Cebu celebrates 26th Feast of first Cebuano saint

The Archdiocesan Shrine of San Pedro Calungsod successfully celebrated the 26th Fiesta Celebration in honor of Saint Pedro Calungsod, the first Cebuano and second Filipino saint.

The feast is celebrated with a rank of solemnity in the Archdiocese of Cebu. A solemn Pontifical Mass was celebrated by the Most Rev. Emilio Bataclan, D.D., the auxiliary-bishop emeritus of Cebu. Along with him were the Papal Nuncio Emeritus, Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla, Msgr. Achilles Dakay, and some priests from the archdiocese.

In his homily, Bishop Bataclan reminded the faithful that we should be patient enough, for it is in patience that we realize what the Lord wants for us. He also reminded the parents to love their children, just as Mary and Joseph loved our Lord Jesus Christ.

A solemn foot procession was held right after the mass, joined by the devotees, volunteers, servers, and organizations in the shrine, and the 700 altar servers in the Archdiocese of Cebu.

Before the pontifical mass, the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph Tan, rector of San Carlos Seminary College, offered a mass. In attendance were the 700 altar servers from the different schools, organizations, religious groups, and parishes in the archdiocese who participated in the Pedro’s Cup, and the seminarians from the seminary college.

The Pedro’s Cup is the yearly gathering of the altar servers in the diocese, fostering brotherhood and camaraderie through various activities such as the quiz bowl and poster-making contest.

On March 22, the 5th Gasa ni Pedro Medical-Dental-Legal Mission was held at St. Arnold Janssen Parish in Basak, San Nicolas. In addition to medical, dental, and legal services, 250 families received goods from the shrine.

The 26th fiesta celebration started with the Misa de Catana and the exposition of the replica of Hirao’s Catana near the image of Saint Pedro Calungsod last March 23. After the mass, the archdiocesan shrine recognized its volunteers, servers, and groups for their exemplary service to the church. The Archdiocesan Shrine of San Pedro Calungsod also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the beatification of the Cebuano Martyr. In line with this celebration, a special year of grace was granted to the shrine, from March 4, 2025, to March 6, 2026. During the special year of grace, the faithful pilgrims could obtain a plenary indulgence upon visiting the shrine, following the necessary conditions set for the indulgence.

NOTE: This article was first published in Cebuano in print on April 13.