IT faced scrapping. Seriously. A terrible specter, indeed. For one, we weren’t complete. Threatened suddenly was the strength of the pact forged 12 years ago: By hook or by crook, come hell or high water, once this gets off the ground it has got to go on and on and on. There’s no stopping.
For another, the “blood compact” group was being threatened with decimation, if not extinction, for varying reasons. Tradition was on the line.
Fortunately, the “survivors” were not of the surrendering kind. The band’s membership might decrease but never will they get wiped out. God won’t allow that. He knows that even with only one man standing, the show must go on.
After deliberations, the group’s remaining “Fab Four” thundered: “No way will we ever give it up. Never!”
The Mighty One
WE were not about to wash down the drain 12 years of nonstop observance of a pilgrimage fraught with faith and devotion to the Mighty One.
No way.
The luster of Lent will never diminish in our hearts, though the heavens fall.
No way.
Not under our watch.
“Our” here, of course, are none other than Joven Florido, the dashing retired assistant provincial fiscal of Quezon province; Elvie Arandela-Florido, the tireless, incomparable church warrior of Calauag, Quezon; Sol F. Juvida, the unbending, award-winning, press freedom columnist-writer from the days yet of the dreaded martial-law era up to the present; and, last but not the least—ahem—yours truly.
And so, the four intrepid souls had plodded on, keeping the fire of a Visita Iglesia aflame amid testy terms inflicted obviously by forces fueled by ill wind.
Aren’t persons of prayer the favorite targets of demons?
Biñan to Tagaytay
ANYWAY, to get to the point, our Visita Iglesia this year—our 13th straight since 2007—started in Santo Nino de Cebu Parish in Binan City, Laguna.
We went South this time as we trekked up North in 2018.
While it was all Pangasinan last year—from San Antonio de Padua in Rosales town as a start all the way to the globally acclaimed, miraculous Our Lady of the Holy Rosary/Good Voyage in Manaoag, Pangasinan, after dropping by the towns of Santa Maria, Tayug and Binalonan—this year it was all Tagaytay after Biñan City.
From Biñan City, we completed our 14 Stations of The Cross with visits to Tagaytay’s Pink Sisters, Angels’ Hills, Ina ng Laging Saklolo, Holy Spirit Chapel inside the SVD grounds, and, finally, Our Lady of Lourdes.
Papa Saint Pio
AT the front yard of Our Lady of Lourdes stand an image of Papa Saint Pio, whose intercession in 2006 made Mayo R. Mendoza recover miraculously from Kawasaki disease, a dreaded heart ailment attacking usually kids 9 years old and below. Up to now, the cure for Kawasaki disease has yet to be discovered. My family and I continue to be enormously thankful to Papa Pio as Mayo is totally healed and is presently finishing his university scholarship in Nagoya, Japan.
Before wrapping up our intentions, we prayed before Papa Pio to also intercede in the quick return to good health of our absent fellow Visita Iglesia founder Ching Fernandez, political victory again for Mayor Visorde through his wife Lina, the safe trip to New York of Baby and Tito Laurel and Dante’s deathless resolve of being the untiring caregiver of the hypertension-stricken Ching Fernandez.
After a rather late, leisurely taken lunch at Antonio’s Breakfast along Aguinaldo Highway near the Cavite-Batangas junction—leisurely because Pareng Joven and I enjoyed very much our Double Black shots lacing our modest meal—we made a whistle stop at the famed Mahogany Market before we headed for home.
With Bogs Mendoza, our ever-efficient pilot since Day One of our pilgrimage that began 12 years ago, behind the wheel again of the ever durable Toyota El Grandia, the homeward-bound band fell asleep almost simultaneously just minutes after the white machine sped back toward the asphalt jungle that is Manila.
Before parting ways, we pledged not to miss next year’s edition.
“No way,” chorused the Fab Four.
PEE STOP The Philippine auto industry was saddened by the passing of Levy Laus of Laus Group of Companies yesterday when his chopper crashed in Malolos, Bulacan on his way to one of his dealerships in Pampanga. May you rest in peace, Levy!
Image credits: Bogs Mendoza