Se Siempre La Reina

For its antiquity and attributed miracles, the Church accords the highest honor to a holy image through a solemn canonical coronation. It is with great pride that our very own Peñafrancia image that Father Covarrubias caused to be carved in 1710 has gained this singular distinction of being crowned after 200 years thanks to the efforts in 1920 of then newly appointed Nueva Caceres Bishop John Bernard McGinley, an Irish-American.

Bishop John Bernard McGinley

When he came to Naga, Bishop McGinley lost no time in pushing for papal recognition of our Peñafrancia devotion and its further enrichment through canonical coronation. With the help of the Asociacion de Peña de Francia (now Our Lady of Peñafrancia Association, OLPA), he petitioned Pope Benedict XV who then readily approved that high honor through a decree issued by the Chapter of St. Peter's Basilica on May 13, 1920.

However, the actual coronation could only be held four years later. By then, Bishop McGinley had been transferred to California as Bishop of Monterey-Fresco. Bishop Francisco Reyes, as diocesan administrator of Nueva Caceres, took over the preparations for a grand coronation befitting our Queen, the Mother of God - Ina!

To make the event most memorable for all present and future generations, a contest was held for a special hymn to our Lady. And the piece that won was the "Himno a la Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia" composed by Vincentian priest, Father Maximo Joguera, CM, a professor at the Holy Rosary Seminary.

The Pope's apostolic delegate or ambassador to the Philippines, Archbishop Guglielmo Piani, came all the way from Manila to Naga to crown the image of our Lady of Peñafrancia on September 20, 1924, at the Cathedral Grounds where the Quadricentennial Arch now stands.

Photo of the Cathedral ground during the momentous

Canonical Coronation of our Lady of Peñafrancia

All the people gathered then cheered and rejoiced at this momentous event while they sang for the first time the new hymn, which anthem has been sung since then and until now, and anywhere around the world by her devotees, thus:

Resuene Vibrante el himno de amor. Que entona tu pueblo con grata emocion.

Resuene Vibrante el himno de amor. Que entona tu pueblo con grata emocion.

Patrona del Bicol Gran Madre de Dios. Se siempre la Reina de Nuestra Region.

Patrona del Bicol Gran Madre de Dios. Se siempre la Reina de Nuestra Region.

Archbishop Guglielmo Piani crowning the image of our Lady of Peñafrancia

Article Source: 2020 Peñafrancia Vademecum, Part 3, Page 7,Fr. Juan Pablo Z. Carpio and Atty. Jose Maria Z. Carpio.

Bitaw Na

Minsan, darating talaga yung point na wala kang ibang puwedeng gawin kundi ang sumuko na rin lang. Malalaman mo na lang, binitiwan ka na pala. Pagod na. Suko na.

Ikaw naman si tanga na naniniwala at umaasa na kaya niya. Na importante ka. Pero tama sila, kung importante ka at mahal ka niya, hindi ka niya iiwan kahit ano ka pa. Kahit ikaw na ang pinaka masamang tao o nakakapagod pakisamahan na tao, hindi yan magsasawa at mapapagod sa iyo. Magpapahinga lang yan, pero ang pagmamahal at pag-aalala, andiyan pa din. Pero sa kasong ito, kailangan tanggapin na kahit katiting, wala na. Tapos na talaga ang masayang sandali na inyong pinagsamahan.

Ang nakakalungkot lang, naging tapat ka. Naging isang mahalang bahagi siya ng buhay mo at inalagaan at minahal mo siya higit sa iba.

Pero magkaganoon man, at least, hindi ikaw ang unang nang iwan. Sinubukan mong ipaglaban. Nagmakaawa na huwag muna, na ibalik na lang sa dati. Pero sadyang wala na. Tapos na. Masakit, pero kailangan tanggapin.

Bitaw na. Dahil tapos na.