Puyo-USJR intern of Sun.Star Network Exchange)

Florencia Potolin, a senior citizen devotee who participated in the event, said she joined the procession praying for good health and guidance because she lives alone after her husband died. She added that Mary has been very generous with her wishes.

Children wearing Sto. Niño costumes were also seen during the procession.

Devotees carried with them lit candles and images of the Our Lady of Guadalupe and images of the Sto. Niño while praying the rosary and singing church songs during the procession.

A mass was offered at the Basilica del Sto. Niño at 5:30 a.m.

Guadalupe Parish Priest Msgr. Jose S. Montecillo, the celebrant, talked about the healing of a paralytic in Friday’s gospel in relation to this year’s Sinulog Festival theme: “Journeying together in faith with Sto. Niño.”

The mass ended with a dance presentation from Guadalupe Parish Church dancers.

Rain spares the penitential procession again this year as rain showers only lasted for less than five minutes in the middle of the ceremony. Small drops of rain started to pour again soon after the Novena Mass ended.

The mass was then followed by the "Misa de Traslacion," a Eucharistic celebration held every Friday before the Sto. Niño feast day.

A motorcade is set to bring the image of Sto. Niño, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the Ecce Homo (image of the suffering Christ) to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City.

The Sto. Niño image is set to stay at the shrine overnight and will be taken to the Ouano Wharf in Mandaue City at 6 a.m. of Saturday for the fluvial procession that will take it back to the Basilica for the reenactment of the first mass and first baptism at the Pilgrim Center.

The reenactment focuses on the mass celebrated after the arrival of the Spaniards in 1521, when the original images of the Sto. Niño and Virgin Mary were given by Ferdinand Magellan and Augustinian missionaries to Cebu’s King Humabon and Queen Humahay.

Meanwhile, a certain Demitria Humilon, 78, devotee from Tagbilaran Bohol, collapsed before the foot procession started.

Maruha Prehido, a service representative from Red Cross Cebu Chapter, said Humilon did not eat breakfast. Humilon was immediately brought to the Perpetual Hospital for medical treatment.

Prehido said there are more or less seven people who fainted and got treated by their team during the event, however, she said there were no major injuries reported.

San Roque barangay captain Roger Ruizo said around 20 barangay councilmen were deployed for crowd control.

There were also police officers, emergency aids and fire departments from different stations and barangays who positioned along the route.

According to Alem Saga, a security officer in Basilica del Sto. Niño, the Basilica has 120 volunteers.

“Kada tuig sad mohatag og serbisyo mohatag sa kahapsay sa kalinaw sa Basilica, sa inner lang 20 thousand ni occupy sa premises sa basilica, so way labot sa gawas,” he added. (Nera Mariz Puyo and Jolina Ylaya-USJR interns/Sunnex)