Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Visits The Barangays

by GABRIEL M. DELFIN

Our Lady, known hereabouts as Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Patron Saint of New Washington, visits her children. She does this every year since 1999.

The visits started on Saturday, August 25. Our Lady’s 2012 trek had Her first stop-over at the Barangay Sang Birhen chapel, sitio Saugan, barangay Tambak. This visit will go on for 40 days. She shall visit 37 barangay chapels, two (2) religious congregations; the Immaculata Adoration Sisters (Pink Sisters) and Missionary Sisters of Charity of St. Maria Teresa. The last stop-over is the Monfort Technological Institute. 

Of the 37 barangay chapels, 17 are Marian chapels, six (6) are those in honor of Our Lord Jesus, and 14 are in honor of the saints of the church.

Of the Marian chapel, Our Lady of Perpetual Help – 3; Nuestra Señora del Remedios – 2; Our Lady of Fatima – 2; Nuestra Señora dela Paz Y Buen Viaje – 2; Our Lady of Lourdes –1; Nuestra Señora de Candelaria – 1; Barangay Sang Birhen – 1; Nuestra Señora del Salvacion – 1; Mary Help of Christians – 1; Our Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion – 1; Nuestra Señora de Guia – 1; and Nuestra Señora de Dolorosa – 1.

The chapel in honor of our Lord Jesus are the Sacred Heart of Jesus – 2; Nazareno – 3; and Sto. Niño – 1.

The 14 chapels in honor of the saints of the church are San Jose de Patriarca – 3; Sta. Lucia – 1; Sta. Rosa de Lima – 1; San Isidro Labrador – 2; San Vicente Ferrer – 3; San Roque – 1; San Antonio de Padua – 1; San Juan Bautista – 1; and Sts. Peter and Paul – 1.

This year’s barangay pilgrimage shall come to a close on Thursday, October 4.

The image of Our Lady leaves the chapel daily at 3:00 after a short-send off program. She is carried on the shoulders of the men of the barangay and taken to the next chapel. On arrival at the new chapel, a short turn-over ceremony and program follows.

Holy Mass is said by one of the priests of the parish. He may be Msgr. Jose D. Dollete, the parish coordinator, or any of the two members: Fr. Ted Hilario or Fr. Paeng Delfin. The parish of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary is managed through what is now called Team Ministry.

It may be recalled that the actual start of this activity was in September 1984, a month before the inauguration of the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, the official name of New Washington’s parish church. That first pilgrimage lasted thirty (30) days.

The same pilgrimage was resumed in 1999. It has since become an annual activity of the parish. That means, this year’s activity is actually the fifteenth. However, this year is the fourteenth consecutive visit of Our Lady to her children in New Washington. 

Now called the Barangay Pilgrimage of Our Lady, the first one, in 1984 made visits to 15 barangays of New Washington and three (3) barangays of Batan which were then part of the parish of New Washington. After the separation of the Batan barangays, which now belong to a separate new parish, Our Lady’s visits are to all the 16 barangays of New Washington and of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish.

This devotional activity is geared to strengthen devotion to Our Lady, the mother of God, and to follow Her wish and request to pray the Rosary as often as possible. Because of this, She has made 15 promises to the faithful who prays the rosary. Leafleats concerning these promises are being distributed by the parish. /MP