BLUE BELT LADIES

                                           

 Have you seen ladies at Transfi especially on first Saturdays, wearing white dress with a blue belt (sash) around their waist and a medal hanging on their neck? Yes, they are the members of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Lourdes (COLL) founded by the former priest then Msgr. Jesus Romulo Rañada  in 1999 and officially installed on  February 11, 2000, the Feast day of our Lady of Lourdes.

 

 This so-called blue belt ladies started when Msgr. Ranada saw a meztiza- looking lady in her early 60’s named Magdalena Tiangco attending a mass. After several exchange of pleasantries, an idea (without the knowledge of others) to formally organize the group. So there and the rest is history.

 

  Through the years, COLL in Transfi grew more. The group propagated a devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes by bringing her image to different homes every Saturday  especially if there is a sick person in the family since the image stands for healing . Before moving the image to another home, the group will give a prayer pamphlet and a blue rosary.

 

 COLL has its own mother church Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral in Retiro. It is being called Arch Confraternity of Our Lady of Lourdes and they always attend the quarterly meeting wherein they discuss various outreach programs headed by the national chairman, Atty.Lourdes Lontoc-Cruz.

 

 Presently, the group is headed by Sis. Zeny Balagbagan.