ALAY LAKAD 2013. Penitential Walk.

Ave Maria!

The Virgin of Antipolo, better known as Nuestra Senora De la Paz y Buen Viaje, (Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage) is back in her home,  at the Cathedral of Antipolo.

She came back last Wednesday, May 1st, travelling from the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila to the Cathedral in Antipolo in the Rizal Province.

Thousands of faithful and devotees walked the 16-kilometer stretch that started at 8 pm on April 30th and ended at around 3 am on May 1st.

Why did the Virgin of Antipolo end up at Quiapo in the first place?

Recent history relates that the Virgin of Antipolo was brought to the Quiapo Church during World War II as the Japanese forces were wrecking havoc in the town of Antipolo, bombing and burning houses and churches. To escape destruction, the Nuestra Senora was taken secretly to Quiapo.

So every year to commemorate the Virgin Mother's temporary camping and adoption at the Quiapo Church and her subsequent return to Antipolo, the Alay Lakad "fetches" the Nuestra Senora and brings her home to Antipolo.

The Nuestra Senora De la Paz y Buen Viaje and the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno of Quiapo share an affinity. Both were brought to Manila from Mexico and both are made of oak wood and turned black as both the images suffered burning and destruction during trips from Manila to Acapulco in the days of the galleon trade.

Concelebrated mass at the Quiapo church

After a 6 pm concelebrated mass and quick dinner at the church courtyard in Quiapo, the Alay Lakad participants started the walk at 8 pm. They criss crossed the busy traffic along Recto Avenue, on to Legarda, Ramon Magsaysay Blvd (Sta. Mesa), to Greenhills area, crossed EDSA, on to Ortigas Ave, to Rosario Bridge in Pasig, and on to Tikling where other walkers from the Cainta and Taytay areas were waiting with various images of the Senor Nazareno and the Virgin Mother.

Fr. Vic Flores, one of the celebrators of the mass in Quiapo

Along the long route were people giving bottles of water, and there were even some providing snacks like the Beta Sigma Fraternity which handed out hot lugaw, a Philippine favorite chicken and rice porridge .

Some walked ahead of the big group. The main group laid in wait at Tikling because it wanted to reach the Antipolo Church at exactly 4 am, in time for the first mass of the Pilgrim month of May.

Alay Lakad participants taking a rest before the 4 a.m. mass

The church courtyard in Antipolo became one big sleeping camp as walkers and penitents laid mats and slept and rested upon reaching ground and before the 4 am mass.

The scene reminded me of a 2007 trip to the Basilica of Santiago Mayor in Compostela in Spain, where "walkers" from different parts of Spain and Western Europe took the route called "Way Of St. James," and converged at the Church Plaza and slept on the pavement after days of walking with wooden canes.

Participants from our parish of San Andres Apostol included the Knights of Columbus and Daughters of Mary Immaculate, and others from the pastoral council, BEC. MBG, and CWL.

NOTE: Photos lifted from the San Andres Apostol Parish facebook account. Many thanks.