One fine sunny Sunday, I drove my co-navigator, La Veya, (Vicky) to her Zumba class and on my way home, I stopped by our local church, the San Andres Apostol, to say a prayer to the visiting Image of the Blessed Virgin Mother, the Our Lady of Piat.
Then a little miracle happened.
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| Our Lady of Piat, enshrined at the San Andres Apostol Church, May 16 - 18, 2014 |
Our Lady of Piat came visiting our Church all the way from the northern province of Cagayan, a valley. I'd been to Cagayan many years ago. It is a lovely place - clean and charming, but very hot. These summer days, it's temperature hovers between 32 - 39 degrees Celsius.
Our Lady of Piat, a bronzed image of Our Blessed Mother carries in her arms the image of the infant Jesus. She is said to have originated from Macau.
ORIGINS.
"The itinerary of the Blessed Image of Our Lady of Piat started in Macau from where it was brought to Manila in 1604. Its first home was the convent of the Santo Domingo in Intramuros. From Manila she was taken to Nueva Segovia (now Lal-lo) to aid in the evangelization of the Itawes region, covering the towns of Tabang, Malaweg, Tuau (now Tuao) and Piat until it was brought to and stayed on Piat for five years.
In no time, the people rose up in public protest and asked to the point of insistence that the original image be returned to them. Knowing the peculiar character of the people, Fr. de Santa Ana finally gave in, and the image was brought back amid great rejoicing of the people. There arose, however, a dispute between the people of Piat and Tuao as to where the sanctuary should be constructed. Happily, solomonic solution was found, and it was agreed to have the sanctuary built between Piat and Tuao."
BASILICA MINORE.
The lady is enthroned at the Basilica Minore Nuestra Senora de Piat which was recognized as a shrine by the Vatican on June 22, 1999. It celebrates its feast every July 2 wherein the Lady is drawn for a procession.
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| The Basilica Minore Nuestra Senora de Piat in Piat, Cagayan. |
Today, Our Lady of Piat is considered one of the oldest Marian images in the Philippines. On June 20, 1954, in a ceremony led by papal delegate Egidio Vagnozzi, she was named “Queen of Heaven and Earth.” The Ibanags call her “Yena Tam Ngamin” (Mother of Us All) and to the natives of Piat, Cagayan, she is known as “Apo Baket” (Grand Matriarch). Many miracles had been attributed to her.
On that fine Sunday morning as La Veya emerged from her Zumba class, she passed by the San Andres Apostol Church to buy souvenir items of the Lady. There were just two images of the Lady remaining, and she didn't have enough money in her coin purse. The cost of the image was 350 pesos.
She implored the Manang (lady vendor) to reserve one for her and that she'd come back for the payment later that day.
About the same time, another church worker came out of the church from rosary prayers, saw her and told her how she felt a prompting to go home. This church worker had bought a T-shirt uniform weeks earlier from her and had not paid yet. So when the church worker saw La Veya, she immediately said she'd go to her house to get the money. The cost of the T-shirt: 350 pesos.
La Veya was able to buy the image of Our Lady of Piat, who was scheduled to return home to Piat in Cagayan that evening of Sunday.
In the early afternoon on our way to run errands, we passed by the church again to bid Our Lady of Piat our last farewell.
ADIEU Our Dear Mother, Our Lady of Piat.
Be safe on your journey home and grant us safety, too, in the journeys of our lives.
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