Different images of the Blessed Virgin Mary were paraded during the Walk with Mary procession at dawn on Sunday, September 8. | Gerard Vincent Francisco
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Blessed Virgin Mother is a human being that Catholic faithful can emulate in their Christian journey.
This was the message of Monsignor Joseph Tan, the media liaison of the Archdiocese of Cebu, in his homily during the concelebrated Mass for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Sunday morning, September 8.
“Mary, first and foremost, is a human being who has gone on a journey of faith like any of us. She is a member of the church and a beautiful one at that because she is also a model of discipleship for us to follow,” Tan said.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is whom Catholics refer to as the mother of the church, he added.
Tan said that the Walk with Mary procession that kicked off the observance of her birthday celebration should serve as a reminder for all Christians to emulate her life, said the church official.
“The walk with Mary is not just a pageantry of the different images of (the) our lady. It is not a sign of our devotion to send our greetings to our lady on this special day. It is, more importantly, a reminder for us that in our Christian life we need to walk with Mary in order to be faithful to God’s plan for us,” said Tan.
Tan said that in honoring Mary, many Christians forget that the Mother of the Church is a human being whose life can be emulated by other faithful.
“She is a member of the church and a beautiful one at that because she is also a model of discipleship for us to follow,” he added.
At least 9, 000 devotees join this year’s Walk with Mary procession from the Osmeña Boulevard skywalk to Plaza Independencia. | Gerard Vincent Francisco
The Walk with Mary started at exactly 4 a.m. on Sunday, September 8, with 31 carrozas bearing the different images of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The procession kicked off near the Fuente Osmeña Circle in Cebu City and traversed Osmeña Boulevard on its way to the Plaza Independencia for the concelebrated Mass.
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The carrozas and the different images of Mary were prepared by parishes in the Archdiocese of Cebu and some devotees.
The images that were paraded during the walk included the Our Lady of Consolacion, Guadalupe, Mount Carmel, Perpetual Help, Queen of China, Queen of all Nations, Candelaria, and the Nuestra Señora dela Salud, among others.
As early as 2 a.m., devotees who wished to join the procession started to arrive in a portion of Osmeña Boulevard located near the Fuente Osmeña Circle. Some carried their own images of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Señor Santo Niño or the Child Jesus.
At least 9,000 devotees attended the celebration from the Walk with Mary procession until the concelebrated Mass at the Plaza Independencia, said Waterfront Police Station Chief Major Joemar Pomarejos.
Despite the volume of people, Pomarejos said no untoward incidents were reported throughout the religious activity. | dcb