Sunday, October 15, 2006 St. Jude’s Day Out By Ritchie Landis Doner Quijano
THE town of Samboan will take center stage during the feast of St. Jude on Oct. 28. Devotees who will flock to the House of St. Jude in Poblacion, Samboan on his feast day wants their patron saint to be known as St. Jude de Samboan, the patron saint of lost and impossible causes.
They don’t mind if their patron saint is named Judas and on his feast they are set to make another pilgrimage to the southern town. But wait, their Judas is Thaddeus not the betraying Escariot. Samboan is 150 kilometers down south from the city.
The saint’s feast brings in more devotees every year, says Emerito Calderon, who is overseeing the weeklong activities at the House of St. Jude. Devotees from other islands like Negros and Siquijor are expected to attend to renew their “panaad” or vows, Calderon adds.
Starting on Oct. 20, a week before the feast there will be a daily novena mass at 4:30 p.m. at the Samboan parish. A procession will follow the mass on the feast day.
Calderon said the annual gathering will be sponsored by the Samboan-based St. Jude Thaddeus Foundation.
