A New Carroza for the Blessed Mother Mary

Every Holy Week, attending processions are part of an individual's religiousity and devotion especially here in the Philippines. For some families, preparing the processions for the holy week is something that is passed from one generation to the next. In our parish of San Fernando El Rey in Liloan, Cebu, Philippines we are blessed to have the opportunity to prepare the Carroza of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mater Dolorosa, Sorrowful Mother). This priviledge to serve the Church through our own parish started with my great grandfather in the 1960s and passed it to the younger generations of the family. Since the first procession in the 1960s, we have used the same carroza ever since. This is owned by the parish, and anyone can just practically use it, eventually contributing to deterioration of it. Our family then decided to have some major repairs in the early 2000s, we fixed the electricity line and bulb stands, and the body of the carroza. The repairs made it presentable for a few years. We just then compensate it with floral decorations to cover the undesirable parts of the carroza.Last March 2018 Holy Week, the metal plate that holds the front wheels have shown cracks and has been growing. This is the same crack that prompted us to make a major repair in the early 2000s. However, with its age, close to 60, repairing it to its original and prestine condition would not be economically practical. The only practical way is to retire this carroza. The family has set aside some amount but certainly it will take years to reach the goal. Our only desire is to have a new carozza capable of carrying a small generator for the power supply of both lights and the sound system. A new carroza that will last for the next 60 years for more generations to see and us.