The theft of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia

Forty-three years ago today, on August 17, 1981, a shocking event occurred in Naga City: the miraculous, venerated, and canonically crowned original image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, known as “Inâ,” was stolen from her home, the Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

The theft sent shockwaves through the community, and the search for the missing image became a top priority. The story of the theft and its aftermath is detailed in the book “Inâ: Little Stories of Faith,” specifically on page 141.

The book recounts how, at 4:30 AM on that fateful day, just before the first morning Mass, the caretaker discovered Inâ’s image missing from its pedestal on the altar. A cry of despair reverberated throughout Naga City.

Archbishop Teopisto V. Alberto immediately called for prayer rallies for the image’s recovery, while Governor Felix A. Fuentebella appealed to devotees for assistance. Authorities suspected a syndicate was behind the theft, as they had forced entry by sawing the iron bar of a back window and carried away the 275-year-old image. Left behind were Inâ’s manto and the steel bar that had secured her to the pedestal.

The search for the image intensified as the dates for the Traslacion (September 11) and the Fluvial Procession (September 19) approached. The possibility of celebrating the fiesta without Inâ’s image seemed unthinkable, and the idea of ordering a replica was deemed too time-consuming.

In a moment of grace, Mrs. Felipe F. Cruz (nee Angelita M. Almeda) offered a family-owned replica to replace the missing original for the 1981 festivities. While the celebrations were tinged with sadness, the faith, hope, and trust in Inâ and the Divino Rostro remained strong. Inâ’s absence only deepened the feeling of her loving and constant presence as the spiritual mother of the Bicolanos and devotees from far and wide.

It wasn’t until May 1982 that the first genuine lead in the recovery of Inâ’s original image surfaced.