At 76, Manaoag rosary vendor lives her own miracle

MANAOAG, Pangasinan—Every midnight and 3:30 a.m., Luzviminda Frianeza prays to the Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag to express her gratitude and devotion.

“Apo Baket (Our Lady of Manaoag) has granted my every wish, first of which is to make my small business grow,” says Frianeza.

At 76, she has been selling religious articles in this pilgrimage town for over 60 years now and is the only remaining pioneer in the business.

“Originally, there were only five of us, who sell religious items then. When they died, their businesses weren’t continued by their children. I am the only one left,” says Frianeza, a widow.

Manaoag is home to the image of the Our Lady of Manaoag, which has been attracting pilgrims and devotees from all over the country.

There are about a hundred stalls around the church selling various religious items, native delicacies and souvenirs.

Frianeza’s stall, located nearest the church entrance, earns as much as P10,000 on weekends and more during Holy Week and the town’s fiesta in May.

As a child, Frianeza sold rosary beads, prayer books and candles to churchgoers by carrying them at the church’s entrance.

“But when I reached my teenage years, elders advised me to put up a small stall for business in front of the church, for me not to solely rely on my would-be husband,” Frianeza says.

Her stall then, which consisted of a small table on the churchyard with only a few items for sale, is now one of the biggest. It sells every kind of religious article—rosary beads, prayer books, candles, fans, crucifix, paintings, wooden and porcelain figurines of saints and all sizes of the image of the Our Lady of Manaoag.

“Maybe it is because of our stall’s location, being nearest the church entrance. Or perhaps, because I have met many people already and sold every kind of religious item for a long time. I have many loyal customers,” says Frianeza.

True enough, she has become a familiar face among churchgoers.

Frianeza says she was born on Oct. 6, 1934, while the church bells were ringing to signal the procession of the image of the Our Lady of Manaoag around town.

“My mother used to always tell me this story when I was a child. I think that is why I first became devoted [to the Our Lady of Manaoag],” she says.

At her age, she remains healthy and has not experienced serious ailments. Marla Viray, Inquirer Northern Luzon