3,000 Cebuanos to attend canonization in Vatican

CEBU CITY—Around 3,000 pilgrims from Cebu will join the Philippine delegation to Rome for the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod on Oct. 21.

Monsignor Marnell S. Mejia, chairman of the Duaw Lungsod and member of the Special Commission for the Devotion of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, said that aside from the 3,000 pilgrims from Cebu, Filipinos based and working in the United States, Middle East and Europe, especially those living in Rome, would attend the canonization.

The Philippine government will be represented by Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Mejia said President Aquino had said he would not make it to Rome because of prior engagements, but had promised to attend the National Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 30, which will be held at the Cebu City’s South Road Properties (SRP).

The official image of the soon-to-be second Filipino Saint will leave for Hong Kong on Tuesday as a passenger on board Cathay Pacific flight CX 920 at 12:30 p.m. and will be transferred to another plane for a connecting flight, CX 293 to Rome which would leave at 12:05 a.m. on Wednesday.

Fr. Charles Louis Jayme, who was designated as the official custodian, will be sitting beside the image which will be flown to Rome free of charge, courtesy of Cathay Pacific.

A send-off Mass would be held 5:30 a.m. Tuesday and at 8:30 a.m., the image of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, accompanied by priests and pilgrims, will be brought to the airport through a motorcade. Students will line up along the motorcade route from the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral to the airport in Lapu-Lapu City.