Early in August 1990, Lulu Magistrado Menor stood in vigil with her entire family in Naga City as her mother underwent a critical surgery because of brain cancer. Prior to the procedure, the doctors gave her mother little chance of survival. Being a religious woman, Lulu decided in prayer to leave her mother’s fate to God. She did make a special request though – that the cape of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia called “Manto” be placed near her mother during the surgery. She miraculously survived and Lulu made a solemn promise to bring the devotion to “Ina” to the US.
With a vision that sprung from a promise, faith and devotion paid off – the Our Lady of Peñafrancia Devotees Association (OLPDA) was co-founded in August of that same year by Lulu Menor and Angelita L. Peña. In addition to the founders, the original members on record are: Eufronio L. Peña, Ben A. Silerio, Cynthia Rodriguez Mirasol, Lily Salandanan-Villegas, Mel Aninipot, Reggie Aureus, Patty San Jose, Marfo Manibay, Ben Ramin, Auring Cledera Roco, Josie Mendoza, and Rev. Fr. Jose Saltarin.
The first annual Peñafrancia fiesta celebration was sponsored by OLPDA in September 1990. It was a resounding success, attended by so many Bicolanos from the tri-state area. “Ina” found a home in Our Lady of Victories Church in Jersey City. After 3 years of holding the procession on foot in Jersey City, the first fluvial procession was held at the lake in Verona Park. The novena Masses were celebrated that year at the Our Lady of the Lakes Church. OLPDA was later incorporated in 1993 as a 501(a), 501(c)(3), and 509(a)(1) non-profit organization during the term of Erlinda R. Arellano. As such, OLPDA enjoys tax-exempt privileges.
As the number of OLPDA members increased, the Peñafrancia fiesta was held in 1996 at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, and the fluvial procession was held at the Hudson River. Just like in Naga City, the “Traslacion was done on the first day of the novena at which time the image of “Ina” was brought from Our Lady of Victories Church to St. Aedan’s Church where the novena Masses were held. In later years, the devotional novenas and Masses were held solely at the Church of Our Lady of Victories – culminating with a Mass and a fluvial procession of the replica image of Ina on the waters around the Liberty State Park. This was followed by a fellowship with families sharing home-cooked Bicolano dishes, Filipino delicacies, and drinks.
The image of Ina was enshrined in 1999 at the Church of Our Lady of Victories in Jersey City. In 2010, a replica image of Ina was donated by the late Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi of the Archdiocese of Caceres and Monsignor Romulo Vergara of the Peñafrancia Basilica Minore. In recent years, the festivities were transferred from the Liberty State Park to the Bayonne Park.
Through the years, OLPDA benefited from the spiritual guidance of Fr. Saltarin and Monsignor Jeremias Rebanal. Sadly, we lost Fr. Joe to a lingering illness last year.
As a non-profit and religious organization, OLPDA supports projects of the Archdiocese of Caceres and the Peñafrancia Basilica Minore. A scholarship fund was also established to grant financial assistance to seminarians of the Holy Rosary Major Seminary.
(Reference: Materials provided by OLPDA past presidents Angelia Peña and Erlinda Requejo-Arellano)
Our Lady of Peñafrancia Devotees Association (Tri-State), Inc. 