He journeyed to the mountains of Peña de Francia, which means "Rock of France," in Salamanca after hearing a voice instructing him to look for a sacred image of Mary; this is where the title "Peñafrancia" came from.

In gratitude, he built a small church of nipa by a brook near the Pasig River, which enshrined the circa 1690 canvas copy of the painting.

The devotion spread outside the Diocese of Nueva Cáceres, which then comprised not only the Bicolandia, but also Tayabas (now Quezon), Marinduque, Laguna, and up to Palanan, Isabela along the Cordillera Central range.

On September 1, 1864, Gainza initiated the Traslación Procession on the Friday before the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, where the image was brought from Our Lady of Peñafrancia Shrine to the cathedral for a solemn novena, then on the afternoon of the ninth day, a Saturday, returned through the "Traslación por el río" (now called the Fluvial Procession), for her feast on Sunday.

The winning piece, Himno a la Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia, was composed by the Spanish priest Máximo Juguera, and became the Anthem of the Coronation and the feast itself.

In May 1982, an antique dealer and also a Peñafrancia devotee, Francisco Vecin, acquired information suggesting a man in Mabini St. of Malate, Manila, was selling the image, with it allegedly in the hands of a friend at that time.

In 1960, the first Archbishop of Caceres, Pedro P. Santos, dreamt of building a new and bigger church to be a basilica and permanent sanctuary of the Lady of Peñafrancia in Bicol.

Pope Pius X, through a rescript dated April 8 1905, reassigned the Feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia to the Sunday after the Octave of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Traslación marking the start of the Novenary is held the afternoon of the Friday ten days prior, and the Fluvial Procession on the Saturday or vigil of the feast.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims, devotees, and tourists come to Naga City, Philippines every September for the novena festivities in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, the Patroness of Bicol.

Filipinos at home or abroad gather in to meet relatives and friends, to share food, drinks, and prayers with them, and to pay homage and make thanksgiving to the Virgin of Peñafrancia.

On the first day, the image of the Virgin, a copy of the Madonna in Peñafrancia, Spain, is brought from its shrine to the Metropolitan Cathedral and Parish of Saint John the Evangelist where the novena is held.

Amongst the cheers Bicolanos and pilgrims, holding lit candles in their hands, will kneel on the ground and bow their heads in prayer as the fluvial procession carrying the Virgin traverses the Bicol River in downtown Naga.

A multicolored pagoda carrying the images and icons of the Virgin of Peñafrancia and the Divino Rostro pass along the Bicol River.

Upon its arrival, the Virgin will be received in formal religious rites by Roman Catholic dignitaries of the Bicol Region led by the Archbishop of Nueva Caceres, which is its home diocese.

[citation needed] The celebration begins with the Feast of the Nativity of Mary on September 8, which is marked by Masses in the old shrine or the Metropolitan Cathedral.

The festival begins with a nine-day Novena honoring the Divino Rostro, a local icon of Holy Face commencing on the second Friday of September.

During the Traslacion procession, the images of the Lady of Peñafrancia and the Divino Rostro (Holy Face) are brought by barefooted male voyages from the basilica through the main streets of the city to the cathedral.

The Traslación begins after the noon mass with the procession of students, delegates from other regions, teachers, government officials, and other professionals while the images are being prepared.

During some of the days of the novena, dawn and evening processions are mounted within the vicinity of Naga wherein the images of both Our Lady and the Divino Rostro are brought out to the streets of the city.

The Saturday following the Translacion, the citywide Marian Youth Congress is held, gathering young people from the city and region to share and strengthen their faith.

During the Sunday after the Traslacion, the majorettes, CAT, and Drum and Lyre Corps, plus marching bands, exhibit their dancing, music playing, and silent drill either at Plaza Quezon or the Robredo Coliseum, with the best in each category being announced at the end of the day's events.

Dubbed the Bicol Region Military Parade, it is considered one of the highlights of the celebrations, with the mayor of Naga acting as the reviewing officer.

Following a farewell service at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral, the images are both carried through the streets and then in a pagoda (the Filipino term for a decorated shrine-barge, usually with more than one tier, used in fluvial processions) on its way back to the minor basilica, where a Pontifical Mass is held.

The images of Our Lady and the Divino Rostro are escorted by a large group of devotees, most of whom are aboard colorful paddle boats pulling the pagoda.

[citation needed] With the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, the Archdiocese of Caceres and the Naga City Government reduced the 2020 festivities to comply with minimum health standards enforced nationwide.

[11] The Himno a la Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia, commonly known to devotees by its incipit "Resuene Vibrante", is the official hymn of the image and its devotion.

The hymn was translated to Central Bikol by Jesús Esplana and Sohl Saez, but the original Spanish lyrics were made the sole official text at the image's tercentenary in 2010.