The yearly celebration of Penafrancia festival in Penrith NSW has been calendared to 16th September 2017 including the obligatory fluvial procession along the Nepean River, announced by the lead organisation Australian Devotees of Our Lady of Penafrancia (ADOLP).
Community leader Mr Jun Relunia said the festival is under the guidance of the Basilica of Penafrancia in Naga City, Philippines and the Diocese of Parramatta in NSW>
Mr Relunia said participating cimmunity organisations are preparing for the 12th year celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Penafrancia to be held in Penrith on Saturday 16th September, the same day as the 307th year tradition will be held in Naga City.
The festivities of the day will start with a 9:30 am concelebrated mass at the St Nicholas of Myra Church in Penrith, where the image of the Virgin Mary (also called Ina) is housed.
Main celebrant will be the Papal Nuncio to Australia Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana , a devotee of Ina. Co-celebrants for the mass will be Fr. Mathew Antony, parish priest of St Nicholas of Myra Church, Fr. Ruben Elago, Coordinator of the Filipino Chaplaincy of the Diocese of Parramatta, Fr Dado Haber, Fr. Vlad Echalas, Fr Joe Manjaly, Fr. John Paul Escarlan and Fr. Pio Jang.
The celebrants will be helped by deacon Decena assisted by the Filipino Chaplaincy Acolytes and  Altar Servers of the Diocese of Parramatta. Mass music will be provided by the Filipino chaplaincy ( Diocese of Parramatta)  choir, led by Ely Belacho.
he Ave Maria will be sung by the Himig Sandiwa Chorale. The Association of Philippine Students in Australia will be involved in the mass.
After the mass, the image of Ina will be driven to the Tench Reserve jetty ( Jamison Rd, Jamisontown) for the fluvial procession along the picturesque Nepean River. Assembly for the boarding on the paddle wheeler Nepean Belle which will be the devotees boat will be at 11:45 am.
The fluvial procession will start at 12:00 pm with the well decorated Explorer boat (owned by the Wakeling family) as the pagoda leading the fluvial procession. Those expected to join the Explorer and Nepean Belle in the fluvial procession will be the Pendragons, the Penrith City Rowing Club and rowers from the Sydney International Regatta.
Filipino community leaders Darrell and Sevilla Swadling are regular rowers for Ina. Hopefully Ed Bada whose boat was the first pagoda will be able to participate this year. After the 45-minute river procession, the boats will dock at John and Helen Wakeling mooring for a short procession and walk to the open field of the Factory Rd Reserve.
There, devotees and visitors will have fellowship lunch and thereafter an entertainment program and entertainment will be held until 4:00 pm.
The community club Buklod ng Pag-ibig is organising the lunch..
Entertainment this year will be joined by multicultural groups like the Los Carmonas Spanish Dance Academy, the Workers Hubertus Volkstansgruppe and the Indian community parishioners Abirami Natya Shestra from the St Nicholas Mura parish.
Included are organisations who have pledged (panata) their yearly performance such as Sydney Sonata Singers, the Philippine Language and Cultural Association of Australia ( PLCAA), and Bicol Inc thru Zena Samar.
Other community clubs invited and expected to come are the Philippine Cordillerans, the Visayan club Banag- Banag Association, and the Cumbacheros led by Mr Danny Garcia.
Facilities contributed every year were the music and sound system by the Combacheros, Andrew Russell Sound System from Canberra will be assisting. The Himig Sandiwa Chorale from the Chatswood Filipino Chaplaincy.