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OPENING AND WELCOMING LITURGY TO OUR LADY OF THE VISITATION OF PIAT

Short History of the Image(to be read while Our Lady of Piat enters the church building)

The miraculous image of our Lady of the Rosary, popularly known today as our Lady of Piat, for brevity,
was sculptured in Macao, then a colony of Portugal. Presumably, upon the request of the Dominican
Missionaries, the image was brought to the Philippines sometime in the year 1604, and placed in Lallo,
then the Episcopal See of Nueva Segovia, for the veneration of the people. When the Dominican
Missionaries started the Christianization of the Itawes region, they found the natives of a very rebellious
character, and they thought it valuable for their work to introduce the devotion to our Lady among the
people. Eventually the image was taken to Piat, and erected on a side altar. It was not long when the
people felt special manifestations of divine favors through Our Lady. Their love and devotion to Our
Lady had grown with the years, and attachement to her image bordered fantacism. This was clearly seen
when Fr. Juan de Santa Ana sent the same image to Tuguegarao in 1622 and ordered another one more
beautiful from Manila to replace the image. In no time, the people rose up in public protest and asked to
the point of insistence that the original image be returned to them. Knowing the peculiar character of the
people, Fr. Juan de Santa Ana finally gave in, and the image was brought back amid great rejoicing of the
people. There arose, however, a dispute between the people of Piat and Tuao as to where the sanctuary
should be constructed. Happily, solomonic solution was found, and it was agreed to have the sanctuary
built between Piat and Tuao. The people worked with great enthusiasm on the sanctuary and in 1623, the
edifice was ready. On Dec. 26, 1923, the image of Our Lady was brought in a solemn procession from the
parish church of Sto. Domingo to the new sanctuary. The following morning, a High Mass was sung and
the sanctuary solemnly blessed with a great concourse of the faithful present. For the first time, the care of
the sanctuary was given to the charge of a certain lady by the name of Dra. Ines Maguillabbun. It was she
who introduced the pious custom of keeping a votive light burning day and night before the Lady's image,
a custom which is kept up to this date. Many years later, the people suffered great losses due to the
inundations of the Chico River. Their deeply-rooted devotion to Our Lady prompted them to move her
sanctuary near the riverbank in the hope that Our Lady would spare them from the scourges of the yearly
inundations. As a result, the people built a more spacious church of more durable materials on a hill about
a mile from the parish church of Sto. Domingo. Fr. Diego Pinero, later restored by Fr. Jose Gurumeta in
1875, began the present sanctuary.

One who sees the image of Our Lady of Piat for the first time will be surprised by its natural charm and
appeal. This might be explained by the fact that the image is life-size, and has features very similar to our
own. It is made of carved wood, and with the passing of time, it has taken a natural brown color so
peculiar to Filipinos.

Before the missionaries arrived in the valley, the people had surely no idea about Our Lady, but once
brought to their knowldege their love and devotion for her was spontaneous. Originally placed on a side
altar in the church of Sto. Domingo in Piat, the people nevertheless, never failed to kneel before her
image in silent prayer. Their simple faith and confidence in Our Lady won for them her all-powerful
intercession. Her sanctuary is veritably the Mecca of the whole Cagayan Valley.

A few silent wonders wrought by Our Lady will be of great interest. In 1624 there occurred a drought
throughtout the whole Itawes region. Three times the people planted their fields, but the plants dried up
due to lack of rain. Frs. Francisco de Santa Ana and Andres de Haro, parish-priests of Piat and Tuao,
respectively, decided to implore Our Lady's help in behalf of the oppressed people. From the pulpit, the
priests exhorted the people to go to confession and communion warning them that this calamity was a just
punishment for their sins. The people humbly complied with the exhortation of the priests, and promised
the sanctuary of Our Lady, and there offer a Mass in honor of Our Lady. Our Lady was so much pleased
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with their faith, and humble disposition that on that very night she sent a copious rain. Thinking that the
rain fell throughout the whole region, the parish-priest of Piat announced to the people the following
morning that it was no longer necessary to go in procession to the sanctuary of Our Lady, in as much as
she had answered their prayers, and the way made impassable due to the heavy rain the night before. But
the people wanted to prove their gratitude to Our Lady, and they insisted that the procession finally
reached the sanctuary (which as we noted before was equidistant form Piat and Tuao) the people of Tuao
already gathered there, and to hear that not a drop of rain had fallen on their fields. Those devotess of Piat
immediately concluded that they had not complied with the exploration of penance for their sins.
However, those devotees of Tuao repented for what they had done and all went to following the good
example of the people of Piat. After having religiously fulfilled their promise to the letter, Our Lady did
not delay the heavens gave intermittent heavy rains. Since then, the sanctuary of Our Lady became a
center of devotion, and a refuge in all trials and tribulations.

Another outstanding wonder, which our Lady of Piat worked, was that in behalf of the nephew of Dra.
Ines Maguillabbun, first caretaker of the sanctuary. The child of five years was suffering from a swollen
arm for four days, and because there were no medicines, neither did anyone know how to cure it, the child
was simply left to his fate not without great danger of losing his life. It was then that Dra. Ines brought the
child with her to the sanctuary not precisely to ask for his cure, as she confessed later. The child was left
asleep at the altar steps of Our Lady's image, and when he woke up he was not little surprised to find his
arm entirely whole and cured. The news of the wondrous cure went like wildfire in town, and the parish
priest wanted to ascertain that it was Our Lady's work. Dra. Ines denied having gone to the sanctuary for
the purpose of asking Our Lady to cure her nephew, but when the child was questioned he admitted
having asked Our Lady to cure him with just this simple words: "Holy Mary, have mercy on me."

The cure was so instantaneous and so effecacious that everybody believed it was Our Lady who
miraculously saved him.

P. Andre recalls another wonder of Our Lady. A couple in Iguig, Cagayan lives for so many years without
bearing a child. They decided to ask the advice of the priest about the matter. The priest had no other
advice to give them except to make special devotions to our Lady signifying their great desire to have a
child and to offer that child in a special way to her. Both man and woman complied as they were told by
the priest, and in a year, a child was born to them and was baptized Juan de Santa Maria in fulfillment of
the promise they made to dedicate their child to Mary.

As early as 1883, Pope Leo XIII, the Pope of the Holy Rosary, granted several indulgences to the faithful
who under the usual conditions make a visit of pligrimage to the sanctuary of Our Lady of Piat.

A. Plenary indugence can be gained on July 02, feast of Our Lady of Piat.

B. Plenary indulgence on the occassion of a visit or pilgrimage on any other day.

C. 100 days indulgence to those who visit the sanctuary or any day.
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Commentator: All stand for the Entrance Hymn

All join to sing the opening hymn.

I. HYMN
IMMACULATE MARY

1. Immaculate Mary, thy praises we sing.

You reign now in splendor with Jesus our King.

Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria!

2. In Heaven the blessed thy glory proclaim;

On earth we thy children invoke thy fair name

3. Thy name is our power, thy virtues, our light

Thy love is our comfort, thy pleading, our might

4. We pray for our Mother, the Church upon earth,

And bless, dearest Lady, the land of our birth.

II. OPENING RITE

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit†

Priest: The Lord be with you

All: and with your Spirit

Introduction

Father: We remember, dear Mother, your humble visit to your cousin Elizabeth. You set out proceeding in
haste into the hill country to a town in Judah. You knew you were the Mother of the Savior, a great honor.
But you forgot your dignity and in humility you were to serve your cousin. You come with concern for our
needs.

All: We are honored to receive you into our home, O Mary.

Father: When Elizabeth heard your greeting, O Mary the baby leapt in her womb and she was filled
with the Holy Spirit. Fill our hearts with the joy, love and peace of the Holy Spirit.

All: We are honored to receive you into our home, O Mary.

Father: Blessed are you, O Mary, among all women. Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus! Who
are we that the mother of our Lord should come to us? The moment your greeting sounded in the ears
of Elizabeth her baby leapt for joy. Fill our home, with openness and faith in you.

All: We are honored to receive you into our home, O Mary.

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Father: Blessed are you, O Mary, you trusted that the Lord fulfills His words. Pour into our hearts
great trust in our Lord that we may accept whatever message He would like to tell us through your
visit.

All: We are honored to receive you into our home, O Mary.

III. PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF PIAT(to be prayed after the communion rite)

Prayer Leader: Let us pray:

All: O Mary, Mother of mercy, Virgin of the Visitation of Piat, you are blessed among all women and
the most compassionate of all mothers. You take pity upon all those who call upon you. Everyday
your children invoke your name and sing your praises of love, mercy and humility.

At your arrival, the infant leaped with joy in the womb of his mother, signifying your greatness and
the fortune of those whom you deign to visit with your motherly love and mercy.

Do you also, O great Mother visit our homes so that we may be delivered from all dangers of body
and soul. Bring peace to our families. Preserve us in health and concord. Deliver us from all
temptations that may lead us away from the path of virtue. Take special care of us particularly at this
perilous time in which we live. Strengthen us in all our hours of trials, comfort us in sorrow, and
succor us in all our necessities. O sweet Mother, since you know how much we stand in need of your
motherly care, assist us at every moment of our lives, but especially at the moment of our death. At
that instant do you come with Jesus to lead us from this life to the enjoyment of our eternal bliss in
Heaven. Amen.

IV. FINAL BLESSING:

Priest:

Lord, as we honor the glorious memory of the Virgin Mary,

we ask that by the help of her prayers
we too may come to share the fullness of your grace.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. Amen.

May the almighty God bless us the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit†

V. CLOSING SONG and FLORAL OFFERING

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While the Hymn is sung, the congregation of the faithful may offer their flowers to our blessed
Mother.

YENA KA NA CAGAYAN

Koro:
Marayao, Virgen na Pia
Assing na me kalulungag
Sikaw y akkigutan.
Yen aka nak Cagayan

1. Pagayaya anna daddam

Itavvung mi pammam
Nikaw Yemmi nga iratal
Ta utun nga altar Ginnam mu O Señora
Y ana ana mu ira. (koro)

2. Talo, sipu, ammarulo

Kiddawam-mi nikaw
O Yena mi a marayao
T’arubang mu sangau
O idducun a Yena
Y matam ilipem gana. (koro)