Ilocanos usher traditional novena for Ilocos Norte’s patron saint

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff Reporter

In preparation for the commemoration of the annual provincial festival of Ilocos Norte, Ilocanos here have ushered the conduct of a nine-day novena from April 25 to May 2.

Provincial tourism officer Ian Ree Raquel said the traditional novena will be held in nine selected churches of the Diocese of Laoag starting from Badoc, the southernmost part of the province.

Estimated to be 400 years old, the revered image of La Virgen Milagros de Badoc is enshrined and venerated in the more than 200-year old Saint John the Baptist church in Badoc town. Inside the church one will find the miraculous image of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus wrapped in her arms.

Many Ilocanos in this northern Philippines town testify to the countless miracles attributed to the beloved image of La Virgin Milagrosa de Badoc which have kindled and heightened the veneration and devotion of the people from the Ilocos region for which the image was really meant.

Realizing the intense and widespread devotion, the Diocese of Laoag proclaimed the wooden image of La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc as the Patroness of Ilocos Norte on May 2, 1980. This church in Badoc was the pilgrimage site for the Great Jubilee Year 2000.

Earlier, Ilocanos through the initiative of the provincial government of Ilocos Norte built a chapel on the same site where the image of La Virgen Milagrosa was located. This now serves as one of Ilocos Norte’s pilgrimage sites for devout Catholics around the country.

The annual novena to usher this province’s provincial festival as a tribute to La Virgen Milagrosa is meant to pray for the province and its people to be spared from any danger and natural calamity.

Other churches to participate in the novena include: Santa Monica Parish in Sarrat, St. Joseph in Dingras, St. Anne in Piddig, St. Nicholas of Tolentine in Vintar, St. Andrew of Bacarra, St. Nicholas de Tolentino in San Nicolas, Immaculate Concepcion of Paoay and St. John the Baptist in Badoc.

On May 2, a mass at La Virgen Milagrosa Chapel in Badoc to be participated in by the religious sector will be conducted highlighting the 1,000 floating of candles and 1,000 flying of lanterns.