The Municipality of Corella, located in the province of Bohol, is known as the one home of the endemic Philippine tarsier, the one of the world’s smallest primates and it’s thriving economy. Corella is also known for its faithfulness to the Catholic faith because of the municipality’s patroness – Nuestra Señora de Villar of Corella, Bohol who continues to shower miracles to her devotees and to the people of Corella.
The image
The venerable image of Nuestra Señora de Villar of Corella, Bohol is a de vestir image of the Blessed Mother with the Child Jesus based from the image of the same title venerated in Corella in Navarre, Spain with heads, hands and the Child Jesus carved from ivory. The Virgin holds the Child Jesus in her left arm while she is holding a rose without a stem in her left hand. The Niño on the other hand holds a globus cruciger on his right hand and his left hand is in a gesture of blessing. Both Mother and Child wears beautifully made vestments with the Child Jesus wears a royal robe while the Virgin wears a robe, a cape and a veil on her head. Both Mother and Son sports a crown on their heads and the Virgin also sports a rostrillo and the diagnostic doce estrellas on her head to emphasize her beautiful face.
The beginning of the devotion in Spain
The beginning of the devotion to Nuestra Señora de Villar began in Corella, Navarre, Spain by the 16th century. Legend has it that a town located precisely on the ground occupied by the Hermitage, and of some neighboring shepherds of the place, who one day of astonishmentwhen they discovered an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on a rose born of miracle in the mountains of Argenzón. There was no town in existence at that time, but there was a farmhouse, whose name etymologically links with the Roman hamlets or “villas”, which were so abundant in the Corellana region, and there the first Hermitage dedicated to the Virgin.
During the 15th century, a century of war and plague, the farmhouse. It would come to less and the Hermitage to more; the devotion to the Virgen del Villar took root that in July 1549, Pope Paul I, acceding to the neighborhood’s request, granted the City Council the patronage of the Hermitage to Nuestra Señora de Villar. Over the years, popular devotion to its patroness has continually increased, and in the eighteenth century. In recent history, two most important Marian acts of the patron saint have been carried out. One, the declaration of Mayor of Honor of the city, and another, her Canonical Coronation. That took place on January 24, 1948. The Feast of the Virgin is celebrated every Third Sunday of Easter.
The arrival of the devotion in the Philippines
The devotion to Nuestra Señora de Villar in Corella, Bohol began with the establishment of the town which was carved out from Baclayon in 1879. In 1884, Rev. Fr. Jose Cabanas introduced the devotion to Nuestra Senora del Villar, and established a church in her honor. the place was named Corella after the place where the devotion to Nuestra Señora de Villar flourished in Spain. It is not certain when the image of the Virgin arrived in Bohol yet it is noted that when the image arrived, it was received with colorful ceremonies in the towns of Baclayon and Corella.
Rev. Fr. Felix Guillen, the first Parish Priest of Corella began the construction of the stone church and its convent. The construction was however only completed during the time Rev. Fr. Nemesio Llorente, in 1886. The construction of Corella’s present concrete church began in 1924 under Fr Pedro Montelbon, the parish priest of Tagbilaran who took over the administration of the Corella parish after the incumbent, Fr Eugenio Desamparados left. The establishment of the parish dedicated to Nuestra Señora de Villar in Bohol makes the church the only one dedicated to the Virgin under this title in the country.
The devotion at present
The devotion to Nuestra Señora de Villar continues to flourish at present because of the miracles attributed to her intercession. The Feast of the Virgin is celebrated every April 27 with much solemnity and devotional fervor of the people of Corella. We see how the devotion to the Virgin is intertwined to the history of the municipality of Corella for not only it was named after the place where the devotion to the Virgin flourished in Spain, but also became it’s silent witness of Corella’s history, growth and development.
References:
“Ayuntamiento de Corella”, Retrieved on May 10, 2021.
“Novena sa Mahal nga Birhen sa Villar” Our Lady of Villar Parish, Corella, Bohol, 1962.
“Ntra. Sra. del Villar Patrona de la Ciudad de Corella (Navarra)”, Retrieved from https://mercaba.org/MARIANA/Navarra/villar_corella.htm on May 10, 2021.
Interview:
Eviota, Zircon Jade
Photos:
Nuestra Señora de Villar Parish Facebook profile
Special thanks to Mr. Zircon Jade Eviota for references provided on the history of the devotion to Nuestra Señora de Villar of Corella, Bohol.
Pintakasi 