Our Lady of Peñafrancia

The image is known to devotees by the title Ina, a local term for "Mother"

Feastday: Third Sunday of September

Region V or the Bicolandia is not only world- famous for its mouthwatering and spicy cuisines. The nature loving people of Bicol is also a picture of holiness and sanctity with their ardent and indescribable devotion, to the Our Lady of Penafrancia. The Nuestra Senora de Penafrancia is a miraculous wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin, which was an exact replica of Spain’s Pena de Francia. Due to her countless miracles, millions of devotees, pilgrims, local and foreign tourists alike, visit Naga City every year during the month of September in celebration of the nine-day festivity in her glorious honor.

Many of our brothers and sisters in the Philippines and throughout the world have a special devotion to our Blessed Mother under the title of Our Lady of Peñafrancia. Our Lady of Peñafrancia is the Marian Patroness of the Bicol Region of the Philippines. She is affectionately referred to as “Ina,” meaning mother.

The feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia is celebrated on the third weekend of September and many pilgrims travel to Naga City. This one-week celebration begins on the second Friday of September with a procession called Traslación. This procession is the transferring of the image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia from the Basilica to the Naga Cathedral for a novena and celebration of Holy Masses leading into the third weekend of September. On the last day of the novena, her image is transferred back to the Basilica in a procession via a boat along the Bicol River. Many candles, colors and flowers are seen during this procession and pilgrims will say with great love for Ina, “Viva La Virgen!” (Long Live the Virgin!)