San Pedro C’s image back in PH; Duaw Nasud starts

The image of the Visayan martyr Pedro Calungsod is arriving in the country today.

At 4:30 p.m., Calungsod’s three foot statue will arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila via Cathay Pacific flight CX 919.

This came amid reports that pilgrims visiting Cebu City for the national thanksgiving Mass of San Pedro Calungsod on November 30 may be forced to stay in public schools after a shipping company thumbed down the request to use their container vans as temporary shelters.

The arrival of the new saint’s image, an object of Catholic veneration, signals the start of the “Duaw Nasud” or a roadshow around the country that will cap with the Nov. 30 thanksgiving Mass.

“This time, he (Calungsod) arrives as a saint,” said Margie Matheu of the Archdiocese of Cebu’s secretariat, who is part the Cebu delegation that will meet the image of the new saint in Manila.

A prayer service and press conference will be held at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport upon the image’s arrival.

After the ceremony at the airport, Calungsod’s image will be brought in a motorcade to the Manila Cathedral for the formal start of the Duaw Nasud or a pilgrimage of thanksgiving around the country.

The Duaw Nasud will bring the image to 36 areas across the Philippines starting in Manila.

The image of a brown-skinned youth with wooden sandals (bakya)will proceed to the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) for an overnight stay in the oldest Catholic university in Asia.

She said Manila-based priest Fr. Antonio Navarrete Jr. along with Cebuano priest Fr. Marvin Mejia, presently the secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, will supervise the Duaw Nasud in Luzon.

The image of Calungsod set off from the Aeroporto Leonardo da Vinci di Fiumicino in Italy at 9 a.m. (3 p.m. Philippine time) yesterday, Fr. Jayme said.

“The pilgrim image of San Pedro Calungsod is going home. Viva Pedro Calungsod!,” the priest said in a text message to Cebu Daily News.

After Manila, the image will be brought to Paranaque, Pasig, Cubao, Antipolo, Novaliches, and Military Ordinariate, Vigan, Lingayen-Dagupan, Pampanga, Malolos, Caloocan, Cavite, Lipa, Lucena, Daet, and Legaspi.

The image will proceed to Catarman/Calbayog, Palo, Maasinb, Surigao, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan/Pagadian/Ozamiz, Dipolog, Dumaguete, Kabankalan/Bacolod, Jaro, San Carlos, Tagbiliran, and Talibon.

On Nov. 27, the image will be brought back to Cebu City from Getafe, Bohol, the last stop of the Duaw Nasud, by sea.

Upon its return to Cebu City, triduum or three-day Masses will be held for the Nov. 30 national thanksgiving celebration at the South Road Properties.

Calungsod came from somewhere in the Visayas and was among the first to serve on a mission organized by Jesuit priest Fr. Diego de San Vitores to the Ladrones Islands in the Western Pacific, Marianas in 1668.

On April 2, 1672, Pedro and Fr. Diego were speared to death by angry villagers in Tumhon, Guam, for catechizing and baptizing natives.

Meanwhile, Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias said the 2Go shipping company declined to have their container vans used by pilgrims, saying they may not have enough to accomodate the high demand for cargo during the Christmas season.

To remedy the matter, Cabarrubias said he is calling a separate meeting with education officials to explore the possible use of classrooms in some public schools to accommodate about 5,000 transients.

Cabarrubias said they may tap classrooms at the nearby elementary schools in Mambaling, Alaska, San Nicolas, Pasil and City Central School. /Ador Vincent Mayol and Doris C. Bongcac