A Marian Celebration

By CECILIA S. ANGELES

January 1, 2011, 2:10pm

The Marian festival and procession continues to inspire faith and creativity for the Virgin Mary’s devotees. (Photo by CECILIA S. ANGELES)

 MANILA, Philippines – We annually celebrate the Feast of Holy Mary, Mother of God on December 8, who conceived Him without sin.

A very powerful divinity revered by Christians especially the Catholics.
She makes miracles, answers prayers, and guides everyone. Devout Catholics depend on the interpretation of recorded stories of Mother Mary especially those in the Bible.

Participants in this year’s Marian procession came from various parts of the Philippines: North, South, East, and West. The images were accompanied by their respective religious groups, parishioners, lay leaders, prelates, devotees, parish priests.  Children in their mother’s arms or baby strollers or on their father’s shoulders also joined the procession.  So did preschoolers, and elder school mates who walked or danced with their respective age groups, aligned with elders.  Dainty ladies dressed in Filipiniana or fashionable costumes were also graceful participants.

Some 94 images of Mother Mary, each atop an exquisitely dressed float, bedecked with artistic floral arrangements of all kinds, designs and colors, were on parade. The floats were either pulled or pushed by devotees.  One float was pulled by a group of kinky-haired natives wearing g-strings. The spiritual message to me signified a pagan belief turned Christian, particularly Catholicism. Mother Mary has touched them spiritually.

Each float of the Virgin Mary was accompanied by devotees, religious and lay leaders, including parishioner s. Some were led by parish priests, religious staff, and high ranking officials of the Catholic Church. The parade segments also included musical bands, bugle corps, rondallas, or simply drums with majorettes, group dancers, young and old.  Others in the parade included fashionably dressed models, in high heels and ground length gowns.  Matrons or elders in the line also danced and sang or recited the Holy Rosary. Usually pre-schoolers led the parade segment. These tots, like the elders also danced and sang to the beat of the drums. Others simply recited the rosary repeatedly.

The Marian festival started in 1619 as a tribute to the various miracles or simply divine lessons initiated by the Virgin Mary. At present, devotees flock to the image of the Virgin Mary anywhere in the world.

As a photojournalist, I enjoyed capturing the various images of Mother Mary during the 2010 Marian Procession in Intramuros, Manila.  The year 2011 gives me another happy anticipation of a photo session with my religious idol, the Blessed Virgin Mary who is kind, loving, merciful, and forgiving.

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(Cecilia S. Angeles is a regular lecturer at the FPPF Photography Workshop and a Photography Professor at De la Salle University College of Saint Benilde.  Email: csa_palay@yahoo.com)