A girl playing an angel is lowered by her harness to comfort the Virgin Mary during the ‘Sugat’ performance in the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. (CDN PHOTO/SAMMY NAVAJA)
PARISHIONER Bebeth Loreto said attending the annual “Sugat” with her family is a tradition that started when her children were still in school.
“It had always been our prayer every time we attend the ‘sugat’ that our children would finish their education, and now that all of them had graduated, we want to continue attending this,” the 54-year-old Loreto said in Cebuano.
Loreto joined the thousands of devotees that flocked to the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Our Lady of Guadalupe de Cebu as early as 12:30 a.m. yesterday to witness the parish’s annual Easter Sunday dawn procession called “sugat.”
“Sugat” is the reenactment of the meeting of the risen Christ and his grieving mother, Mary, through two religious processions.
The first procession featured the carriage carrying the image of the resurrected Christ that started at the Guadalupe-Banawa intersection.
The other procession had the carriage carrying the Mater Dolorosa (Sorrowful Mother icon) which started in Barangay Beneco.
The two processions converged at the church grounds where the crowd of devotees have gathered to witness the celebration.
This year’s “Sugat sa Guadalupe” Mass opened with a reflection from Talisay City Councilor Socrates Fernandez, a known Catholic Faith defender, who called on the faithful to continue praying and see the importance of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice and resurrection.
This was followed by a song presentation where nearly 100 children dressed as angels assembled on the stage decorated with a pastoral landscape background.
Marian devotees then performed an interpretative dance of the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) song “Christ in Us, Our Hope of Glory” followed by an hour-long play entitled “For Mama.”
The main highlight of the early morning celebration was the reenactment of the life of Jesus Christ right before his crucifixion up to his resurrection.
Noel Jumao-as, who played the character of Jesus Christ on stage, said it took the cast of nearly 80 people more than a month to practice for the presentation.
Rochelle Trinidad, who played the role of Mother Mary, said being part of the “Sugat sa Guadalupe” presentation was her way of giving back to her faith.
The annual “Sugat sa Guadalupe” culminated with a Mass officiated by parish priest Msgr. Jose Montecillo who said the resurrection is not just about physical death.
“We can also experience resurrection while we are alive — through heartfelt confession of our sins, through forgiveness and reconciliation, through loving despite the pain,” he said.
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