Pinoys donate image of Virgin of Antipolo to Argentina church

Filipino Catholics in Argentina marked the 113th Philippine Independence Day last June by donating an image of the Virgin of Antipolo (Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage) to a local church in their host country. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Philippine officials and the Filipino community in Argentina organized a pilgrimage to the Basilica Nacional de Nuestra Señora de Lujánon June 12. "Since both the Virgins of Antipolo and Lujan enjoy the same massive popular devotion in their respective countries, the donation was made as a gesture of goodwill and friendship for the warm reception given to the Filipino community by the Argentine people," the DFA said in a news release. According to the DFA, the pilgrimage was held on June 12 to the shrine in Lujan City, some 60 kilometers outside Buenos Aires. It said the main purpose of the pilgrimage was the donation by the Filipino community of an image of the Virgin of Antipolo to the National Basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Lujan, the patroness of Argentina. "The event not only reinforced the goodwill between Filipinos and Argentines but also projected a positive and endearing image of the Philippines in Argentina," the DFA said. A noontime Mass was held, jointly officiated by Fr. Juan Jose Cervantes, the chaplain of the Filipino community in Argentina; and Fr. Daniel Bouchard, the rector of the Basilica. During the Mass, Cervantes, a Mexican priest of the Scalabrini order who lived several years in the Philippines, delivered a touching sermon on the Filipino people before a crowd of Argentine churchgoers and pilgrims. "Filipino religious hymns were sung during the mass which was immediately followed by the enthronement ceremony of the Antipolo image, a work of Paete sculptor Bernardo Caiyod, in the Basilica's crypt that houses some 50 Marian images from different countries. Estampitas of the Virgin of Antipolo were also distributed during the event," the DFA said. The Chamber of Representatives of the Province of Buenos Aires also passed a resolution expressing support and appreciation for the Filipino community's gesture. - VVP, GMA News