Kawit folk recount miracles of St. Mary Magdalene

MILAGROS Solania-Que, this year's hermana mayor of the

fiesta in Kawit, Cavite, honoring St. Mary Magdalene, told me

miracles she experienced through the saint's intercession.

When she was asked for the first time years ago to be the ''Ina''

in the church's celebration of Christmas, she immediately said

yes although she did not know how she would feed the

hundreds of people who would come, and where she would put

them as she had only a small house. This was when she and her

husband Tony Que were starting an electronics business.

Mila's prayer was: ''Next time, St. Mary Magdalene, please make

my house bigger, so I could welcome more people.''

True enough, she and her husband were able to build a bigger

house in the same neighborhood. Their house in Perpetual

Village in Paraqaque also became bigger after their business

flourished.

Never to say no when asked to be hermanos in the fiesta. Mila

and Tony Que are this year's hermanos.

The fiesta officially began with the first set of novenas last July

4 in the parish church. A motorcade went around the town and

stopped in each barangay hall or chapel for prayers. St. Mary

Magdalene's image was borne on andas and placed atop a jeep

and brought around. People awaited on the raod so they could

pray to her.

Answered prayers

According to Mila Que, the saint will help a devotee for as long

as he or she has ''bukal na kalooban'' (pure intentions).

I learned about St. Mary Magdalene as patroness of Kawit way

back in 1994 when I was invited by the Marian group of Joel

Cadiz to the Marian exhibit they organize every September.

Somehow I got attached to the saint and became close to those

who are devoted to her, like Edith Copada whose prayers are

always answered; Nena Pobre Aguinaldo who is the sister of

Mayor Ben Pobre; and Mila Que herself.

Jovita Peregrino attests to St. Mary Magdalene's miraculous

intercession after she was cured of cancer. Tita Jovita is now

the caretaker of the saint.

Out of the blue, Ali Garcia promised to make St. Mary

Magdalene a dress for the fiesta. It was his sort of ''panata'' for a

prayer answered.

Two different Marys

St. Mary Magdalene is often mistaken for St. Mary, sister of St.

Martha who lived in Bethany.

Mary of Magdala was a sinner who lived in the village of

Magdala but asked the Lord to forgive her. She's called Mary of

Magdala or St. Mary Magdalene and she was the first person

Jesus Christ appeared to after He rose from the dead.

Schedule of novenas and fiesta

The novena to St. Mary Magdalene has three sets: July 4-12 for

the barangays; July 13-21 for the municipal employees, schools,

civic and religious groups; and July 23-31 for religious

organizations in the parish. Novenas are at 6:30 a.m.

Masses on the feast day of St. Mary Magdalene on July 22 start

at 5 a.m. every hour until 9:30 a.m. when the concelebrated Mass

led by Bishop Sobreviqas and Monsignor Pagniligan is held.

An 11 a.m. Mass follows, then later at 5 p.m.

The procession around the town is held after the 6 p.m. Mass.

The people of Kawit gather as one community in the celebration

of the fiesta. Ali Garcia, Leonor Kilayko and myself were there

last July 4 to attend Mass and to join the motorcade. We felt

very welcome in the community.