If there is a Mother of the Year award, Mary would receive it consistently without fail. She intercedes for us at any given time, especially when we want to answer a particular need or ward off certain difficult situations. Mary has outlined for us what Christian life should look like. Her life’s vision-mission statement is to follow God at all times. No wonder, she was able to cope up with the harsh realities of life.

        Her Immaculate Conception, her being kept free from original sin from the moment of her conception, tells us how God protected the Mother of her Son so that we can receive the great gift of salvation. With great reverence, the Universal Church , seen in the four corners of the earth, recognizes Mary’s contribution to mankind.

        In the local church of Caceres alone, close to one-third of its 76 parishes are Marian parishes. Ten of them were established under the leadership of Most Rev. Leonardo Z. Legaspi, O.P., D.D., the incumbent archbishop of the place. Six parishes in the Archdiocese chose the titles of Mary that are closely linked with indispensable salvific moments – Immaculate Conception (Quipayo, Calabanga, Camarines Sur and Concepcion Pequeña, Naga City), Our Lady of the Salvation (Salvacion, Iriga City), Mater Salutis (Cararayan, Naga City), Our Lady of La Porteria (Calabanga, Camarines Sur), and Our Lady of the Assumption (Canaman, Camarines Sur).

        The same number of parishes captures the character traits of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Our Lady of the Remedy (Curry, Pili, Camarines Sur), Our Lady of Prompt Succour (Haring, Canaman, Camarines Sur ), Our Lady of Sorrows (Sto. Domingo, Nabua, Camarines Sur ), Our Lady of Solitude (Tambo, Buhi), and Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (Guijalo, Caramoan and Tandoc, Siruma). Another seven parishes recall Marian events or apparitions that imparted important messages to people: Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (Bombon, Camarines Sur ), Our Lady of Mt. Carmel ( Carolina , Naga City ), Our Lady of Guadalupe (Malawag, Nabua), Our Lady of Peñafrancia ( Naga City and Balaton, Lagonoy), Our Lady of Fatima ( San Isidro , Iriga City ) and Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Balatan). Worth mentioning also is the secondary Patroness of Nabua called Our Lady of Katipanan (Angustia or Sorrow) and Our Lady of Fatima fondly revered by the Filipino Chinese in Tabuco, Naga City .

        Certainly, the sheer number of Marian communities is not necessarily indicative of the profound devotion to the Mother of God. But the very fact that they chose Mary to be their patroness and protector manifests an inner longing to make Ina the model for their own quest to get closer close to God. They feel that Mary’s closeness to the Lord will somehow trickle to their communities and be translated into much-needed spiritual favors. Thus, closeness to Mary means closeness to God.

        This comes with the realization that if God made Mary clean from the first moment of her conception, we too should aspire to be upright to attain God. Belonging to a Marian parish does not make you automatically clean, surrendering yourself to what God wants is the key.

        Myrna Bermudo of Caceres Commission on Communication