04.06.12
Every Good Friday, our family takes a road trip down to the province of Bulacan, in the town of Pulilan to join the procession where almost a hundred life-size statues depicting events in the life of Jesus and note-worthy saints are paraded through the small sleepy town.
Pulilan, Bulacan is about an hour’s journey from our house, headed north of Manila. You take the North Luzon Expressway and enter at the Pulilan exit.
Pulilan is the hometown of my grandfather. Although born in Pampanga, my grandfather grew up in the ancestral house in Bulacan. Until recently, his sister, Auntie Rose and her late husband Uncle Manuel, resided in the over a century year old house.
This house is home to the Mater Dolorosa, the family patroness, which has been in the family since the 1600s. And every year, on Good Friday, she joins the procession around the town, with our family devoting to decorate and pull her carosa.
The main church is situated a few blocks away from the house, and is called the Cathedral of San Isidro, where the procession will always start.
This Church is known for their town fiesta every May 15, where carabaos are paraded and made to kneel in front of the church.
The procession began at 6pm and lasted for over two hours, since there were almost a hundred carosas to be paraded. It took an hour just for the Mater Dolorosa to pass where we were waiting with our grandfather for him to catch a glimpse of the patroness. And an additional hour to walk the route.
It was tiring but always great to do this every year with the cousins, aunts and uncles. Grandfather is always fun to be around! Here he is joking around:
Until next year!
Viva La Vida! 