THE MINOR Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag is anticipating over a million devotees to flock to the 100th anniversary of the canonical coronation of the miraculous Marian image.
The centennial will be marked on Wednesday, April 22, the third Wednesday after Easter, which is the icon’s “summer” fiesta.
The schedule of the week-long celebrations at Manaoag basilica was announced in a press conference on Wednesday.
Church activities
Activities for the centennial will begin on April 11 with a Serenata sa Coronada choral competition and prayer concert in honor of the Blessed Mother at 6 p.m.
From April 13 to 21, novena Masses will be offered at 5 a.m., 6 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon, and 4:30 p.m.
An additional 3 p.m. Mass will be added to the Church’s Sunday schedule.
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, O.P. will preside over the Mass for the rededication of the basilica after its renovations, on April 21 at 4 p.m.
Archbishop Charles John Brown, apostolic nuncio to the Philippines, will lead the enthronement Mass of the Marian image on April 22 at 9 a.m.
Another Mass at 4 p.m. will be celebrated by Villegas, before a grand procession.
Procession route
Fr. Jerone Geronimo, O.P., procession coordinator, said only the image of Our Lady of Manaoag would join the procession “to give emphasis” on the commemoration of her canonical coronation.
The procession will traverse Rizal Street until it reaches the Baloking Bridge, then turn left to return via San Jacinto-Manaoag Road and Soriano Street before going back to the minor basilica.
Geronimo said the procession would proceed regardless of weather conditions, advising devotees to bring umbrellas or caps, hand or electric fans, and water tumblers.
He also reminded the faithful to bring rosaries and candles with holders.
Safety measures and protocols
To help manage the large crowd, neighboring provinces will deploy security and medical personnel from April 20 to 23, the head of the Manaoag Incident Command said.
The municipality will designate parking spots with attendants for tens of thousands of personal cars expected to be brought by visitors.
Visitors are advised that the parking space inside the church is reserved for the basilica’s guests.
The main medical team and responders will be stationed at the nearby Manaoag Sports Complex, which will also serve as an evacuation center for emergencies.
Smaller medical teams will be deployed to areas where large crowds are expected.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) in Manaoag advised visitors to use transparent backpacks to speed up security screening.
Weapons, fireworks, glass containers, laser pointers, and other similar objects are prohibited.
The Manaoag PNP is discouraging the use of drones, including by accredited media outfits, as it may hinder the church-organized drone show.
‘Not tone-deaf’
Villegas said the grand centennial celebrations are not tone-deaf amid ongoing global conflicts and crises, especially in the Philippines.
“When did we ever have no crisis?” Villegas said in response to a question on how the celebration would still be significant amid the national energy emergency.
“Our determining factor for celebrating is that we have faith in God. And it is our faith in God that motivates us. It is going to be very considerate about the crisis, but no crisis can stop us from expressing our faith in God and love for him,” the prelate said.
Known locally as “Apo Baket,” the 17th-century ivory image of the Blessed Mother and the Child Jesus was brought to the Philippines from Spain through the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade.
Historian Regalado Trota Jose has since contested this, citing the image’s 17th-century Filipino ivory origins, as evidenced by its Oriental and Filipino features.
On April 21, 1926, it became the third Marian image in the country to be canonically crowned.
The crowning was presided over by Msgr. Guglielmo Piani, apostolic delegate to the Philippines, by the authority of Pope Pius XI. Yuvshenka Andrea R. Osea
