Reminiscing the feast of our lady of Lourdes when I was a child.

Feb 10 , 2022

3:45 PM.

As I was writing this one I heard a sound of drums and I remember it's the feast of Lady of Lourdes tomorrow and today is the bisperas. When I was a child we are really excited to witnessed the yearly parade because for us it's like a big celebration. There's a nine days novena for the Lady of Lourdes and in Catholic when they said Novena like in Simbang Gabi you need to complete it so that you can make a wish and the wish will be granted if you complete the novena.

During our elementary days we are excited to go on the church not because of the church it's but because of the tiangge and the perya near the church. The feast of the Lady of Lourdes is one of the biggest first celebration in our hometown wherein people from the other hometown going to church also because it's their panata.

Every time we will go to the church we will go there just walking because we don't have money for the tricycle payment. Though it's really tiring to walk it's also enjoyable because I am with my friends.

This is a few memories when I was going to Lady of Lourdes church.

The Apong Lourdes oil.

In the church there's a healing oil that given by free. All you have to do is bring a bottle and then fall in line. They called it Langis ni Apong Lourdes. They believes that the oil has a healing power and Everytime they have sick they put it in thier body. There's also a free rice porridge for those who want to eat and that's is sponsored by those people who have a devotion on the Lady of Lourdes.

This is a photo of my high school batchmates. They are giving a free rice porridge with egg but there's a condition as you can see no vaccine no entry.

The Altar

There's also a line going to the Altar wherein people wipe thier handkerchief to Lady of Lourdes figure and then wipe it on thier body or a body part whos in pain. When I was a child I also believed in it but as I switch to INC way back 2012 my belief changed.

( This is the altar looks like. I can't find another photo for the altar e )

The tiangge

There's a lot of vendors near the church and we love to look at different things even if we don't have money that time. All we have that time is the money for the food like five pesos and we are lucky if our parents gave us extra. From those moments we are dreaming to have a brick game and the cooking set made of pot but because we have no money hanggang tingin nalang kami.

The perya.

After going to church and see the things in tiangge we will go to perya just to hang out. Sometimes my friends try the color game and other games but me I don't want. I don't know maybe because I already kuripot since I was young. There's also a ride like horror train , ferris wheel , caterpillar and carousel. That time the fee for the ferris wheel is 10 pesos. I experienced to ride on it once same with the caterpillar and horror train.

The parade.

This is the most awaited of all because the parade is very nice. There's a carabao parade , a person who blows fire , a person with a mask and that time I am scared of them. A giant man who walk with a stick. Then the beautiful ladies with thier gown. A different entry of float from each baranggay. Fraternities and other group in our hometown like the LGBT community . A long line of motorcycle with different group names with thier backrides and ofcourse the different ati atihan.

This year I don't have an idea if the parade is like the old ones since it's pandemic but upon hearing the drums I know there's still a parade.

I also want my son to experience it when the pandemic is gone.