La Naval de Manila procession set today

he much anticipated grand procession of the venerated image of Nuestra Senora Santissimo Rosario (Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary) La Naval de Manila, along with the images of the Holy Rosary saints, will be held at 4 p.m. today around Santo Domingo Church (National Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary) on Quezon Avenue in Quezon City, in celebration of the solemn Feast of La Naval de Manila.

Bishop Honesto F. Ongtioco will celebrate a high mass at the church at 3 p.m.

Feast masses will also be celebrated by the hour from 5 a.m. to 12 noon and at 3 p.m., 5 p.m., and at 7 p.m.

Novena masses were held from October 4 to 13.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Maria: Huwaran ng Kabanalan.”

Feast rites in honor of La Naval will also be observed in Fort San Felipe in Cavite City, as well as in other towns and parishes placed under her patronage.

The first celebration of the Feast of La Naval de Manila was held on Oct. 8, 1646 in Intramuros, Manila to mark the naval victory of the Spanish and Filipino Catholic forces against the invading Dutch fleet.

Reminiscent of the victory of the greatly outnumbered Christian naval forces against the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, which was attributed to the intercession of the Blessed Mother, the joint Spanish and Filipino forces, upon the advice of the Dominican friars, prayed the Holy Rosary before each encounter with the invading forces between March 15 and Oct. 4.

Finally, the Dutch fleet gave up and left the country.

In thanksgiving to God and the Holy Mother for the victory, Spanish church leaders initiated the celebration of the first feast of La Naval de Manila, which has since then been annually marked with holy masses and a grand procession of the sacred image.