1M pilgrims expected to visit Lucban shrine this Holy Week

Kamay ni Hesus Shrine PHOTO BY DON LEJANO/INQUIRER.net

LUCBAN, Quezon—More than 1 million devotees, twice the number of those who came last year, are expected to visit the Kamay ni Hesus shrine here, at the foot of  mystical Mount Banahaw, this Holy Week.

A renowned healer, Fr. Joey Faller, said “the Lord will welcome them with open arms.”

A native of this quiet town, Faller, 47, is believed to have a gift of healing from God.

In an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Sunday, Faller said the number of pilgrims was expected to be double the number of arrivals last year, as the stream of visitors kept rising even on ordinary days.

Faller said the pilgrims would include politicians and high government officials, but he politely declined to say who exactly he was expecting.

He, however, invited President Benigno Aquino III and Chief Justice Renato Corona to visit the shrine. The President is believed to have pushed the House of Representatives into impeaching Corona. The country’s chief magistrate is undergoing trial in the Senate.

“They should also come and spend the Holy Week at the shrine and reflect on the lives of the Filipino people,” Faller said. “I assure them that the spiritual experience will be purifying for the body and soul. God loves them.”

Faller built the shrine in 2002 on a hilly part of Tinamnan village, 2 kilometers from the town center.

The country is experiencing a “purification process as designed by the Lord,” Faller said.

On Good Friday, he said, he will read the Seven Last Words to the pilgrims.

Noah’s Ark

A new chapel has been built at the bow of “Noah’s Ark,” a house of prayer, for guests who may not want to go to the main church.

Inside the ark, the full name of which is “Noah’s Ark House of Prayer and Spirituality,” is a two-story building with 25 air-conditioned single, double and dormitory-type rooms, and a refectory and seminar room.

Inaugurated on Oct. 10, 2010, the ark operates like a hotel for families, corporate clients and Christian groups holding retreats, seminars and other spiritual activities.

Faller said the ark was fully booked for Holy Week, with reservations being made as early as October last year.

Also called “Bahay Pari,” the ark is envisioned to serve as a refuge for aging priests of the diocese of Lucena, which runs the vast complex.

Pilgrims are not allowed in the ark, as it is only for guests holding retreats or seminars.

Usually, pilgrims start to arrive in the afternoon of Holy Thursday, some of them spending the night inside the vast complex. There are small huts  that can be rented for P50 an hour. Pilgrims are allowed to pitch tents on a grassy corner of the complex.

Restaurants

Food is not a problem. The complex has small restaurants that offer local food, such as the famous “longganisang Lucban,” “pansit hab-hab” and “budin (cassava cake).” There are also souvenir shops, though pilgrims should not ask for plastic bags to carry their purchases because the municipal council banned the use of plastic bags in the town two years ago.

According to a security guard, pilgrims start lining up as early as 2 a.m. for the physically challenging but spiritually sanctifying climb on the 300-step “Stairway to Heaven” to reach the 50-foot statue of the resurrected Christ on  top of the hill. Climbs are set at 10-minute intervals to avoid overcrowding.

“Women should not wear sexy attire because they will not be allowed to make the climb, as they will only distract other devotees, particularly males,” the guard said.

Peace and order

Faller said officials from the local government, police and military, representatives of nongovernmental organizations, and members of the shrine staff met last month to plan peace and order measures for this week’s pilgrimage.

Traffic on the national highway in front of the 5-hectare complex is a problem during Holy Week, particularly on Good Friday.

Early on Good Friday, both sides of the highway from Lucena City to Lucban, a 24-km stretch, teem with hikers, most of them youngsters.

Pilgrims from the neighboring towns of Majayjay and Luisiana in Laguna also  walk all the way to the shrine.

The shrine security staff said motorists should look for parking spaces at nearby subdivisions and pay-parking areas, as parking space in the religious center is limited.