By Christina Hermoso
Roman Catholics will celebrate Sunday the feast day of the miraculous Our Lady of the Abandoned and another well-loved saint, Saint Pancratius.
A ‘misa mayor’ (high mass) will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. May 12 at the Our Lady of the Abandoned Parish in Santa Ana, Manila, in celebration of the Feast of the Our Lady of the Abandoned (Nuestra Senora de los Desamparados).
(MANILA BULLETIN)
A grand procession will be held at 5 p.m. Novena masses were held from May 3 to 11.
Commemorative rites will also be held at the Diocesan Shrine of the Our Lady of the Abandoned in Marikina City, where devotees line up to venerate the canonically crowned image of the Blessed Mother. Holy masses will also be celebrated in Muntinlupa City, Mandaluyong City, and in Valencia, Negros Oriental.
Also tomorrow, the Church commemorates the Feast of Saint Pancratius or Saint Pancras, who is popularly venerated in many parts of the world as the patron saint of children. Feast masses will be held in his honor at 9 a.m. and at 5 p.m. at the St. Pancratius Chapel in Paco Park, San Marcelino Street, Paco, Manila. A solemn procession follows the 5 p.m. mass.
Saint Pancras was a Roman citizen who converted to Christianity during the third century at a time of intense Christian persecution. He was martyred at the young age of 14 around the year 304 for refusing to renounce his faith. Over the years, devotion to the young saint grew in popularity in many countries including the Philippines. In Rome, Italy where his major shrine is located, hundreds of devotees, pilgrims, and tourists visit every year.