Our Lady of Guadalupe on her 86th fiesta: Bigger church, stronger faith

Archbishop Jose Palma celebrates Mass for the 86th fiesta of the OUr Lady of Guadalupe on December 12. | Rosalie O. Abatayo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Librada Abella, 63, witnessed how the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe has changed in the past three decades.

Abella, a native of Carcar City, travels to Cebu City every December in time for the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

With a bundle of red and white candles, Abella stood in front of the Guadalupe church Thursday morning, December 12, as she offers candles to the devotees who came to the church to pay homage to the Virgin Mother.

This year is the 86th fiesta celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe who is considered the patron saint of Cebu.

More than just earning from the candles that she sells, Abella said visiting the Guadalupe Church had been a devotion that she had kept in the past 30 years.

“Nangayo ko nga iya kong tagaan og maayong lawas aron makaanhi gyud ko. Kaluoy sa Ginoo, maayo man gyud akong pamati kada pista maong moanhi gyud ko,” Abella told CDN Digital.

(I prayed for her to give me good health so that I can come here for her feast day. In God’s grace, I always feel well every fiesta so I have been able to keep my promise to really come.)

From the small church that it was in the 1980s, when Abella started coming here, the church now stands in white and blue facade, stained glass, a grander altar and larger yard. 

The Our Lady of Guadalupe church is now bigger, grander than it was in the 1980s. | Rosalie O. Abatayo

Archbishop Jose Palma celebrated the Holy Mass at 10 a.m. for the feast day. 

In his homily, the archbishop thanked the people for putting up the beautiful church and urged them to keep the beauty of the church.

But more than just beautifying the church, Palma also called on the devotees to strengthen their faith in God and in the Virgin Mother./dbs