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Catholic page Veni Creator wants ‘to remind Bicolanos that their Mother, Our Lady of Peñafrancia, has never left them’ despite Severe Tropical Storm Kristine
MANILA, Philippines – When kids run into trouble, they run to their mother.
So have millions of Filipinos in Bicol, the most Catholic region in the Philippines, as Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami) unleashed its fury.
Bicol is the region hardest hit by Kristine, with nearly 697,000 people affected as of 8 pm on Wednesday, October 23.
Veni Creator, a popular Catholic social media page, sought to give hope to Bicolanos on Wednesday by reminding them of their source of comfort: their Ina (Mother), also known as Our Lady of Peñafrancia.
The artwork shows Our Lady of Peñafrancia crying as she embraces an adult and a child, both stranded on a roof in the middle of floodwaters. “Mahal na Birhen ng Peñafrancia, sa gitna ng delubyo at bagyo, yakapin mo po kaming mga anak mo (Our Lady of Peñafrancia, in the face of disasters and storms, embrace us your children),” reads the text of the artwork.
The artist behind Veni Creator, 30-year-old Oliver de Luna, lives in Laguna but his mother is from Naga, commonly referred to as the “heart of Bicol.” De Luna is the administrator and illustrator of Veni Creator.
When asked why he made this artwork, De Luna told Rappler: “It is to give hope to those who are struggling right now, especially the Bicolanos, from the onslaught of the storm. Their Mother, Our Lady of Peñafrancia, has never left them and continuously comforts them. It is also to encourage others to pray for them through the intercession of Mary.”
With nearly 94% of residents belonging to the Catholic Church, Bicol is the Philippine region with the highest percentage of Catholics. Bicol’s Catholic population, according to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, stands at 5.67 million.
A central part of their Catholic faith — and, as Bicolanos would say, core to their identity — is Our Lady of Peñafrancia. The 300-year-old image of the Peñafrancia, housed in the Basilica Minore and National Shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Naga, is believed to be miraculous.
Do you have your own prayers or stories of hope in the face of disaster? Share them with us in the faith chat room of the Rappler Communities app. – Rappler.com
