Hourly Masses, novenas and processions mark this year's observance of the pilgrimage season in Antipolo City, also known as the “Pilgrimage Capital of the Country”.
Antipolo's pilgrimage season usually runs from May to July.
In the advisory posted by the Antipolo Cathedral on its social media pages, the visit of the pilgrim image of the Nuestra Señora dela Paz Y Buenviaje to the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene or the Quiapo Church in Manila from April 27 until April 30 signaled the start of the annual Alay Lakad or the Walk for Peace among pilgrims and devotees.
The walk is part of the activities lined up for the pilgrimage season, or the “Ahunan sa Antipolo 2024”.
Ahunan is a Tagalog term for going upward since Antipolo’s cathedral is located in the mountain that sits at the foot of Sierra Madre.
The image of the Virgin of Antipolo, which is another name of the brown-skinned Mary holding a rosary and a scepter, is on a traditional pilgrimage to Quiapo Church until the evening of April 30, dubbed as the “Pagdalaw ng Birhen ng Antipolo sa Poong Nazareno ng Quiapo".
At 6 p.m. on April 30, a farewell Mass at Quiapo Church will signal the departure of the image from the minor basilica and the start of the Walk for Peace, popularly known as the Alay Lakad, from Manila to the Antipolo Cathedral.
The office of Fr. Reynante Tolentino, the rector of Antipolo Cathedral, said the Walk for Peace is the annual tradition among pilgrims that requires a 24-kilometer trekking from Quiapo Church to the Antipolo Cathedral, which usually last around nine hours or more from 7 p.m. on April 30 to around 4 a.m. on May 1.
The route of the Walk for Peace 2024 is as follows:
From Quiapo Church, right turn to Evangelista Street, then right to C.M. Recto, left to S.H. Loyola Street, then right to Dalupan Street, left to San Anton Street.
From San Anton, the pilgrims should go straight to Earnshaw Street/Figueras Street, then left turn to Legarda street towards Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard, then right to Gilmore Avenue to Greenhills, San Juan until they reach Ortigas Avenue.
From Ortigas Avenue, go straight to Rosario Pasig, all the way to Cainta and Taytay and cross the Kay Tikling Junction on Ortigas Avenue Extension in Taytay until they reach the Antipolo Cathedral in Antipolo City.
For the detailed map of the route, readers may scan the QR Code on the image below.
A Holy Mass will welcome the pilgrims and the image of the Virgin of Antipolo upon their arrival at the Antipolo’s international shrine at 5 a.m. on May 1.
On May 7, the official start of the pilgrimage season, there will be a procession at 6 a.m. from the Antipolo Cathedral to the Pinagmisahan Hills to be followed by a Mass at the place.
At 5 p.m. at the Antipolo Cathedral, a Concelebrated Mass will be held and will be followed by the 6 p.m. procession in honor of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.
There will be a 3 p.m. praying of the rosary and novena from May 8 to July 9.
During the end of the novena, Holy Mass and procession will happen at 5 p.m. to be followed by a 6 p.m. procession.
On May 25, there will be a procession of the replicas of the Virgin of Antipolo at 6 p.m. right after the 5 p.m. novena Mass.
On May 31, there will be a Santacruzan and Flores De Mayo at 4 p.m. to be followed by the 5 p.m. procession.
On July 8, a concert, entitled Laudate Mariam, will happen at 8 p.m. at the Antipolo Cathedral.
Antipolo Bishop Ruperto C. Santos, D.D. will officially close the pilgrimage season with a Holy Mass on July 9.
