BY NOE ADAN – The Papal Nuncio, His Excellency, Most Rev. Adolfo Tito Yllana, was the main celebrant during the special Marian mass of Our Lady of Penafrancia on Sep 16, at St Nicholas of Myra Parish in Penrith.
The afternoon activities, lunch, program and entertainment were held at the Tench Reserve in Jamisontown.
Among the honoured guests l were NSW Minister for WestConnex motorway and MP for Penrith Mr Stuart Ayres and Minister for Ageing and MP for Mulgoa Mrs Tanya Davis, Philippine Consul Melanie Diano and Philippine Consul Marford Angeles and representatives from the Penrith City council. Various cultural groups representing the Philippines, Spain, Germany, and India also presented their respective numbers during the afternoon entertainment program.
At the morning mass, Papal Nuncio Yllana  was joined by other priests from the Diocese of Parramatta, namely: Fr. Mathew Antony, Fr. Ruben Elago, Fr. Joe Manjaly, Fr. Dado Haber, Fr. John Paul Escarlan, and a visiting priest, Fr. Vladimir Echalas, assisted by Deacon Jun Decena and Senior Server Remy Wood, altar servers and choir from the Filipino Chaplaincy of the diocese of Parramatta and Himig Sandiwa Chorale which sang the Ave Maria. . After the concelebrated mass, the image of the Virgin Mary was brought to the shores of the Nepean River for the fluvial procession.
This year’s feast day had its theme: “Mary: mother of the Church, the communion of Life, Love and Truth in the year of the Parish˜. This Marian festival is now on its 12th year of celebration at Penrith, where our Lady’s image is housed at the local St Nicholas church.
On September 15., prior to the Australian feast day, Papal Nuncio Yllanawas in Naga City, Philippines, where he led the biggest religious festival event in the country, starting with the traslacion, a procession transferring the image of Mother Mary from her home, the Penafrancia Basilica, to the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral for nine days of novena and prayers, after which her image is returned back to the Basilica via a fluvial procession.
Before the conclusion of the mass at St Nicholas at Myra in Penrith, the CEO of Catholic Cemeteries and Crematoria, Peter O’Meara, was presented with a plaque of appreciation from the Australian Devotees of Our Lady of Penafrancia (ADOLP) for his company’s support to the Penafrancia activities in Sydney.
As usual Our Lady of Penafrancia’s .constant intercession provided a beautiful spring weather for everyone to enjoy. Ding Alano, this year’s ADOLP president, expressed his thanks to all for the success of the Penafrancia fiesta. Viva La Virgen. By Noe Adan. ADOLP