September 10 Wednesday – 5th Day of Pilgrimage, St. Martin de Porres – Goa; 5:00 AM Start. Walk to – St. Luke the Evangelist Parish – Goa; Santo Niño Parish – Tierra Nevada, Tinambac; St. Paschal Baylon Parish – Poblacion, Tinambac. Distance: 28 km
Yesterday’s weather was terrible all day, with intermittent rain and heavy downpours at times. Today, Wednesday, we planned to leave around 3:30 AM due to expected bad weather, but we decided instead to leave later at 5:00 AM.
I spent the whole night anticipating a heavy downpour, but it turned out to be just cloudy, with the moon shining brightly. I woke up four times to check the weather, but there was no rain. Now, I regretted my decision to postpone our walk. At 5:00 AM, we set our goal to reach St. Paschal Baylon Parish with some skepticism. Rain or shine, we must continue to our next church.
When we left St. Martin de Porres Parish Church at 5:00 AM, the mood was upbeat, but once again, the pace was fast. The distance between the pilgrims spread out within the first 2 kilometers. There were a few changes from last year’s route. One of them was that the canteen in front of the church was gone, so everyone was scrambling to find a good breakfast to continue the long journey. Thankfully, the parish church generously prepared some bread and hot coffee for the pilgrims. After a brief message, the pilgrims continued to the next parish church, which is St. Niño Parish Church. At this time, we still had another 10 kilometers to reach the next church, and the increasing heat was taking a toll on each pilgrim.
Once we reached Santo Niño Church, we noticed more people had fallen behind; some were struggling with foot injuries, while others chose to walk at their own pace. We took a lot of time waiting for everyone to arrive at the church. One pilgrim decided that no matter how long it took, he would stick to his devotion and not ride any vehicle. The early pilgrims arrived around 9:00 AM and waited until the last pilgrims arrived after 12:00 noon. After the last group was treated to lunch, sponsored by Errol, one of my sisters, Aires, I finally convinced some of the OLPA members to join us for the pilgrimage or at least to walk with us to the next parish church, which is St. Paschal Baylon Parish, another 7 kilometers ahead. By this time, the local government units (LGUs) of Tinambac had sent us their ambulance, security vehicles, and health unit to administer blood pressure checks for those who needed it.
After lunch, we proceeded with our pilgrimage. As soon as we left the church, the rain started pouring, sometimes heavily. Even with umbrellas, many pilgrims got soaked. Some decided to take shelter, while others chose to continue holding their umbrellas. One thing we missed was the Consulta family, who always treated us to fresh ‘buko’ (coconut milk). We ended up hauling coconuts to our transport jeep since it was impossible to eat at their coconut farm due to the rain.
By the time we reached our final destination, Tinambac town, the local government greeted us with their response team and provided treats (candies, crackers, water, etc.). As soon as we arrived at the church, everyone scrambled to find a good location inside, particularly near an electrical outlet to charge their devices. It seems we can’t get rid of our dear cell phones and power banks.
At 7:00 PM, we were treated to a delicious dinner. Every year, they serve us great food, including a variety of dishes and ice candy (avocado).
Lights out were at 9:00 PM, and lights on were at 2:30 AM.
September 11 Thursday – 6th Day of Pilgrimage, St. Paschal Baylon Parish – Poblacion, Tinambac; 4:00 AM Start. Walk to – St. Peter the Apostle Parish – Bagacay, Tinambac; Holy Cross Parish, Divine Mercy Parish – Paolbo, Calabanga; Our Lady of La Porteria Parish – Poblacion, Calabanga; Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception – Quipayo, Calabanga; Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish – Bombon. Distance: 28 km.
We packed our hiking gear and made sure to leave the church clean, just as we found it. We set off walking in the early morning, and the full moon seemed to be cooperating with our pilgrimage. Our plan was to have our lights on by 2:30 AM and leave the church by 4:00 AM, as we had quite a distance to cover to reach the town of Bombon. Gradually, everyone began to wake up, and despite the slow start, some pilgrims maintained a fast pace.
By 9:00 AM, injuries started to pile up. Some people needed to take a vehicle, while others were determined to finish their journey. The heat intensified, and our group became spread out. While some reached the town of Calabanga, others were still in Tinambac, opting to take it slowly due to the rising temperature.
At 11:15 AM, the Duran family from San Felipe, Naga City, delivered lunch and drinks to us. Although we had repeatedly postponed their drop-off, we finally agreed that the best time would be to deliver them to Our Lady of La Porteria in Calabanga. After that, we proceeded to the municipal hall for the pilgrims’ lunch, which was sponsored by the generous mayor of Calabanga.
At 4:00 PM, the weather took a turn for the worse. The sun was hidden behind clouds, and the heat transformed into rain. Within an hour, some streets were flooded, and the pilgrims began calling for help. Many required medical attention, mostly due to blisters. Some even lost hope of reaching their destination.
When we finally arrived in Bombon, there was confusion about our next destination—whether we should head to the church premises or the municipal buildings for our sleeping quarters that night.
At 6:00 pm, the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary PPC sponsored our pilgrims’ dinner.
At 7:00 PM, we were invited by our local OLPA (Our Lady of Peñafrancia Association) to participate in the holy rosary. After the holy rosary, all the pilgrims gathered one by one for their final recollections and experiences about the Camino.
September 12 Friday – 7th Day of Pilgrimage, Our Lady of the Holy Cross Parish, Bombon; 6:00 AM Start. Walk to – St. Anne Parish – Magarao; Our Lady of Prompt Succor Parish – Magarao; Our Lady of Penafrancia Shrine – Canaman; Basilica Minore, Naga City. TRASLACION, 2:00 PM – Metropolitan Cathedral and Parish of St. John the Evangelist; end of Camino de Peñafrancia Pilgrimage. Distance: 9.1 kms.
One by one, the pilgrims quietly woke up and packed their belongings. Some quickly took showers, while others grabbed a bit of extra sleep. Everyone knew they needed to get up at 4:00 AM to prepare for the occasion. Breakfast was served by the Pastoral Council at 5:00 AM, and by 5:45 AM, Rev. Fr. Leopoldo I. Zara, the parish priest of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, delivered a brief send-off message and took a group photo with all the pilgrims. We left the church by 6:00 AM and headed towards Naga City.
A total of 103 pilgrims participated in the final stage of the Camino. Everyone was excited and jovial because the final day of the Camino was upon us.
Our next stop was a short 4.2 km walk to St. Anne Parish Church in the town of Magarao, Camarines Sur. Upon our arrival, we were treated to a delicious breakfast sponsored by a friend of my brother. After a brief visit to the church, we were warmly welcomed by Rev. Fr. Balbino B. Gumabao Jr., and we took a group photo with the pilgrims.
We continued our walk for another 3.1 km until we reached the Our Lady of Prompt Succor parish. Upon our arrival, we were warmly greeted by the parish council, who offered us delicious treats and bottles of water. We waited for several minutes for everyone in our group to catch up. After a brief introduction by the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Misael Quindo,
The final push to Our Lady of Peñafrancia Shrine.
We strolled silently along Bagumbayan Street, making our way to Liboton Street as we progressed toward Peñafrancia Avenue. It felt dreamlike as we neared our goal. I began to feel the weight of holding this torch and, in a sense, the significance of yet another successful year of the Camino. Some were in tears, while others welcomed us with a heartfelt thank you for introducing the Camino into their life.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone, especially the sponsors, for their support during this year’s Camino de Peñafrancia.
Camino de Peñafrancia Pilgrims join the Traslacion
The second Friday of September marks the feast day of the Divino Rostro, following the novena at the shrine. During the Traslacion procession, the images of Our Lady of Peñafrancia and the Divino Rostro are brought by barefooted male voyages from the basilica through the main streets of the city to the cathedral. This procession, which usually lasts four hours, welcomes thousands of devotees from all over Bicol and other parts of the country. The devotion started in 1710 when Miguel Robles de Covarrubias had an image carved, a chapel built, and processions held in honor of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia to honor the many favours he is said to have received through the help of the Virgin, especially regarding his health.
The image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia is transferred at dawn from Peñafrancia Basilica to her old home for the Traslación in the afternoon. After the procession, a community and thanksgiving Mass celebrate the feast of the Divino Rostro. Bishops and delegates from other dioceses in the country then attend a Pontifical Mass, concelebrated by the Archbishop of Cáceres outside the shrine.
The Traslación begins after the noon Mass with the procession of students, delegates from other regions, teachers, government officials, and other professionals while the images are being prepared. At around three o’clock in the afternoon, the Divino Rostro icon leaves the shrine and heads to Naga Cathedral. After a recital of the Rosary, the image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia follows, more slowly than the Divino Rostro. After two or three hours, the Divino Rostro icon arrives at the cathedral, and after an hour, the image of Our Lady enters via the Porta Mariae (Gate of Mary). A Solemn Pontifical Mass on the first day of the novena is celebrated after the procession at the Quadricentennial Arch at the cathedral grounds. In the conclusion of the Mass, the two images are transferred inside the cathedral to begin the novena for Our Lady as the people sing the hymn, Resuene Vibrante.
The highlight of our Camino pilgrimage has been nothing short of transformative. Over the course of 10 inspiring days, we traversed two provinces in the beautiful Bicol region, undertaking the spiritual journey of visiting 39 parishes along the way. This culminated in our participation in the Traslacion, a deeply rooted tradition that has been celebrated annually for more than 300 years.
As a Catholic student, I have fond memories of my formative years at Naga Parochial School for elementary school and Ateneo for high school. Now, as an adult, I am eager to embrace this significant milestone in my life, marking the dawn of a new chapter that enhances my faith and deepens my appreciation for this cherished pilgrimage tradition.
¡BUEN CAMINO!
¡VIVA LA VIRGEN!
¡VIVA DIVINO ROSTRO!
The header shows the Camino de Peñafrancia pilgrims at the The Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, commonly known as the Peñafrancia Basilica.
About the author
DENNIS T. MARPURI graduated from Ateneo de Naga High School. He was an independent IT consultant in the US and worked in nine different states doing contracts primarily with Federal government agencies and Fortune 500 companies. He also became a professional photographer covering NCAA college sports. Now retired, he and his wife love to travel to Europe. They divide their time between Northern California with their immediate family and Ocampo, Camarines Sur, his hometown, where he promotes mountain biking for the local youth. He is the founder and principal advocate of Camino de Penafrancia.