Last Sunday, I attended the procession in honor of the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. It was through her intercession that I was healed from Fibromyalgia and my eyesight became 20/20 when I was a teenager (trivia: my eyesight is STILL 20/20! My glasses are purely for fashion). I took an Uber to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes at Retiro, Quezon City since parking will surely be a problem.
I was welcomed by a fiesta atmosphere.
I bought a candle from a street vendor for Php20.
It started to drizzle while waiting for the procession to start.
Good thing it didn’t last long.
Here we go!
I got to tour the surrounding areas of the parish and it was fascinating to witness faith in action.
The procession lasted more than two hours.
By the time we got back to the church, I was determined to give thanks and whisper my intentions to Our Lady.
I went up to the altar to pray.
And I witnessed the fiesta fireworks! I exited the church to briefly watch the spectacle. I love fireworks!
I returned inside to pray in front of Padre Pio.
Before I knew it, it was time for the procession image of Our Lady to return to the church.
It felt like a rock concert!
The lighting was surreal.
And here she is!
I stood on top of a pew like most people to get a better view of Our Lady.
I felt blessed.
I was so happy to have witnessed this firsthand.
Thank you Mama Mary!
So after the festivities, I was starving! I looked for the pares place my best friend recommended to me, and I hope I found the right one.
It looks legit.
I ordered beef pares with rice.
IT WAS DELICIOUS!
That was a magical and enjoyable night. I hope to enjoy more new experiences like this one in the coming weeks, months, and years.
