Cardinal Advincula visits Ilocos, his former home

Cardinal José Advincula of Manila visited Ilocos Norte for a two-day pilgrimage at the Basilica of Badoc where the miraculous image of “La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc” is enshrined.

Advincula was welcomed by well-wishers led by Bishop Renato Mayugba of Laoag and Fr. Joel Castillo at the Ilocos Sur-Ilocos Norte border on Feb. 14.

From there, he was led by a convoy to the world heritage church of San Agustín de Paoay where he was toured around the church by the former Vicar General and priest-historian, Fr. Danny Laeda.

The cardinal also visited the Cathedral of St. William where he prayed together with Mayugba and the clergy.

During the dinner at the Episcopal Residence, Mayugba said that in Ilocos Norte, the cardinal has a “home”.

Advincula was a formator and professor at the Immaculate Conception School of Theology, the Regional Theological Seminary for Northern Luzon in Ilocos Sur province’s city of Vigan.

The second day was marked with the Thanksgiving Mass of the cardinal at the Badoc Basilica.

In his homily, he revealed that as a priest, he frequented the Badoc Church to pay respects and devotion to La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc.

“I come here to thank the Blessed Virgin Mary and to thank all of you here for your devotion to Our Lady, and to encourage you to persevere in faith and devotion. My coming here is also my way of remembering what the Lord has done in my life. I am at home in this place. I am at home in the Ilocandia,” Advincula said.

The two-day visit was a moment to reminisce about the cardinal’s significant years in the Ilocandia as he met with his former co-formators, former students and friends.

Among his co-formators who were present were Mayugba who was at that time the seminary Rector and Fr. Danny Laeda, history professor.

Laeda said that their students at the regional seminary are today the leading figures in the dioceses of the Northern Luzon Region.

He said that by seeing them doing well in their ministry, they could remark that “they may have labored in pain, but not in vain”.

Meanwhile, the Badoc Basilica is preparing for the investiture of its new Rector, Fr. Joel Castillo, on Feb. 22, with the official garb worn by a Basilica Rector stipulated in the Vatican Document, “Domus Ecclesiae”.

From Badoc, Advincula travelled to the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia in Ilocos Sur where he was welcomed by Archbishop Marlo Peralta and the clergy at the Vigan Cathedral.

In a photo released by the archdiocese, the cardinal was also seen praying at the tomb of the Servant of God, Alfredo Verzosa, inside the cathedral. (Buena Luz/CBCP News)

A version of this article was first published on CBCP News.