Penitensya 2011 (Penance)

My Photographer friends invited me to join them in a shoot in Ugong, Pasig. RS  (Rizal Shooters) people wanted to take part of capturing some stills for the Penitensya that year. Me, not being a Catholic (not even a catholic background) don't practice nor engage in such activities so i'm kinda of excited that day because I don't know what to expect.

For people that doesn't know what Penitensya is, Its a teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (commonly called Confession, Reconciliation or Penance) is the method by which individual men and women may be freed from sins committed (Wikipedia) in atonement to what they did by self-mortification (often held mortification of the flesh (literally, "putting the flesh to death"), as a worthy spiritual discipline). Its  performed voluntarily to show sorrow for a sin or other wrongdoing. (free dictionary). The practice is often found in many cultures, most notably the Roman Catholic Church and their penitential saints. Common forms of mortification includes flagellation, in imitation of Jesus Christ's suffering and death on the crucifixion.

Man cutting wounds at the back of the Devotee

Its a tradition that the Filipinos inherited from the Spanish Colonization
way back when they first arrive February 13, 1565 at Cebu. Not all Catholics joins this kind of even. Its only what they call "Deboto" or Devotees.

Devotee in agony while a man is cutting his back with a blade

A man with a belt whips the mans body. its symbolizes the time when Jesus was whipped

Devotees walk barefoot under the hot sun

Shadow of the devotee is like when Christ died on the cross

Finally Devotees reached their destination.. The Church

This devotee wore a spiderman mask for some reason :)

It's a great experience as a photographer to capture such events. 

-=-