The Undying Devotion of Caviteños – The 352nd Anniversary Celebration of Our Lady of Solitude of Porta Vaga

Cavite City celebrated the annual Feast day the recently canonically crowned image of Our Lady of Solitude of Porta Vaga. The grand and month-long celebration last year coincided with three major events including the declaration of San Roque Parish Church as the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Solitude of Porta Vaga, the canonical coronation of the image, and the declaration of the image as a National Cultural Treasure of the Philippine. This year marks another equally-important celebration for Caviteños and the devotees of Nuestra Señora dela Soledad de Porta Vaga.

Our Lady of Porta Vaga is not just the patroness of Cavite City but of all the provinces in Cavite, hence the title “Reina De Cavite” (Queen of Cavite). It is one of the well known Marian devotions in the country. Our Lady of Solitude of Porta Vaga is also considered as the oldest extant dated Marian painting in the Philippines. The traditional Two-week long celebration was once again prolonged to pave way for the official album launch of “Madre Y Reina” , a special project by Cofradia de la Virgen de la Soledad de Porta Vaga that took place last week.

The celebration started with nine-day novena masses followed by a grand motorcade and thanksgiving rally which marked the official start of Fiesta dela Reina. The parade of vehicles started from El Palacio hotel in Noveleta and passed through different streets around Cavite City. Many locals from different church organizations and devotees participated in this event.

Saturday marks the “bisperas” of the Fiesta where two “caracol” are being held. Caracol or Karakol is a traditional devotional-circumambulatory-dancing procession in honor of the patroness accompanied by a joyful music in the waltz rhythm played by a brass band.

There are two sets of Caracol. The first one is done in the morning where the image will be carried by a boat and will be sailed towards the bay of Canacao. It is better known as the “Caracol Del Tierra Y dek Mar” or Karakol by land and sea. Cañacao Bay is the place where the apparition took place.
Accompanied by Coast guards and Navy Officers, the miraculous image was brought and sailed from the naval base to the shoreline of Cabuco where the concelebrated mass was held. The mass was followed by another festive caracol. The second Caracol was held in the afternoon where the image was gracefully carried by devotees through a beautifully ornamented andas.
It was a long and festive parade accompanied with graceful music and dances.
Devotees carrying the huge andas of the miraculous image.

The Primera Fiesta begins on the second Sunday. A special concelebrated mass was held in morning in San Roque Parish Church and followed by many other festivities. The Primera Fiest was concluded with a procession.

The Segunda Fiesta took place in the third weekend of November. It comes with many colorful festivities including the “Parade of Bands” where ten bands from different parts of Cavite gathered together to serenade the beloved Reina De Cavite.

The event is followed by a Replica Procession. Different privately-owned replicas of Our Lady of Solitude of Porta Vaga graced the streets of Cavite City with their flamboyant and wonderfully decorated carrozas and andas.

The grand celebration concluded with a grand procession.The image of Porta Vaga along with other patron saints and marian images graced the streets with their intricately decorated carrozas.

The Undying devotion to Nana Choleng (Nuestra Señora Dela Soledad de Porta Vaga).

The entire celebration was concluded with an Album launch. It is a special project by the Cofradia de la Virgen de la Soledad de Porta Vaga that compiles various Marian Songs that are specially composed and arranged to honor the image of Our Lady of Porta Vaga.