A couple petitions to be blessed with a child as thousands join the Walk with Mary

Jane and Edgar Fuentes, married for ten years, never fail to join the Walk with Mary procession in the decade they have been married. They come bearing the images of the Our Lady of Fatima and the Señor Santo Niño in the procession to celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Sept. 8, 2019. |Photo by ROSALIE O. ABATAYO/CDNDigital

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Mary Jane and Edgar Fuentes, a married couple of 10 years, have made it a tradition to set out to the street at dawn every September 8.

Since their marriage, the couple from Barangay Guadalupe in Cebu City has been joining the annual procession in celebration of the Feast of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Their long time prayers since they started their devotion to the Virgin Mary is the blessing for a child.

“Malinawon nga pagpuyo ug mahatagan og grasya nga anak (We pray for a peaceful living and to be blessed with a child),” 44-year-old Mary Jane told CDN Digital.

On Sunday, September 8, the couple was among the thousands who joined the Walk With Mary procession. Mary Jane brought with her the image of Señor Santo Niño while 48-year-old Edgar carried their replica of the Our Lady of Fatima.

The Walk with Mary procession in commemoration of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of the Catholic Church crosses the Osmeña Boulevard skywalk early in the morning of September 8, 2019. |Photo by GERARD VINCENT FRANCISCO/CDNDigital

This year’s Walk with Mary started near the Fuente Osmeña Circle in Osmeña Boulevard with 31 flower-decorated carrozas carrying the images of the Blessed Virgin. The procession which kicked off at exactly 4 a.m. traversed through Osmeña Boulevard heading to Plaza Independencia where a Holy Mass will be celebrated at 6 a.m.

The images of the Virgin Mary, which are under the care of parishes in the Archdiocese of Cebu and some private devotees, were blessed prior to the Mass./elb