Chinese devotees celebrate feast of “Ma-Tzu” By: ERWIN G. BELEO-City Media Bureau SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – Chinese devotees from the different parts of the country trooped here at the Ma-Cho Temple , Saturday afternoon ( August 30, 2014 ) for the annual celebration of the miraculous Virgin of Caysaysay or Ma-Tzu - a Chinese deity of the Sung Dynasty. This year the pilgrims traveled to La Union in the morning from Taal, Batangas with a procession where they carried the six inches image of the Virgin which most Chinese believes is the reincarnation of their “sea goddess” (Ma-Tzu). “Pilgrims departed very early from Taal (Batangas, where the original image was discovered). It is the same activity over the years where the Chinese community worship and honor Ma-Tzu,” said a Chinese devotee. Anita Cy, member of the Virgin of Caysasay Foundation, said that the pilgrims brought the image of Ma-Tzu to Taal for a mass at the Basilica of St. Martin where the Virgin was enshrined. They returned to the Temple here on the same day for the various activities where they conducted the “dragon parade”, lion dance and procession around the city proper. After the procession, devotees, Xi Lin Chan and son John, request to carry the image back to its original place at the Temple here. “The celebration will culminate this day with a cultural shows and offerings at the Temple - a structure of mixed Christian and Taoism nestled atop of a hill overlooking the sea and was built in 1976 in honor of Ma-Tzu,” Cy added. History revealed that on March 23 of the Chinese lunar calendar, Ma-Tzus birthday is celebrated in special events in all the Ma-Tzu temples. It also showed that the Virgin was first seen by a fisherman in 1603 at the Pansipit River in Barangay Caysasay, Taal , Batangas. The village is a sanctuary of “casay-casay” birds or kingfisher. Spanish people called them “caysasay.” Spanish prelates and authorities learned of the discovery of the image and immediately proceeded to the house of the fisherman and upon seeing, they allegedly vowed and worshiped her. Since then, the image was brought by the prelates and enshrined inside the church in Taal where they honored her with mass. The creed of the Virgin, which was called by the Catholic Church as “Our Lady of Immaculate Conception,” was recognized by the Pope of the Catholic hierarchy in 1854. -- Photo caption: MA-TZU FESTIVAL – Chinese and Filipino devotees joins the procession of Mama Mat-Tzu around the city proper of the City of San Fernando then proceeded to the Ma-tzu Temple to witness the festivities on Saturday afternoon, August 30, 2014. (Photo by: ERWIN G. BELEO-City Media Bureau) MA-TZU FESTIVAL – Chinese devotee Xi Lin Chan (right) and his son John (left) hold the statue of Mat-Tzu after the procession around the city proper of San Fernando to bring home the image at the Ma-Tzu Temple, a tradition of the celebration last Saturday, August 30, 2014. (Photo by: ERWIN G. BELEO-City Media Bureau) MA-TZU FESTIVAL – Chinese and Filipino devotees walked in the procession as they bring the statue will be brought to the Ma-Tzu Temple in Brgy. Ilocanos Norte, San Fernando City , La Union, Saturday afternoon, August 30, 2014 . (Photo by: ERWIN G. BELEO)
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 09:23:44 +0000
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