ANNA Mayores, 23, a laundrywoman from Barangay Sambag II, was with her husband and her five-month-old son as she walked with more than 20,000 Sto. Niño devotees in the rain yesterday dawn, from Fuente Osmeña to the Basilica del Santo Nino.
Her prayer: that the Virgin Mary and the Sto. Niño bless her young family.
Mayores said it was her first time to join the procession.
“Lisud kayo ang among kinabuhi. Labandera ra gyud ko, ug ang akong bana trisikad driver ra. Pero nangadye lang mi sa Birhen ug ni Santo Nino nga hatagan mi nila ug swerte bisag sa among kalisud (Life is difficult. I’m only a laundrywoman, my husband drives a trisikad),” said Mayores.
Her husband, Jayrick, 25, said he joined this year’s procession to pray for his parents’ forgiveness.
“Away man gud mi sa akong ginikanan. Nangayu lang unta ko sa Birhen ug ni Santo Nino nga pasayloon ko nila ug dawatun nila ang akong asawa (We’re not in good terms with my parents. I pray that they will accept my wife),” said Jayrick.
Two images
The Walk with Mary brought the image of the Lady of Guadalupe to the Basilica del Santo Nino to reenact the meeting of the two images.
At 5:30 a.m., as the “carro” of the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe arrived at the Basilica, a mass was held presided over by Msgr. Jose Montecillo, parish priest of the Archdiocesan Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe Parish.
Rain
Despite the rain, the devotees stayed, holding on to their umbrellas and to their images of the Blessed Virgin and the Santo Niño.
Ursula Ursaiz, 54, from Minglanilla town, attended the dawn mass despite being soaked from the rain as a sacrifice.
“Panata ra gyud ni nako kada tuig. Ma-uwan o ma-init, muanhi gyud ko (This has been my pledge, whether rain or shine),” said Ursaiz.
The mass for the Walk for Mary was followed by the traditional “Misa de Traslacion”. (JKV/Sun.Star Cebu)
