CEBU CITY – Around 5,000 Filipino pilgrims are attending the canonization rites of Blessed Pedro Calungsod at the Vatican on Oct. 21.

The pilgrims include some 200 cardinals, archbishops, bishops and other priests.

Calungsod is only the second Filipino, and the first from the Cebuano-speaking region, to be declared a saint by the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church in Rome.

The first was San Lorenzo Ruiz of Manila.

Thousands of Cebuanos are also expected to turn up along the procession and motorcade route for the send-off of the image of Blessed Pedro Calungsod for Rome, Italy on Oct. 15.

The send-off activities are part of the final stretch of preparations for the canonization of the second Filipino saint at the St. Peter’s Basilica.

The image’s journey out of Cebu would symbolize one of many taken by the teenage catechist who was killed for his faith in the Marianas Islands in the 17th century, Duaw Lungsod chairman Msgr. Marnell Mejia said.

The Calungsod saga is marked with voyages, he said, referring to the journey of Calungsod aboard the galleon called San Diego, from Cavite to the Ladrones Islands, now known as Marianas Islands, where he was killed with Jesuit missionary Blessed Diego Luis de Sanvitores on April 2, 1672.

The voyage of Calungsod’s image on Tuesday will be more comfortable, since his image would be a passenger of a Cathay Pacific flight that will leave Cebu around noon.

Fr. Charles Jayme, the official custodian of the three-foot tall pilgrim image, will take the same flight, where they will be treated as VIPs.

The image will be enclosed in a red case lined with polystyrene and a white satin cloth. The case has handles for ease of transport.

Grace Ho, Cathay Pacific manager, said the container will be placed on the floor of a window seat and secured with a seatbelt.

She said the organizers complied with certain safety requirements, including the size and weight of the package.

The send-off procession will start 4:30 a.m. from the Archdiocesan Shrine of Blessed Pedro Calungsod to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, where a mass will be celebrated by Msgr. Roberto Alesna at 5:30 a.m.

This is the last farewell to Blessed Pedro. When he returns, he would already be San Pedro Calungsod, Alesna said.*PNA

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