CLOSE to a thousand Catholic devotees of St. Therese of the Child Jesus rejoiced upon the arrival of the pilgrim relics at the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier in Kabankalan City Monday.
The reliquary came from Tagbilaran City in Bohol and was conveyed through the naval vessel of the Philippine Coastguard that docked in Dumaguete City at 11:30 p.m. Monday, April 9, said Serge Tan, Visayas coordinator of the visit.
“The reliquary is supposed to board a helicopter but ended up in the naval vessel. It finally arrived in Kabankalan City at around 3:30 p.m,” he said.
Parish priest Msgr. Joel Ruben, the devotees and Kabankalan City Mayor Isidro Zayco welcomed the relics and paid their highest respect to the Saint herself who is the Doctor of the Church.
Devotees prayed for heavenly favors.
Msgr. Onie Rosaroso Jr., deputy director of the Chaplain Services of the Philippine National Police (PNP), was also present during the visit of the relics to Kabankalan City.
Members of the PNP and Philippine Army also guarded the relics.
A mass was held in honor of St. Therese at 5 p.m. on same day at the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier.
The relics will stay at the Cathedral until 4 p.m. and will be transferred to the Little Way Seminary.
Zayco was upbeat that the pilgrim relics visited their city for the third time.
“Of the four visits she had in the Philippines, the relics set foot in our city thrice. We prayed that she will continue to bless us including the people of Negros,” the mayor said.
The next venue of the visit is in the town of La Castellana to Canlaon City in Negros Oriental and then back to Negros Occidental, in San Carlos City.