FOR many devout Catholics, September 8 is quite an important day to commemorate. On this day of the year, we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary or simply the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus.
For us Kapampangans, our devotion to Virgen de los Remedios or Indu ning Capaldanan is one of the most important Catholic celebrations that we surely do not miss out each year. As the patroness saint of Pampanga, Virgen de los Remedios "saved the province from Communism and became the cause of unity" according to various historical accounts published.
Many young Catholics (including myself) are not probably aware of the impact of the Virgen de los Remedios in our history as a Kapampangan people. It is believed that since Pampanga was beset with communism in the 1950s, this "threatened both the Catholic religion and social order in the Philippines. The lower and the middle-class laity conflicted with wealthy landowners, which caused much political unrest in the region."
To resolve these social tensions in the province, it was the first bishop of San Fernando, César María Guerrero, who led the Cruzada de Penitencia y Caridad (Crusade of Penance and Charity) by reviving the Marian devotion. Bishop Guerrero, who is from Malate, Manila, "requested the image of the Virgen de los Remedios, already venerated as Our Lady of Remedies from Baliti, Pampanga to be borrowed by San Fernando." However, in 1954, when the people of Baliti demanded that the image of Virgen de los Remedios be returned, Bishop Guerrero sought "santero" artist Victoriano Siongco and asked him to sculpt a larger image of the Virgin Mary to be used for the Crusade. The bishop eventually returned the image to Baliti.
It was on February 11, 1956, when Bishop Guerrero filed a petition to Cardinal Federico Tedeschini, "who at the time was the Apostolic Dataria to Pope Pius XII requesting to grant a canonical coronation. On 15 July 1956, Pope Pius XII issued the pontifical decree on the Canonical Coronation of the image which occurred on 8 September 1956, the same day of its current feast."
As we venerate the Feast of the Virgen de los Remedios de Pampanga today, let us implore her continuous protection to us against the Covid-19 pandemic. As our Indu ning Capaldanan, we also continuously ask her to bring the remedy to our illnesses and other problems that affect our lives today. We continue to praise her as our beloved Patroness of Pampanga, Virgen de los Remedios. Please pray for us Kapampangans and the entire world. Amen.