Latinos, Filipinos to come together at Los Angeles Marian fiesta

LOS ANGELES — Latinos and Filipinos will join together in this year’s Virgen de los Remedios Fiesta on Sunday, September 16, 2018 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

The festivities will begin with a procession to assemble at the Cathedral Plaza. There will be a Solemn Concelebrated Mass to be presided by His Excellency Paciano Aniceto,  Archbishop Emeritus of San Fernando, Pampanga. A golden crown will be presented to our Lady during Mass.

Filipinos’ widespread devotion to the Blessed Mother goes back to the Spanish times during the galleon trade between Mexico and the Philippines. In 1571, the Augustinian missionaries brought the oldest Marian image of Nuestra Senora de Guia. Pope Gregory XIII and Pope Clement VIII decreed in 1578, the erection of the Manila Cathedral under the tutelage of the Immaculate Conception. The image of Nuestra Senora del Rosario was brought by the Dominicans in 1587. She has become a national treasure and symbol of peace after Spanish and Filipino forces beat back the Dutch invasion in 1646. One of the first churches built in 1588 was under the title of Nuestra Senora de los Remedios located in the Malate district.

Devotion to Virgen de los Remedios was introduced in the Philippines by Pampanga’s first bishop Cesar Guerrero to fight communism in the province. Her image was carried in procession all over, encouraging everyone to pray the rosary and for peace. Sixty two years ago, Pope Pius XII bestowed the canonical crown on the revered image. Since then, Kapampangans all over the world have been praying to the Mother of God for peace, safety, source of livelihood, healing, and family unity.  Twelve years ago, Kapampangan expatriates brought the tradition to Los Angeles.

With the universality of the devotion to Virgen de los Remedios – from the South of France, to the region of Andalucia, on the southern coast of Spain, the pyramids of Cholula Mexico, the villages of Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Argentina, Sri Lanka and India, devotees pray to Mary, who provide for their necessities and brings them together in Christ.

A crown is presented to our Lady, a symbol of her dominion over us, because we know we will always be in good hands – in the hands of a mother. Everyone is invited to come in their national costumes and organizations may bring their Marian images and banners.

“From Mary, we learn to surrender to God’s will in all things. From Mary we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone. From Mary we learn to love Christ her Son and the son of God.”- John Paul II