In the Philippines, more specifically in the Bicol region, the faithful have a deep devotion to Our Lady of Penafrancia. To mark her feast, the local Filipino Catholic community of Birmingham organized and attended a Mass at St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Chapel. Father Jacob Nkoto celebrated the Mass.

During the homily, Father Jacob noted: “Today, here at St. Stephen’s Chapel in the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama, we bring to the altar more than flowers, songs, and treasured memories. We come to honor Mary, lovingly called Ina, our Mother. But Ina never gathers her children merely to admire her. She gathers us so that she may lead us to Jesus.”

He continued explaining that when God enters our lives, He sends us out to others. “Mary’s greatness,” he said, “is not only that she carried Jesus in her womb; it is that she carried Jesus into the life of another person. When she entered Elizabeth’s home, joy entered. The Holy Spirit moved. A tired woman was strengthened. A hidden child leaped. Mary did not arrive with wealth, influence, or a solution to every problem. She arrived with Christ and that was enough to change the house.”

Knowing the devotion to Our Lady of Penafrancia made its way to Alabama under the care of faithful Filipinos, Father Jacob remarked: “The deepest question of this feast is not simply, ‘Did we bring the image of Ina with us?’ The deeper question is, ‘Are we bringing the presence of Jesus wherever we go?’”  He reminded the faithful to carry Christ everywhere and into every situation.

He concluded: “Let every Filipino Catholic household become a little house of the Visitation. Let our greetings bring joy, our hands bring help, our prayers bring hope, and our lives proclaim the greatness of the Lord.”

Following Mass, the statue of Our Lady of Penafrancia was carried in procession around the chapel grounds, and a luncheon was enjoyed by all. 

To learn more about the feast day celebration, please look for the upcoming issue of the One Voice magazine, set to mail out the last week of October.