TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD: Odlot, Northern Cebu Almost Two Years After Super Typhoon Haiyan

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Odlot, Northern Cebu Almost Two Years After Super Typhoon Haiyan

Last November 2013, when super typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda struck the Philippines, the small town of Odlot in Northern Cebu was devastated. Homes were destroyed, trees uprooted; the church of Odlot lost its roof and suffered a lot of damage.

Almost two years after that horrific super typhoon, we returned to Northern Cebu, specifically to Odlot for the first Saturday Mass and Procession held at the parish church, which is a Marian pilgrim site.

(Along the 2 1/2 hour drive from the city, I had noticed that the trees had grown back and structures had been rebuilt. The awful devastation that had been evident even a year ago was hardly visible.)

The Church of Remedies in Odlot was able to restore its roof soon after the super typhoon. The interior of the church is still being worked on, but services and other activities have been going on as usual.

I am sharing pictures of the church, the procession, including a few shots of the surroundings.

The top picture shows Odlot's parish priest, Father Romeo Desuyo, with Lautrec Ocampo and a statue of Our Lady of Remedies that had been crowned by Pope Francis.

The church of Odlot is famous for its weeping statue of Our Lady of Remedies. Many miracles have been attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Remedies, and many pilgrims travel to the small seaside town of Odlot.