The Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Pictures

Filipinos Catholics celebrated the feast day of Our Mother of Perpetual Help at the Philippines' National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help on June 27, 2012. The feast day was the culmination of nine days of novena-masses that started on June 18, 2012. Several novena-masses were held on the 27th of June and the day ended with a pontifical mass at 6:00 PM followed by a religious procession.

Flowers from the church and devotees transformed the altar, adorned by a giant portrait of the Our Mother of Perpetual Help, into a virtual flower garden for the feast day.

Devotees listening to Bishop Jesse Mercado's homily for the pontifical mass. About 120,000 devotees pray in the shrine on ordinary Wednesdays. That number swelled several times on the feast day itself.

The portrait of Our Mother of Perpetual Help was the last to arrive at the church after the procession. Devotees showered each returning icon with flower petals and much clapping and cheering.

Other religious icons that Catholic devotees venerate at the Mother of Perpetual Help Shrine join the procession through the streets of Baclaran, Paranaque.


-Prospero Pulma Jr.-