ILOILO City – Thousands of devotees are expected to converge today at the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral in Jaro district to celebrate the feast of Nuestra Señora dela Candelaria (Our Lady of Candles).
With many seeking miracles, special favor or simply expressing gratitude, the Archdiocese of Jaro is encouraging the faithful to offer a prayer imploring protection from the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak.
“Ang reminders naton sa aton mga devotees nga sa pagsindi sang kandila, dal-on gid naton sa aton pagpangamuyo labi na gid ang aton nga pungsod sa subong nga panahon nga kon sa diin madamo kita sang pagtilaw nga gina-atubang,” said Father Angelo Colada, social communications director of the Archdiocese of Jaro.
According to Colada, an “Oratio Imperata” during be offered during Masses beginning this Sunday – the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
This after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines enjoined all parishes in the country of at least 80 million Roman Catholics to recite the prayer seeking the safety of medical experts doing research on the disease looking for a cure.
The prayer is also for the medical personnel who are looking after patients afflicted with the disease and those admitted in medical facilities.
Colada clarified that they did not issue an advisory enjoining all Candelaria devotees to wear facemasks amid the threat 2019-nCoV. But he however expects that most of the people will wear this protection as per advice of the Department of Health.
Colada also cited the precautionary measures carried out by Archdiocese of Jaro such as cleanup of holy water fond for devotees every time they enter the church.
The organization also discouraged Catholics from shaking hands during the Sign of Peace and recommended that people receive communion using their hands.
It also advised churches to check and change the Holy Water from containers and to provide or install protective cloth on grills of confessionals.
Based on the schedule released by the Archdiocese of Jaro, the Mass will start on the main altar around 4 a.m. until 8 p.m.
The main celebrant for blessings of candles and solemn concelebrated mass at 7 a.m. will be Rev. Jose Romeo O. Lazo., Archbishop of Jaro.
Rev. Daniel Patrick Parcon, Bishop of Talibon, Bohol will be the main celebrant for the solemn concelebrated mass at 5:30 p.m.
There will be also mass and crowning of Our Lady of Candles to be led by Rev. Louie Galbines, Bishop of Kabankalan.
As of Saturday, the death toll from China’s new coronavirus outbreak has risen to 259 and the tally of confirmed infections has surged to nearly 12,000, the government said on Saturday.
The National Health Commission said in its daily update that 46 more people had succumbed to the respiratory disease.
All but one of the new deaths came in hardest-hit Hubei province, the epicenter of an outbreak that has spread around the world.
The virus emerged in December in Hubei’s provincial capital Wuhan in China, and has been traced to a meat market that sold wild game.
The number of infections in China also rose by 2,102, bringing the nationwide total to 11,791.
That’s despite unprecedented quarantine measures imposed last week on millions of people in Hubei and aggressive preventive steps elsewhere in the country.
The number of new deaths and newly confirmed cases have both spiraled higher on a daily basis since China sounded the nationwide alarm a week ago. The number of infections in China also rose by 2,102, bringing the nationwide total to 11,791.
That’s despite unprecedented quarantine measures imposed last week on millions of people in Hubei and aggressive preventive steps elsewhere in the country. (With ABS-CBN News/PN)
