Part 2: A July Marian Pilgrimage

“Do we still have time?”, my Tita J asked.

“Yes, Tita.”  I answered. “We still have two hours. The mass does not start until 6PM and we are close by.”

“Then let’s proceed to Q Park.” Tita J requested.

We almost missed the turn to Q Park had not my other Aunt, Tita B, excitedly pointed to a directional sign on the side of the road. 

Q Park, I gathered, is a 200-hectare privately owned property of Mr. Norberto Quisumbing, Jr. (Cebu Norkis-Yamaha fame).  He had developed the property into a spiritual park and had graciously opened it to the public for free.

My party and I ohhed and ahhed at the well kept and meticulously  landscaped grounds.  On top of a hill accessible by a ramp and stairs was a  huge statue of the Virgin Mary garbed in gold and whose arms were outstretched.   It was as if she offered relief to all those who sought it. 

Repainting on-going

The breath-taking view on top of that hill offered us a vista of green.  In the distance, we could also see a bit of the sea.  With the wind in our hair and the gentle sun on our faces, I could not help but marvel at how great is our God.

From conversations with the guard, I was told that a lot of guests come to visit during the Holy Week and weekends to reflect, to seek solace and to shake off the stress of daily living.  The park had several huts and a pavilion.  Even some housing facilities for those who wished to stay overnight. 

Further down the hill was a beautiful replica of the house of Mother Mary in Ephesus, Turkey.   It is actually an air-conditioned chapel where also the mortal remains of the wife of Mr. Quisumbing is laid to rest.

At the lower end of the hill is an open air chapel furnished with beautifully designed wooden chairs and altar.  Above the altar hangs a huge crucified Christ. 

Again, a feeling of calm and peace pervaded our senses.  Though not a shrine, the generous gesture of the owner to share his blessings contributed to the feel-good atmosphere.

As we bid the guards good-bye, we too shared with them some of the bibingka (rice cakes) we had earlier purchased in Catmon.

---xoxoxox---

We were back on the main highway travelling to our final destination of our Marian pilgrimage. 

By some chance (or was it?), a friend had earlier told me that the international pilgrim  Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima would be at the Chapel of Holy Relics. This chapel was located inside the vast grounds of the Order of Discalced Agustinians (OAD) at Tabor Hills, Talamban.  There was to be a farewell mass at 6 that evening before it would be moved to another location.   It was fitting to end our pilgrimage with a mass.

With 5 minutes to spare, we found ourselves inside the chapel overflowing with devotees.  Traffic had been manageable despite the heavy volume of vehicles going home.  It felt as though Mother Mary wanted to make sure we arrived on time for the mass.

Devotees wave to our Lady of Fatima during the chorus 

It was a very solemn mass with a lot of incense use and ceremonial proceedings.  In the end, the image of our Lady of Fatima was placed on a pedestal and carried out of the chapel for a farewell procession around the monastery grounds.   A hash fell on the devotees as Her crown was placed on Her head.

I waved good-bye as the procession moved forward but not without promising to deepen my devotion to Our Mother.

---xoxoxox---

Intrigued by the two versions of delicious lemongrass tea served on that memorable pilgrimage, I decided to check out some recipes on the net.  Out of the million and one (I kid) recipes, I narrowed my search to just one.  With a little tweaking, I came up with my own version.  And the verdict was: Delicious!!

Not only do I have pictures but I now have this tea to commemorate a very memorable date with Mother Mary.

CC’s Lemongrass Tea

Serves 6

1-2 lemongrass stalks
5 c water

½ c lemonsito (calamansi) juice
¼ c Honey

¼ to 1/2 c sugar to sweeten (adjust to your preference)
1 tea bag

1 Cut off the root end of the lemongrass stalk and remove any of the any dry outer leaves.

2 Tie the lemongrass in a knot and place in a pot of water. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. (click HERE to learn how to tie lemongrass into a knot)

3 In a cup, seep a tea bag in hot water for 3-5 minutes. Remove the bag as soon as the water is golden brown. Set aside to cool.

4 In a pitcher, add slices of oranges, lemoncito, sugar and the honey. Add  the juice of the lemoncito.

5 To the pitcher, pour the warm tea and the lemongrass water.  Stir to dissolve the sugar.

6 Pour over ice in a glass garnished with an orange wedge.