‘Mother Paring’ preaches unwavering faith in God
GUIGUINTO, Bulacan—"More important than anything else is a close relationship with God." Thus faith healer Amparo Santos, 74, widely known as “Mother Paring” of Barangay Tabe in this town said that as long as she's strong and alive, her endless faith in God will never fade and will never cease to bring “messages from Heaven”.
Mother Paring, like several other devoted penitents across the country, had herself nailed to a cross every Good Friday since 1986 until the ultimate form of sacrifice and devotion came to an end 15 years ago.
She relayed that even if she has already stopped the painful, bloody Holy Week ritual of re-enacting the crucifixion of Christ, she still receives messages from Heaven which she shares to the people especially the sick who comes to her for spiritual healing.
Now, Mother Paring is still fulfilling her vows by erecting iron crosses in several so she can share the message of God’s love and mercy.
“God is always sending me messages especially during those times when I was nailed to the cross every Good Friday. The Lord always tell me to spread His words and make people repent,” Mother Paring told Manila Bulletin.
Images of heaven and hell
Mother Paring said that it was in the summer of 1986, a few months after the EDSA people power revolution that toppled the Marcos dictatorship, when she got into trance.
“It was as if I was zapped to a different world. I saw a place where everything is purely immaculate and beautiful and I know that it was Heaven.
Then I was brought to a place full of thorns and emptiness which I think is the place called purgatory and a place that was very hot and many sad voices crying and screaming which I know was the place called hell,” Mother Paring said.
And for 15 years after that episode, she fulfilled her Holy Week vows, carrying a wooden cross in the sun-baked roads of a farming village leading to the man-made Golgotha in Bgy. Kapitangan, Paombong where she was nailed at high noon every good Friday.
The remaining three years of her Lenten vow was fulfilled in the hot open fields at Sitio Cutud in San Fernando City, Pampanga.
15 years of sacrifice good enough
She stopped her “Crucifixion” vow in 2000, mainly due to the prodding and wishes of her children, three sons and a daughter.
“Surely, carrying and nailed to a wooden cross for 15 years is good enough. She was already old for that and we want her to enjoy her grandchildren,” her only daughter Maricel Santos- Cruz, concurrent head of the Provincial Public Affairs Office (PPAO) in this province. said.
“If she’s not busy fulfilling her vows, she still do faith healing. The St. Joseph Chapel is being swarmed by an average of 30 people a day,” SantosCruz added.
This Good Friday, pilgrims who will descend upon Barangay Kapitangan will no longer witness Mother Paring getting nailed to the cross, but the faithful who once become a part of her devotion will always remember the strong faith that still drives an old woman to fulfill her vows and spreading the word of God.