The devotion to our Blessed Mother as the Lady of Sorrows is one of the most popular in the country. The Mother of Sorrows became a staple in numerous Holy Week processions and devotions and pious practices are done in her honor are well known. The cult of the Sorrowful Virgin was so immense that it reached every part of the country – one of them in the province of Tarlac where the devotion to the Mater Dolorosa of Tarlac flourished over the years.
The Image
Mater Dolorosa de Tarlac
The image of Mater Dolorosa of Tarlac is an image of Our Lady of Sorrows which its attributes and iconography are easily recognized seen and venerated in different parts of the country, especially during Holy Week Processions.
Aside to the sorrowful visage of the Virgin, one of the most distinguished and the most diagnostic to the iconography of the Sorrowful Virgin is her heart pierced with seven daggers. The heart pierced with daggers is a symbol of Mary’s heart filled with prayers and sorrows, usually depicted with the seven daggers representing the Seven Sorrows of Mary in allusion from the prophecies of Simeon during the Presentation of the Child Jesus in Temple: “and a sword will pierce even your own soul.” (Lk. 2:35). She sports the resplendor on her face, her clasped hands holding a handkerchief, and wears a long dark veil.
The Beginning of the devotion
Mater Dolorosa de Tarlac
The devotion to Mater Dolorosa of Barangay Dolores, Capas, Tarlac began when the first image of the Virgin was brought by Mrs. Maria Alzadon Caguiran and was placed inside a small chapel made by nipa hut where Masses were held. Because of the threat of bandits called “Markang Bungo” that killed many of the populace, the people moved the image away and given to a certain matriarch for safekeepin, yet it was never returned.
Mr. Pablo Tsuseco Pineda, generous land owner from Concepcion, Tarlac, generously donated a portion of his land to Barangay Dolores for the construction of a barangay chapel in November 1954. A new image of Mater Dolorosa was later donated by the Tsuseco family and enshrined at the newly established chapel. Devotees grew over the years and the chapel continues to expand and was completed in February 1989. The chapel was later made a parish under the Patronage of Our Lady of Sorrows on July 17, 1998.
Church and Civil Recognition
The Pontifical Coronation of Mater Dolorosa de Tarlac
Numerous miracles were attributed to the Mater Dolorosa that the on July 16, 2018, Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Bishop Enrique Macaraeg, DD, Local Ordinary of the Diocese of Tarlac issued the decree of the Episcopal Coronation of the barangay’s patroness in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Barangay Dolores in Capas, Tarlac and the 20th anniversary of the canonical establishment of the Parish of Our Lady of Sorrows. The Episcopal Coronation rites took place on September 15, 2018, the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
In 2020, Pope Francis, thru the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments granted the honor of Pontifical Coronation of the image. The Pontifical Coronation rites took place on June 5, 2021.
On the day of the Coronation, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Province of Tarlac issued a resolution that the Mater Dolorosa de Tarlac as the Mother and Protectress of the Province of Tarlac.
The devotion at present
The devotion to Mater Dolorosa de Tarlac grew over the years. Numerous devotional activities were practiced in her honor from Friday votive masses, praying the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows, and a silent Viernes de Dolores procession.
As we honor the Blessed Mother in her most sorrowful moments in her life, let us look at it as her cooperation in the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ as part of her Fiat on the day of the Annunciation. The Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles Brown in his homily, he invited everyone to turn to Our Lady and pray “for our difficulties, for the pains, for the sadness of our human life. Let us remember that in our Catholic Faith, sadness is transformed into joy. That joy will have the last word.” Her Holiness and suffering give us an image of hope as she is here to give us consolation in times of our own sorrow and desolation.
delos Reyes, Michael, “Coronadas: Pontifically Crowned Marian Images of the Philippines, 1907 – 2021”, RPD Publications, The Crown Book Groups, Inc., Makati City, 2021.
Our world today is filled with numerous influencers and figures that many people of today look up to, whether they are good role models or otherwise. This kind of culture is proven to be a two-edge sword in our current society that is both unifying and divisive.
But God works in mysterious ways, he would raise someone to respond to the call to face the challenge of the times to lead more souls to him. One such person is a layman who worked tirelessly in making the Blessed Mother known to the peripheries in response to her call for prayer and conversion.
Early Life
Servant of God Amador Tajanlangit, Sr.
Amador M. Tajanlangit, Sr. was born in the town of Miag-ao, Iloilo on April 30, 1911. His parents were Clasico F. Tajanlangit and Maria A. Mueda. The eldest of the nine children, he grew up in their hometown in Miag-ao Elementary School and completed his studies both high school and college studies in the University of San Agustin.
As a child, he was a very jolly person and had a certain passion to make people happy in any way he could in order to ease people’s pain and sadness. As a young boy he began to exhibit his gifts of being a ventriloquist – a person who can speak or utter sounds so that they seem to come from somewhere else for entertainment that he used to get the attention of his playmates to tell them stories of the different lives of saints. He would also held film showing on the lives of the saints and make rosaries out puyas, a local seed, that he would give them away to anyone when he had an opportunity.
As he grew up, he had a very good outlook in life that he was never known to get angry. He had always an understanding heart willing to forgive easily. He was a very kind and compassionate man that is always ready to help people even if he did not know them. He was later married to Angeles O. Ledesma and settled in Jaro with their five children. He was a very gentle, kind, understanding husband and father to his children that there was never a moment that the children saw their parents quarrelled and did not resort to violence in disciplining their children.
His love to the Blessed Mother
Virgen de Barangay
His devotion and zeal to make known the Blessed Mother to anyone is so outstanding that from childhood up to his last breath, he would always make people understand the importance of praying the Holy Rosary and devotion to Her. He had ready rosaries to give away when needed.
During the 2nd World War, Brother Amador asked the Blessed Mother a favor that should he and the whole family survive this war, he would dedicate himself to serve God and the Blessed Mother. True to his promise, he began to enter into the apostolic work.
The Apostle of the Virgin
The Servant of God Amador Tajanlangit, Sr. visiting the people for his apostolate
He began his lifetime apostolate after his visit in Lipa, Batangas at the height of the supposed Marian apparitions in a Discalced Carmelite Monastery in 1948. He was deeply impressed on the message on the importance of the Holy Rosary and making it known to the world and the importance of the message of Our Lady of Fatima that he decided to be more agressive and more passionate in propagating the Fatima messages.
According to his colleagues, his exemplary love and service to the Blessed Mother would make him go to places not even reached by priests or even politicians in the province. He had a very eloquent, soothing and warm voice that would easily make people who hears him feel a certain intimate and depth of love for God and the Blessed Mother.
He organized the Barangay sang Virhen in the remote areas that he visited and always begin his meetings with praying the Holy Rosary. His dedication in the service and love of our Mother was imprinted in the very hearts of his listeners. Many followed him to inspire others, including criminals and rebels to change their lives for the better. Criminals and rebels were not exempted from his convincing words to abandon sin. Massive conversions were found as he travelled the road of saving souls. His eloquence captured many people to join him in devoting themselves to work also for the glory of God and the good of souls.
Servant of God Amador Tajanlangit Sr.
His love for his work knows no bound. He continues to work wherever he is needed. With or without roads, he travels to places even impossible to reach by ordinary transportation to continue his evangelization.
His love of God and the Blessed Mother was so great that one witness asked him, how much do you love the Blessed Mother? Then he answered, “My love for Her is as deep as the ocean depth and infinite as the universe can be.”
He also ventured on local media to his apostolate that every 2:30 to 3:00 in the morning he wakes up to prepare himself for the 4:00 radio program daily. People would listen to him and wakes their children to join the prayer with Bro. Amador.
His return to the Father
On March 9, 1977, after years of dedication of his apostolate, Brother Amador died of a heart failure. It is reported that was a triple rainbow that was found to be present when his coffin was brought out from the Jaro Cathedral. A fine drizle was felt to pour on the people who joined the procession going to the cemetery. There were about approximately 10,00 people who attended his funeral.
Extraordinary Miracles in his lifetime
Servant of God Amador Tajanlangit Sr.
In the course of his life, there were reported miracles that occured with his help. During the later part of the Second World War, he was able to save a boy who was about to be beheaded by the Japanese. Bro. Amador taught the boy a simple and short prayer to use when in times of emergency. He told him to pray from his heart, “Oh Blessed Mother, please help me!” After his father was beheaded the boy was next to die but after he shouted with all his heart this short prayer, a telephone call was received by the head of the military and ordered him to stop the beheading of the boy and set him free.
Another miracle was when his Brother Eddie was about to go into a covert military operation to meet the rebel leader of the People’s Army Against the Japanese (HUK). His brother told him that it will take a miracle for him to come back alive from that operation. Brother Amador gave him a rosary and a crucifix. He told him to go ahead with the operation and he told his brother to pray the holy rosary and that he will pray for them too. Trully the expected fight happened during the meeting of the central committee of the rebels. Several gun shots were poured to his brother and his companion. The nine rebels all died and only his brother and companion survived with 9 bullet holes found on all sides his brother’s jacket.
After his death, several recorded miracles were recorded from cures from on illnesses and even near death due to accidents that was spared were also attributed to him. When stopping fire to spread in the field of crops, where water is very far and impossible to get, the people asked for his help to stop the fire. In just a few minutes a dark cloud appeared like a large mat in the sky and down came the heavy rain that quenched the fire to nothingness and alas, the couple who cried for help was found dry even at the midst of the heavy rainfall.
The Cause for beatification and canonization
On August 2014, during the Year of the Laity declared by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Most Rev. Archbp. Angel Lagdameo of Jaro together with The Friends of Amador M. Tajanlangit Sr. and director of the Jaro Archdiocesan Commission on the Laity, Father Joenick Territorio, formally opened his cause for beatification earning him the title within the Catholic Church as “Servant of God.”
The Legacy of Brother Amador
Servant of God Amador M. Tajanlangit Sr.
A man worth emulating, especilaly in our times, it seems that his lifetime was not enough for him in helping people as he continues to help people in their temporal and spiritual needs. Above all, he had a special vocation most especially to the Filipino people in the fulfillment of the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
As we conclude this blogpost, we are sharing to you the prayer for the cause of his beatification and canonization to ask Our Lord to raise to the altars a remarkable Apostle of the Blessed Mother:
Dearest Heavenly Father, We ask Thee to make us holy as Thou hast made your servant Amador Tajanlangit, Sr. holy. We pray that the time shall come when the Holy Mother Church will recognize his heroic virtues and elevate him to the altar of sainthood. We ask Thee for this favor (state your request)
May the intercession of Thy servant Amador Tajanlangit, Sr. accompany our prayers for Thy glory, The Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the good of our souls, through Christ Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
The Friends of Amador M. Tajanlangit, Sr., “Biography of Amador M. Tajanlangit, Sr. An Exemplary Devotee of the Blessed Mother”, Iloilo
Photos:
Friends of Servant of God Amador Tajanlangit Sr. University of San Agustin, Iloilo Official Website
For more information about the Servant of God Amador Tajanlangit Sr., and for favors granted through his intercession, Please contact the following numbers: Tel. No. (033) 5013886 Cell No.: 09156323402 / 09295518748 E-mail add: amador_tajanlangit@yahoo.com
The Municipality of Sison, Pangasinan, a seemingly quiet town that is often bypassed when tourists travel to Baguio, has a very rich and interesting history that shaped its community and the province of Pangasinan over the years. In the course of Sison’s life and history, there lies their unwavering devotion to their beloved Mother and Patroness that became a silent yet loving witness in the ever-changing life of her children in Sison.
The image
Nuestra Señora del Carmen de Alava during her participation at the Intramuros Grand Marian Procession in 2017
The image of Nuestra Señora del Carmen de Alava is a de tallado image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel which is vested with beautifully made regalias consists of a dress, a long manto, a brown cape and the long Brown Scapular of a Carmelite religious while the Child Jesus wears a white robe with trimmings. The Virgin wears the diagnostic doce estrellas and both Mother and Child sport crowns. The Mother and Child, standing on a cherub laden cloud base, looks sideways to the beholder while their hands are holding the brown scapular as if they are in a manner of handing them over to the faithful.
The Missionary work in Pangasinan and establishment of Sison
We should look at the history of the devotion to the Virgin of the Brown Scapular in Sison, Pangasinan if we look at the history of the evangelization of the province of Pangasinan itself. The Missionary work in Pangasinan began with the arrival of the Augustinians in the province in 1575 yet they faced many difficulties with the hostility from the natives. The Dominicans took over the mission work in 1587 facing the same hostile atmosphere, but with their persistence and hard work, the natives were converted. With the success of the conversion of the natives, pueblos were established including San Fabian on March 12, 1717 where the barrio of Bolaoen is located which would become the Pueblo of Alava.
The Pueblo of Alava was established on December 15, 1862 yet its formal inauguration took place on February 24, 1868. Centuries later, with the jurisdiction expansion, the municipality took its present name “Sison” in 1918.
The Lady of the Brown Scapular in Pangasinan
The image of Nuestra Señora del Carmen de Alava with the original Niño Jesus that she carries until it was stolen
From the early beginnings of Sison, the townsfolk fostered the devotion in honor of Nuestra Señora del Carmen with the establishment of the visita in her honor in 1868 administered by the Dominicans for centuries until the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution in 1896. Apart from the petition of creation of the pueblo, the faithful of Alava petitioned for the erection of the parish under the Virgin of Mount Carmel’s Patronage in 1858. On November 20, 1896, a Royal Decree was issued and promulgated for the establishment of the Parish, which was then located Amagbagan, under the jurisdiction of the then Diocese of Nueva Segovia yet the formal inauguration took place in 1897. The unfinished parish was later moved to its present location in Poblacion in 1909 by the efforts of the townspeople after the outbreak of the Revolution.
The origins of the image of the Virgin may be uncertain from its carving or its enthronement yet records would show that the image was brought from its old site to its present location. Unfortunately, the original image of the Child Jesus that is held by the Virgin was sacrilegiously stolen sometime in the 1997. A replacement image of the Niño Jesus was later commissioned that can still be seen at present.
In 1928, the Parish was incorporated into the Diocese of Lingayen-Dagupan and was consecrated under the patronage of “La Reina Del Monte Carmelo”. The Parish was later included in the then newly established Diocese of Urdaneta in 1985.
The devotion to the Virgin prospered over the centuries that locals would call her lovingly as “Ina Carmel”. The Pangasinense devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel is an interesting chapter in the Carmelite devotion in our country with its existence in Northern Philippines centuries prior to the arrival of the actual Carmelite friars and nuns during the American regime.
On November 20, 1996, the parish was elevated to the status of the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on the occasion of the centenary of the establishment of the parish.
Miracles
Nuestra Señora del Carmen de Alava
Over the years, numerous miracles were reported through the maternal intercession of the Virgin of Sison.
In 1990, after the mass was offered at the parish, the killer earthquake hit Northern Luzon, yet the parishioners recalled how the Virgin saved them from the terror quake. There were also reports of childbearing of mothers who experienced difficult conceptions, numerous cures from cancer, and other diseases that devotees continued to testify up to the present.
During the ravages of Typhoon Cosme in 2007, the parish was also affected by the typhoon yet they noticed that the unscathed image of the Virgin was standing below her altar which surprised many. Some parishioners would also recount that a strong fragrance would come from the altar of the Virgin every time they would clean her throne.
Ecclesiastical Recognition
On April 21, 2024, Good Shepherd Sunday, the Parish announced that the venerable image of Nuestra Señora del Carmen de Alava is set to receive the honor of Episcopal Coronation on July 16, 2024, the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The Devotion at present
Nuestra Señora del Carmen de Alava
The devotion to Nuestra Señora del Carmen de Alava continues to flourish up to the present. The townsfolk and devotees flock her shrine especially on her feast day July 16 which is celebrated with a solemn festivity in her honor.
Ina Carmel became the stable force and figure in the municipality of Sison as she is forever intertwined to its history that she immediately become a mother to her children. As she gazed on her beloved children, giving her protective gear – the Brown Scapular – to the beholder, let us look at her with confidence as what her beloved children did and entrust ourselves under her protection.
Mary, Flower of Carmel, Fill us with your joy! Nuestra Señora del Carmen de Alava, pray for us!
References:
Lomague, Mervin G. “Pasen ed Agew (A Place in the Sun) : The Formative Years of Sison, Pangasinan”, Philippine Dominican Center of Institutional Studies, Quezon City, 2022.
Panganiban, Kendrick, “The Role of Shrines in View of the New Evangelization: Pope Francis’ Theology on Shrines and Pilgrimages applied in the Philippine Context”, Claretian Publications, Quezon City, 2021.
Sanchez, Francisco, “La Virgen Maria Venerada en sus Imagenes Filipinas”, Imp. De Santos y Bernal, Manila, 1904.
Interview:
Gutierrez, Romel Lomague, Mervin, OP
Photos:
Bernardo, Fritz, MD Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Sison, Pangasinan Facebook page
Special thanks to Bro. Mervin Lomague, OP and Mr. Romel Gutierrez of the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Sison, Pangasinan for the guidance and insights on the devotion to the Virgin of Alava.
To the people of God in the Philippines, especially the clergy, religious men and women, and members of mandated organizations
Dearly Beloved
The unavoidable conclusion of anyone contemplating the religious practices of the Philippines is that we Filipinos are indeed a religious people. The thousands of churches and chapels all over the Islands, from the Batanes in the North to Jolo in the South, testify that Christianity has become a true part of Philippine life. We consider ourselves the Christian country of Asia.
When one tries to determine the characteristic of our Christian faith, one finds that our practice of religion has taken on a popular color and has a special sense of devotion that makes it specifically Filipino. He finds that certain traits of Philippine Christianity transcend the boundaries of Catholicism and are found with equal prominence in other groups of Filipino Christians and in other Philippine Christian Churches. The devotion that the Filipino people show for the principal mysteries of our Redemption comes from the very life of our men, women and children in the form of a deep and personal faith. The celebration, for instance, of Christmas with its cheerful and colorful religious and family customs, on the one hand, and the mournful but no less colorful celebration of Holy Week on the other, center the Christian life of the average Filipino on the Incarnation and Passion of Our Lord.
No less prominent is another trait connected with the two mysteries just mentioned — the special place the Mother of Christ has in the life of the Filipino people. It is to this devotion to the Blessed Mother that we would like to dedicate our Pastoral Letter. The spirit of reform and renewal, or to use the catchword “aggiornamento,” made famous by the late Pope John XXIII, which began at the end of the Second Vatican Council has led us to direct our attention to this aspect of the religious life of our people. This devotion to the Blessed Mother should be reflected upon and examined so that golden mean may be kept between these forms of devotion that reflect “the diversity of native characteristics and temperament among the faithful,” and the principle stated by the Council itself “that true devotion consists neither in fruitless and passing emotion, nor in a certain vain credulity. Rather, it proceeds from true faith, by which we are led to know the excellence of the Mother of God, are moved to a filial love toward our mother and to the imitation of her virtues.”
The altar image of Our Lady of Fatima enthroned at her National Shrine in Valenzuela City
We had been considering the idea of addressing to you a pastoral letter on renewal of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary — “renewal” in all its facets is also one of the purposes of the Holy year — when we received the Apostolic Exhortation of our Holy Father Paul VI “Marialis Cultus” which he has dedicated to this very theme. We feel, therefore, doubly justified in addressing ourselves to you now. This offers an opportunity to examine one important aspect of our religious life at a time when there are excesses in both directions, credulity and unbelief, and not a few of our faithful are looking for appropriate guidelines in the matter of devotion to Mary.
We begin this Letter with a description of the veneration of Mary in the Philippines. There will follow a doctrinal reflection on the basis of the devotion to Mary and finally we will make concrete pastoral applications to the religious life of our faithful.
I: Facts related to the Veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Philippines
The Procession of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario – La Naval de Manila in Intramuros, Manila in 2020.
Statistics are cold numbers which will never express accurately a spiritual reality nor the intensity of religious faith. At times, however, numbers may constitute a significant index of a more profound reality. It would be enough to open the Catholic Directory of the Philippines to realize that a very large number of parishes are dedicated to the Mother of God under one of her many invocations. Four hundred sixty-three, or over one-fourth of all parishes, have the Virgin Mary as their titular patron without counting innumerable barrio chapels, religious oratories or private shrines dedicated to her.
Various Invocations and Titles
Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario y Visitacion de Piat
Over 100 of the parishes honor the Immaculate Conception, over 60 are dedicated to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, while others carry various titles like the Assumption, Our Lady of Carmel, Mother of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Lourdes, etc.
Some of the shrines dedicated to Mary have won nation-wide popularity either as focal points of national pilgrimages or as well-known centers of devotion. To mention just a few among the better-known, we find Our Lady of Charity and Our Lady of Badoc in Ilocos, Our Lady of Piat in Cagayan Valley, Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan, Our Lady of Salambao in Obando, Bulacan, Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo, Rizal, the Purification of Our Lady (or La Candelaria ) in Mabitac, Laguna, Our Lady of Caysasay in Taal, Batangas, Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Naga City, Nuestra Señora Virgen de Regla in Lapulapu City, Our Lady of the Pillar in Zamboanga, etc.
Nuestra Señora de Guia
This widespread devotion to the Blessed Mother goes back to the origins of Christianity in the Philippines. As early as 1571 we find ancient statues of Mary, like Nuestra Señora de Guia, now venerated in the Ermita Church and whose origins are somehow lost in the folkloric details of legend, and Our Lady of the Rosary in Manila whose origin dates back to 1587.
Among the titles under which Mary is venerated in the Philippines, two are particularly prominent: the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of the Rosary. The invocation of the Immaculate Conception goes back to the year 1578 when Pope Gregory XIII in a Bull issued on February 6 decreed that the Manila Cathedral should be erected under the invocation of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Clement VIII decreed on August 13, 1595 that the Cathedrals of Nueva Segovia and Caceres also be erected under the same title of the Immaculate Conception. Moreover, one of the three ships that reached the Philippines in the first voyage of Magallan in 1521 was the “Concepcion,” named after the Immaculate Conception, together with the ships “Trinidad” and “Victoria.” Hence the Islands before being named Filipinas, and even before the name of Christ had begun to be preached, saw on these shores the name of Mary under her title of the Immaculate Conception.
Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario – La Naval de Manila
The veneration to Our Lady under the title of the Rosary goes back to 1587 when her statue was brought to the Philippines. A confraternity was established in 1588. Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario – La Naval de Manila occupies a place of honor among the national shrines dedicated to Mary in the Philippines. The Blessed Mother was referred to as the Senora Grande de Filipinas on account of the many favors attributed to her. The recitation of the Rosary became a popular practice which has more than one analogy with the popularity that the novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help enjoys today.
Various Practices of Devotion
As other examples of paraliturgical devotions in her honor, we may mention novenas to the Blessed Mother as preparation for the patronal feast. These include the special weekly novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, now very popular in the Philippines.
The Block Rosary is practised in some parts of the Archipelago. It offers a good example of a devotion that is connected with the visit of images or statues of Mary from house to house and from one family to another, where special veneration is given to Mary during the term of the image’s stay.
The Veneration of Our Mother of Perpetual Help of Baclaran, Parañaque
A familiar sight in many homes, even of modest income, is what can be called the “family altar”. In most families the image venerated is the image of the Virgin Mary under one of her familiar invocations. This fact, more than any other, constitutes a proof of how deeply rooted the veneration to Mary is in the socio-religious structure of the Filipino Christian family.
The various manifestations of popular piety towards the Mother of God appear not only in the number of churches, chapels, or shrines consecrated to her, but in many other forms, ranging from the liturgical celebration of her feasts throughout the year to religious calendars with the holy picture of Mary — not always of the most artistic nature, it must be acknowledged — in the most humble nipa huts or in the slums of the cities, to her picture in public vehicles, buses or jeepneys. Grottoes dedicated to the Immaculate Conception under the invocation of Lourdes are found in private gardens or in various public places, along the roads or in corners of modest dwellings.
The endless symphony of Marian names in the baptismal records of our parishes constitutes by itself a tribute to the devotion of our people to the Mother of God. It may be safely said that of the names of saintly women imposed in Baptism, none is more frequently found than the name of Mary either expressly or in one of her many titles.
The Liturgical Year
“Bayang Sumisinta kay Maria” by Rev. Fr. Armand Tangi
The liturgical year has its climax in the solemnity of Easter, but within the year the Church recalls the mysteries of Redemption, thus opening to her faithful “the riches of her Lord’s powers and merits, so that they are in some way made present at all times, and the faithful are enabled to lay hold of them and become filled with saving grace.” “In celebrating this annual cycle of Christ’s mysteries, the Church honors with special love the Blessed Mary Mother of God, who is joined by an inseparable bond to the saving work of her Son. In her the Church holds up and admires the most excellent fruit of the redemption.”
Thus we find various feasts of Mary celebrated in the Philippines. We find her feasts particularly in the Christmas cycle which comprises the Aguinaldo Masses where the traditional celebration is the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, New Year’s day when the Church celebrates the feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the feast of the Holy Family which falls within the octave of Christmas, and the feast of the Purification, now called the Presentation of Our Lord, and popularly known in the Philippines as Nuestra Señora de Candelaria.
It is a well-known fact that the most important religious occasion of the year for the Filipino, with the possible exception of the religious celebration of the town fiesta, is Christmas. Christmas offers a special opportunity for the people to show their veneration to Mary: not only will the belen feature the “Mahal na Birhen,” but in other dramatic presentations, like the posada, or panunuluyan (“begging for shelter”) which persists in many communities, Mary place an important role.
Nuestra Señora de la O of Pangil, Laguna
Christmas caroling could also be conveniently related to and considered as a commemoration of the search of Mary and Joseph for a place to spend the night. This feature should be brought out more clearly in order to give this custom a truly religious meaning. The re-enacting of the Nativity of Our Lord, with the part that Mary had in it, is done dramatically, with a deep sense of simple faith and identification with both the Infant Jesus and Mother Mary.
During the Lenten season, especially during Holy Week, Mary plays an important part in the popular devotion of our faithful. Good Friday has a deep human appeal for many Filipinos especially with its Way of the Cross and commemoration of the sufferings of Our Lady of Sorrows. Easter Sunday brings the deeply human and dramatic encounter of the Mother with her risen Son in the Salubong, which is artistically enacted in many places all over the Island. A popular feature of the Holy Week is the Pabasa ng Pasiyon. Although there are versions in almost every major language of the Philippines, the best known Tagalog Pasiyon. which begins with a prayer to God and the Blessed Virgin Mary, not only tells the story of the creation and the fall of Adam and Eve, but even tells of the birth of Mary. After having described a series of selected events from the life of Christ, especially His Passion, Ressurection and Ascension, the death, burial, and assumption into heaven of Mary are treated, as well as her crowning as Queen of Heaven. When the Holy Week solemnities are accompanied by processions, the custom is that the last statue in the procession is the Mater Dolorosa (the Sorrowful Mother) behind which the priest walks, followed by a brass band playing solemn marches.
It would be worth our considering the sociological implications of the two most popular celebrations we have just described where Christ and His Mother are presented together: the feast of Christmas and the celebration of Holy Week, particularly the Salubong. If one compares the two feasts, as locally celebrated, he will observe that in the traditional celebration of Christmas, it is the Family which is the center of interest from the time of the Misa de Aguinaldo onward. In the Easter celebration, the folk practices center on the reunion of Christ and His Mother, while all who participate feel the joy of this meeting vicariously. Both of these feasts, therefore, feature a family reunion, and are for this reason extremely rich experiences for the Filipino.
Popular Celebrations
Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa de Bulakan – the First known image of Virgen de las Flores in the country
In May the classical Flores de Mayo are held in many localities, towns, or barrios, parishes or private chapels and involve not only women and children but in some places the whole family. They are celebrated with a splendor and simplicity of faith and devotion which echoes the simplicity of the Gospels.
Then follows October with the Rosary devotions, a practice widespread since time immemorial, due mainly to the zeal of the Sons of St. Dominic, and the historical procession of La Naval.
The Immaculate Conception , whose feast falls on December 8, remains the principal Patroness of the Philippine Islands. After the suppression of several Church holydays in the Catholic Calendar of the Philippines, still her feast stays as one of the three holydays of obligation during the year, the other two being Christmas and January 1, when the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, is celebrated.
La Inmaculada Concepcion of Manila Cathedral
It would not be correct to qualify all these manifestations of the Marian piety of our faithful as mere actions or symbols without meaning, or to consider that they do not stem from a sincere and simple faith, since all these devotions represent a normal outlet for human and religious remembrance, thoughts, and affection. In fact this veneration of and deep commitment to Mary blossomed in the mid-eighteenth century with the foundation of the first Filipino congregation for religious women, dedicated from its beginning to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Philippines, popularly known as Religious of the Virgin Mary. The Barangay Sang Birhen, the Sodality of Our Lady, the Legion of Mary, the Association of the Children of Mary Immaculate, are also fruits of the same devotion and have contributed in their own way to the development of Christian life in the Archipelago.
An element that often escapes the superficial observer is the deep religious meaning that some of these practices, and in particular the town fiesta, have in the life of the Filipino people. The fiesta is neither exclusively sacred nor secular but a mixture of rites and feasts. But from the religious point of view, the fiesta has three notable effects: the fulfillment of the community’s obligation to its heavenly patron, in our case the Virgin Mary; a certain, perhaps only initial, renewal of the spiritual life of the individual by the reception of the sacraments of confession and communion, and in many cases also by the baptism and confirmation of children; and the renewal (or creation) of the individual’s consciousness of membership in the Catholic Church.
Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje of Antipolo, Rizal
This is true of the fiestas is general, but it applies in a particular way to the fiestas in honor of Mary who is the patroness of so many parishes and barrio chapels. In this sense, the celebration of the fiestas in her honor offers a particular occasion for revitalizing Christian life, and thus fulfills a truly religious function.
This would be reason enough to allay the fears of those who may think that these celebrations divert the attention of the faithful away from God to Mary and thus appear to be anti-Christian or superstitious. What is needed is a renewal, not a suppression.
Veneration of Mary in other Christian Churches
La Purisima Concepcion de Malabon of Iglesia Filipina Independiente
This veneration of Mary is not a feature exclusively of Catholics. Even the followers of the late Gregorio Aglipay often have shown and continue to show many of the signs of veneration toward Mary that Catholics do in celebrating her feasts, such as holding processions in her honor, keeping lamps buring in front of her image, and even having associations that carry the name of Mary.
Without in any way minimizing the differences in attitude toward the Mother of God among various Christian groups in the Philippines — some respectful, some rather belligerent regarding Catholic doctrine and practice — we find for example, that there is also a genuine Marian piety among the faithful of the Philippine Episcopal Church manifested in the liturgical celebration of various Marian feasts (Annunciation, Purification), the song of the Magnificat in the Evening Prayer, and even the fact that their cathedral in Manila is dedicated to St. Mary and St. John.
The facts we have presented above show the extent of devotion to the Blessed Mother in our country, especially among Catholics. Before we come to pastoral and more practical considerations in this matter, we wish to offer some theological reflections on the veneration to Mary, the Mother of God.
II. Theological Basis for the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Pagsanjan
In order to preserve and purify and strengthen our Filipino heritage of devotion to Mary, we should compare our own practices and attitudes with the sources of Revelation and the documents of the Magisterium, so that we can retain and enhance what is truly Christian and eliminate what is merely legendary or false. We should also set our devotion to Mary in the context of our Filipino society and in confrontation with the needs of the Filipino people today, so that it may be truly our own and may mirror our way of approaching Mary and Christ.
In this way too we can avoid the deviations against which the Second Vatican Council, and recently Pope Paul VI himself, warned us: exaggeration that can falsify our devotion to Mary, or a sentimentality that can substitute merely external practices for a serious commitment to the Gospel in action and in life.
A. Mary in Scripture
Virgen de la Regla of Cebu
The Apostolic Exhortation “Marialis Cultus” issued on February 2, 1974 by Pope Paul VI calls our attention to the fact that “Today it is recognized as a general need of Christian piety that every form of worship should have a biblical imprint.”
A first level of biblical imprint on Marian devotion is attained when scriptural texts that mention Mary or allude to her are used in liturgical worship as well as in popular devotions.24 It is therefore useful for us to review these scriptural texts briefly.
The Texts
The mother of Jesus is mentioned in Mark 3:31-35 and its parallels in Matthew 12:46-50 and Luke 8:19-21 (see also Luke 11:27-28). There Jesus speaks about the person who does what God wants as His true kinsman. A reference to her is also made in Galatians 4:4 when St. Paul emphasizes the full humanity of Jesus, son of a human mother.
Basic Gospel Data
The data we have from the Gospels concerning Mary are that she was bethrothed to Joseph (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:26-27) in Nazareth; that she was a virgin when she conceived (Luke 1:27.34-35; Matthew 1:25; see also Luke 2:5) and that she gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem (Matthew 1:25-2:1; Luke 2:4-7). Otherwise she is simply located at various places, always connected with her Son: in the hill country of Judea for Elizabeth’s recognition of her unique maternity (Luke 1:39ff.); at Jerusalem for her own purification in the Temple and the offering of the Child to God (Luke 2:22ff.); at Nazareth for the Child’s rearing (Luke 2:51; Matthew 2:23); at Jerusalem for the discovery of Jesus speaking with the teachers in the Temple (Luke (2:42-46); at Cana for a wedding (John 2:1); and finally at Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified (John 19:25) and when the Holy Spirit comes upon the Apostles (Acts 1:18).
Theological Reflections
It is necessary for us to go beyond the historical data in order to appreciate what Scripture has to say about Mary. When she is spoken of in the New Testament, the inspired writers often convey a deeper meaning by their words than may be immediately seen by the average reader.
A. Matthew
Matthew connects the virginal conception of Jesus by Mary to the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14. In so doing the teaches us that before the event God chose Mary to be the Virgin Mother of the Saviour. The Evangelist reenforces this point by stating that Joseph “did not know her” until the birth of the child. According to Matthew then, Joseph recognized that Mary was divinely chosen to be the Virgin Mother of the Child, and fully respected God’s will that Mary remain a virgin.
It has been said that Matthew gives more attention to Joseph than to Mary, but it should not escape our attention that the role of Joseph in Matthew’s narrative is to provide the title “Son of David” (Matthew 1:1) for the Son of Mary (Matthew 1:25) — a role he fulfills because he is of Davidic lineage (Matthew 1:20) and the husband of Mary; to understand Mary’s virginal motherhood of Emmanuel; and to care for and protect mother and child so that they could achieve their salvific mission to the Jews and the whole world.
In the story of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12) Matthew keeps silent about Joseph but says that the Magi from the east “saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage” (Matthew 2:11). Jesus is revealed to the Gentile world, represented by the Magi. Mary’s Son is the “Son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1), the one through whom the divine promise that all the nations are to be blessed in Abraham is fulfilled (Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:8-9). A clear allusion to Mary in a perhaps not too clear context but with deep religious and moral significance for Christian discipleship is found also in Matthew 12:46-50 — “Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother” — a parallel with Mark 3:31-35.
It is clear from Matthew’s theology that Mary has a special place in God’s salvific plan. She was chosen by God to be the woman who would give reality to the messianic hope of Israel, and the one who will be with the Messiah when the Gentiles come to worship.
B. Luke
Nuestra Señora del Carmen de San Sebastian
By an artistic use of comparison and contrast the Infancy narrative of Luke shows the superior dignity of Jesus over John and of Mary over Zachary and Elizabeth. The literary style of the narrative draws heavily upon words, expressions and figures of the Old Testament, not by direct citation of them, but by allusion.
In the Annunciation the angel Gabriel greets Mary saying: “Rejoice (Hail), so highly favoured (full of grace)! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28). The Evangelist suggests that this greeting is not to be interpreted conventionally, for he describes Mary as pondering it and asking herself what this greeting could mean (Luke 1:29).
All three parts of the greeting are connected with Old Testament prophecies that invite Israel, under the figure of a woman, the “daughter of Sion,” to rejoice because God will bring about the promised salvation of the people.26 The invitation to rejoice parallels that of Zephaniah 3:14.27 The expression, “so highly favoured” recalls the idealization of Israel as God’s favoured people, spoken of as the “virgin daughter of Sion” (Isaiah 37:22) or “virgin Israel” (Jeremiah 31:4), who is invited to rejoice at the fulfillment of her messianic hope. The assurance, “The Lord is with you,” as used in the Old Testament expresses the idea of God’s salvific presence, and when connected with Zephaniah 3:15, “The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst,” it refers to the inauguration of the messianic era. As the prophet Zephaniah (3:14-17) invited Israel to rejoice over the presence of God within it to save it from all its misfortunes, so the angel invites Mary to rejoice because she is favored with the presence of God who saves her from all the misfortunes of her people. In this way Luke teaches that Mary, by becoming the Mother of Jesus, Son of the Most High, receives in her person the messianic hope of her people. The total salvation which in the past was just a promise, becomes a living reality in Mary. She epitomizes all that God has done for his people.
Mary’s famous question in Luke 1:34, “How can this come about, since I am a virgin (I do not know man)?” raises exegetical problems that have not yet been fully solved. However it is clear that, in contrast to Zachary who requested evidence to verify the truth of Gabriel’s prophecy concerning Elizabeth’s child (Luke 1:18), Mary does not challenge Gabriel’s message, but merely asks that she be given an understanding of it. The angel replies that the divine favor is to be shown her through a virginal conception of the child by the divine presence residing within her (Luke 1:35). Just as in the Old Testament an overshadowing cloud symbolized the divine presence in the meeting Tent housing the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 40:35), so also the power of the Most High will cover Mary with its shadow, and cause – not only symbolize — the presence of God’s Son in Mary’s womb, the new Ark of the Covenant.
Overwhelmed at God’s favor, Mary professes her humility but accepts the angelic message in its entirety, expressing her confidence in the virginal conception as an action of God, in the mystery of the divine presence in the Child, and in the pledge of God that the divine favor toward her and her Child will be manifested in due time. Through this act Mary becomes the model of faith.
Nuestra Señora de la Merced de Novaliches
In the visitation (Luke 1:39-45.56) Mary, carrying the Child in her womb, is compared by allusion to the Ark of the Covenant, the site of the permanent presence of God, among His people. As the Ark was brought to Jerusalem in David’s time (2 Samuel 6:1-11), so the mother of Jesus departs in the direction of the Holy City to visit Elizabeth. As Israel honored the presence of God in the Ark during its trip toward Jerusalem, so Elizabeth recognizes at Mary’s greeting that the mother of Jesus carries in herself the divine presence. But unlike David’s (2 Samuel 6:9), Elizabeth’s reaction to the presence of the Lord is one of joyful awe, not reverential fear (Luke 1:43); for Mary carries the presence of God that sanctifies (Luke 1:4) in contrast to the terrible presence that dealt Uzzah a mortal blow (2 Samuel 6:11), so Mary remains with Elizabeth for about three months (Luke 1:56).
The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) brings back the theme of Mary’s exalted dignity hidden in her humility.30 She is again presented as a model of faith, but this time faith takes the charactreristics of the Anawim, the spiritual community of the humble poor who found their joy and strength in their dependence on God.31 Essentially the Magnificat is a series of religious reflections invoking various Old Testament ideas that concern the mystery of God’s salvific plan finding fulfillment in Mary, through whose maternity of Jesus the generations to follow will receive the blessings of the messianic era. All generations, recognizing the divine favor bestowed upon them through her, will call her blessed.
The second chapter of Luke invites the reader to reflect on the mystery of Jesus through the eyes of his mother. The Child’s birth occurs in simple and lowly surroundings that reflect the condition of Mary as the embodiment of the Anawim. Together with the shepherds, who also represented the Anawim, Mary ponders the revelation of her Child to Israel.
Also in her capacity as one of the Anawim , Mary presents the Child to the Lord in the Temple and makes the offering of the poor, two turtle doves (Luke 2:22). On this occasion God acts to manifest the significance of the Child as Saviour not only of Israel but the Gentiles as well, thereby also giving joy to the old man Simeon (Luke 2:32). But Mary is invited to look at Jesus as a “sign that is rejected” and to prepare herself for the sword that will pierce her heart (Luke 2:33-35). The prophetess Anna gives a joyful ending to the episode by praising God and speaking of the Child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem (Luke 2:36-38).
Luke concludes his Infancy narrative by putting a veil of quiet obscurity on the Holy Family fulfilling God’s design through humble living in Nazareth, a veil lifted for a little while by the episode of the Child lost and then found in the temple, sitting among the doctors, busy with his Father’s affairs (Luke 2:41-50). Mary is presented as the model of those who ponder things in their heart as Jesus increases in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and men (Luke 2:51-52)
Nuestra Señora de la Consolacion y Correa de Intramuros
The saying in Luke 8:21, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice,” has been so edited by the Evangelist that it becomes the conclusion of a series of teachings about hearing the word of God.32 Far from being a denial of Jesus’ filial sentiments toward Mary, the saying is Jesus’ praise of his mother as the perfect hearer of the word of God. She is commended as the model of Christians inasmuch as they must respond to the word of God. She is a figure or type of the Church, the community of those who, listening to the words of Christ, become his mother, brothers and sisters.
A similar message is found in Luke 11:27-28, the passage telling the incident of the woman who spoke to Jesus saying, “Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked.” Jesus replied: “Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it.” Although the happiness that came to Mary because of her physical motherhood of Christ was great, greater still was the happiness of being the disciple of Christ, the woman of faith. This is the deeper level of understanding that Luke wanted his readers to attain.
The theological portrait of Mary in the Lucan writings is rich in its variety of roles: Mary is the Daughter of Sion, or personification of God’s beloved people, who is invited to rejoice at the messianic fulfillment of God’s promises; she is the New Ark of the Covenant that causes rejoicing because she makes God present among men; she is the embodiment of the Anawim who rejoice in their complete dependence on God.
C. John
John has been called “the Theologian” par excellence among the Evangelists as he constantly invites his readers to see the deeper meaning of what Jesus did and said. He frequently does this by alluding to Old Testament events, personages, oracles, as well as Jewish religious practices, and by suggesting that the New Testament inaugurated by Jesus brings the past to perfection and makes it operative in the present. Even the eschatological and future glory of the Church is presented by John as already present in the person of Jesus Christ.
From the Johannine viewpoint Mary, as the mother of Jesus and the woman most closely associated with him, acquires a prominence unequaled in the other Evangelist’s treatment of the public ministry of Christ.
Mary is presented by John at Cana, when Jesus begins his ministry (John 2:1-12), and at Calvary when he consummates his work (John 19:25-27). In the narrative of both episodes we find the term “the mother of Jesus” as well as “woman” and “hour.”
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Cebu
It is impossible to interpret satisfactorily the Cana narrative on the assumption that it is solely the historical record of an objective event. John has purposely saturated his historical data with allusions to the Old Testament so that the deeper meaning of what happened could be appreciated by the discerning reader.
John avoids Mary’s proper name and designates her with a title, “the mother of Jesus” (John 2:1.3.5.12). For John titles are important to clarify the religious significance of personages. As mother, then, Mary had a role to play in Jesus’ glorification. This is called his “hour” and is achieved through his Passion, Death and Resurrection. Once glorified by these events he can bestow messianic benefits on Israel and on all men.
Without denying the historical value of Mary’s declaration, “They have no wine,” we must seek in it a theological meaning intended by John. Wine, in the Old Testament symbolism, stands for the messianic benefits. In the theology of John, the statement, “They have no wine,” may be understood as implying that Mary is asking Jesus to bestow the benefits of the messianic kingdom on Israel.
Taking account of the petition implied in Mary’s remark, Jesus addressed her as “woman.” This title as used in John 2:4 cannot be taken simply for the respectful term of address it represented in the Greek world of the Evangelist’s time. John gives it a theological meaning which we can grasp only after the meaning of changing water into wine becomes evident.
The element of rejection in the question, “What (is it) to me and to you?” is explained by the fact that, at the historical moment of the Cana event, the “hour” of Jesus had not yet arrived. Jesus will not yet give the people the messianic benefits for they will be given only after his Resurrection. However, a “sign” of the messianic benefits could be given, and this is what Jesus proceeded to do.
By changing water into wine Jesus manifested to his disciples that he will fulfill the messianic benefits promised to the Patriarchs. A confirmation of this thought is provided by the setting of the miracle, a wedding banquet. This is a Christian term portraying the joys of the messianic kingdom.39 The meaning of the symbolism is further confirmed by the fact that the wine came from the water of ritual purification. Jesus will transform Old Testament rituals into New Testament salvific sacraments.
In the light of the message so far gathered from the Cana narrative, we can see more fully the meaning of “woman” in John 2:4. It echoes the “woman” in Isaiah 26:17, the metaphor of the pregnant woman, yearning for the kingdom but unable to bring it about. The title “woman” in the Cana narrative makes of Mary a figure of the people of God: first, of the old Israel yearning for salvation through Christ, yet completely dependent on the action of God through him; and second, of the new Israel to come into existence through his Passion and Resurrection. However, in Christ’s ministry, the kingdom is being inaugurated. Its full benefits can not yet be imparted but a “sign” of them can be given.
From this standpoint Mary is the mother–Israel foretold in Isaiah 60:4-5 and 66:7-11. Through her participation in the miracle at Cana she is beginning to experience the joy of gathering the new people of God into the kingdom that Christ will finally establish.
In the Calvary scene John appears to offer — if not to complete — his reflection on Mary as a ”woman” who willl be the associate of Jesus in renewing mankind. “Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, “Woman, this is your son.”
Mary’s physical motherhood is perfected with the addition of spiritual motherhood. She is not only the “mother of Jesus” but also the mother of John, who typifies the new people of God. At the word of Christ the John who was not the son of Mary is changed to the John who is Mary’s son, just as, at Cana, by the command of Christ, water was changed into wine. The messianic benefits Mary asked for at Cana and which were then deferred and granted only as “sign” are now given in full measure to the new people of God represented by John. The messianic benefits are summed up in the privilege of becoming the son of Mary. The Mother of Jesus becomes also the Mother of the Church.
We mentioned above a first level at which the Bible left its imprint on Marian devotion. A deeper level is attained when this devotion is made a channel through which great themes of the Bible are brought to the attention of the people (Matthew 22:2; 25:10; Luke 12:36) In seeking to reach this level we can avail ourselves of the practice not uncommon in the patristic era of seeing Mary typified in Eve, Esther, Judith, the Ark of Noah, etc. We can also apply to Mary such texts as Proverbs, ch. 8, and Ecclesiasticus, ch. 24, as well as the book of the Song of Songs. But the task of extending the biblical typology and accomodating biblical texts go beyond the strict study of Scripture. We therefore conclude this section happy in the thought that modern advances in biblical studies have enriched rather than diminished the place of Mary in Scripture
We may say in fact that in our time a great interest in Mary has been shown by biblical scholars, both Catholic and Protestant. Their findings converge remarkably, while at the same time both emphasize the fact that the Mariological orientation in Scripture is always and definitely Christological. The description of Mary is always pithy and sober, without any hint of exaggeration even in Matthew and Luke. It will also be useful to remember that the Gospel data regarding Mary do not present a historical narrative of Mary’s life but rather a kerygmatic picture of Mary as the Church saw her since its beginnings, a paradigm of what we see her also today.
B. Mary in Tradition: Doctrine and Life of the Church
Scripture gives witness that Mary’s privileged role became the object of the early Church’s reflection. We might say that following Jesus’ last bequest on the Cross, the disciples of Christ took Mary as their own and sought to discover the great graces with which God rendered Mary truly blessed among women.
Mother of God
Nuestra Señora de Candelaria de Paco
By this title we express the most basic truth of our faith, that God became man, the mystery of Incarnation. We honor Mary with this title whenever we recite the Hail Mary; we honor her as Mother of God in each of our Eucharistic Prayers.
This title was in use in the Church as early as the third century. The original form of the familiar prayer “We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God” may also be that early. In the doctrinal controversies of the fifth century that accompanied and followed Euthyches’ and Nestorius’ opinons on the problem of nature and person in Christ, the title of Mary as Mother of God was challenged. And although the point at issue was Christological rather than Mariological, the logical consequence of Nestorius’ doctrine as understood in the debate was the denial of Mary as Theotokos (Mother of God).
The church reacted strongly to this challenge. St. Cyril of Alexandria defended Mary’s title of Theotokos precisely as a profession of faith in the divinity of her Son: “Jesus Christ was not first born of the holy Virgin as an ordinary man, in such a way that the Word only afterwards descended upon him, rather he was united with flesh in the womb itself, and thus is said to have undergone birth according to the flesh… For this reason the holy Fathers have boldly proclaimed the holy Virgin Theotokos.”41 It was this faith in Christ’s Incarnation that the Council of Ephesus proclaimed in 431 A.D. when it supported St. Cyril and defined Mary’s title of “Theotokos” as a doctrine of Christian faith.
Mary then can rightly be called “Mother of God,” not indeed in the blasphemous sense of having existed before God, but as an affirmation of the truth of the Incarnation. The Son of Mary and the Son of God is one and the same person, Emmanuel.
“Ang Mahal na Birhen”
Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de Turumba
This is the title by which Filipinos very often address Mary. And our Filipino tradition has nuanced this title with all the reverence paid to Mary as Mother of God and all the childlike trust with which we can call her our own Mother.
Mary’s virginal Motherhood is a mighty act of God, an overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, as is related to us in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Christ’s virginal conception is a mystery acknowledged and proclaimed by the Fathers of the Church. In fact the earliest Fathers took Luke and Matthew literally on this point. We profess Christ’s virginal conception in our acts of faith and recite it in our creeds.
Some perhaps may find it strange, if not difficult, to understand how this fact can be a point of revelation on the part of God. Virginal Motherhood seems so much like a private privilege which would only benefit Mary, and would have little relevance for our lives as Christians. Theologians hasten to point out that Mary’s virginal Motherhood is a great sign of God’s own absolute intiative in redeeming mankind. As St. Irenaeus says, “Because an unexpected salvation was to be initiated for men through God’s help, an unexpected birth from a Virgin was likewise accomplished. The sign was God-given; the effect was not man-made.”
When we emphasize God’s absolute initiative in granting Mary the privilege of her Virginal Motherhood and the Church celebrating her virginity, both elements are to be properly understood. It is not simply the absence of a man that is being extolled at the Incarnation, but also Mary’s action of totally committing herself to God for the redemption of mankind. It is precisely from this mutuality of God’s initiative and Mary’s total reponse that her blessedness appears in full light.
Mother of the Church
Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados de Muntinlupa
The first new insight given us by the Fathers of the Church is that of Mary as the “new Eve.” As early as the second century St. Justin brought out the contrast between Eve and Mary. The virgin Eve accepted the word of the serpent and gave birth to disobedience and death; the virgin Mary received the word of the angel with joy, and through the power of the Holy Spirit gave the birth to the Son of God.43 “And thus,” adds St. Irenaeus, “as the human race fell into bondage to death by means of a virgin, so it is rescued by a virgin; a virgin’s disobedience is balanced by virginal obedience.”
This comparison of Mary with Eve quickly gave rise to the veneration of Mary as the new “mother of the living.” Thus the title that had been given to the Church from the beginning was also applied to Mary; and this in turn occasioned the growing comparison between Mary and the Church. The Woman of Apocalypse (the Church) and the Woman at the foot of the cross (Mary) became one.
Filipinos have always had a very tender devotion to Mary as Mother; and this devotion has brought down numberless benefits on our people. The loyalty of our people to Christ has been closely bound with our devotion to Mary who is his Mother and ours. Rather than discourage a filial devotion like this, we hasten to praise it, and pray that we may always preserve our childlike trust in Mary’s maternal love for us. But with the maturing faith of the Filipino, we should reflect and consider what we mean by Mary’s spiritual motherhood.
St. Epiphanius, who first honored Mary as “mother of the living,” explains it thus: “Life itself was introduced into the world by the Virgin Mary… Mary brought forth the cause of life, through whom life itself is produced in us.” Mary is our spiritual Mother because she is the physical Mother of our Savior Jesus Christ. Of course, mere physical motherhood would have been of no avail either for Mary’s own sanctification or for our redemption. A basic element of Mary’s motherhood was her faith and consent expressed in her “yes” to the Angel of the Annunciation. Mary conceived in her heart, with her whole being, before she conceived in her womb. As St. Augustine says (and the Second Vatican Council quotes his words), Mary is “clearly the mother of the members of Christ… since she cooperated out of love that there might be born in the Church the faithful, who are members of Christ their Head.”
St. Augustine hastens to add that we too are Christ’s brothers and sisters and mother when we do the Father’s will in charity, and labor for others until Christ be formed in them. We are all brothers and sisters, parents and children to each other spiritually. But Mary is the spiritual Mother of us all, because she cooperated in the birth of us all when she bowed to God’s will and consented to be the mother of our Redeemer. And the Vatican Council reminds us that Mary’s cooperation with her Son’s work of redemption lasted from the moments of Christ’s virginal conception up to his death. And even after Jesus’ ascension, she prays with the Apostles for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Finally, even in heaven Mary’s maternal heart reaches out to us, the members of her Son’s Mystical Body. With confidence then do we “rely for help on her intercession,” as we profess in the Eucharistic Prayer.
It is based on these ideas that Pope Paul VI on November 21, 1964 at the closing of the Third Session of the Council proclaimed Mary as Mother of the Church. This title refers to Mary’s spiritual motherhood toward the members of the Church, pastors and ordinary faithful alike, the Church being the mystical body of which Christ is the Head.
Mary is the way God chose to carry out his wonderful work of reconciliation and redemption. Mary totally gave herself to this work in her cooperation. But she is not a dead instrument, rather we see the effects of God’s wonderful redemption present in her in a very special way. She who has to work and cooperate with her Son was also to be the first to experience all the wonders of God’s redemptive power.
Mary as First of the Redeemed
Nuestra Señora de la Buena Hora de Quiapo
Finally we should also treat of the singular blessedness of Mary as first of the redeemed. Considering how infrequently the Gospel writers praise individuals, the insistence on Mary’s blessedness in the first chapter of Luke is evidence of the veneration in which she was held in the early Church. She is called blessed by the Angel; twice by Elizabeth; and once even by herself: “All ages to come will call me blessed, for he who is mighty has done great things for me” (Luke 1:48-49).
We must hasten to point out that Mary’s holiness is entirely the gift of God, derived wholly through the merits of her Son Jesus. Mary is redeemed, as we are, although in a more excellent way. Her claim to glory derives entirely from the faith and obedience — themselves divine gifts too — with which she received the gratuitous gifts of God. She is our Mother and our model and our patroness only because she is “the handmaid of the Lord” who opens herself completely God’s saving grace. Blessed, because you have believed” (Luke 1:45 & 49).
Mary’s Immaculate Conception was the first gift that God gave to Mary. Conceived and born of human parents in the normal way, Mary was especially gifted by God from “the first instant of her conception,” when she received a fullness of sanctifying grace and in dwelling of the Most Blessed Trinity and so was by a singular privilege preserved from the stain of original sin “in consideration of the merits of Christ Jesus the Saviour of the human race” to prepare her to be the Mother of the Redeemer,50 — her most basic gift. Thus we wish to point out that the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is doubly Christ-centered. It makes clear, first of all, that no one is saved apart from Christ. This is true of all men who have ever lived, even though they were born many centuries before Christ. Secondly, the privileged redemption of Mary is totally and splendidly God’s gift to her because she was to be the Mother of Christ.
Another aspect of our Lady’s holiness is brought out in one of her oldest liturgical feasts, the Assumption , a celebration so dear to the heart of Eastern Christians. The meaning of this doctrine is that Mary is one with the risen Christ in the fullness of her personality, or as we commonly say, “in body and soul.” Pope Pius XII solemnly made this doctrine explicit on November 1, 1950: “The Immaculate Mother of God, Mary ever-virgin, after her life on earth, was assumed body and soul, into heavenly glory.” The title of Mary as Queen of the Universe appears, thus, to be full of meaning.
Again, we should not look on the Assumption as a private gift of God to Mary alone. Rather, “Mary assumed into heaven” serves as a gracious reminder to the Church that our Lord wishes all whom the Father has given to him to be raised with him. In Mary taken into glory, to union with Christ, the Church sees herself answering the invitation of the heavenly Bridegroom. Hence in Mary’s life and vocation the Church’s, indeed every Christian’s, call to faithful service and to glorious union with Christ shines forth.
III. Pastoral Reflections
Nuestra Señora de la Salud
The summary of Mary’s place in the history of our country as presented in the first part of this Letter has shown how deeply she is part of our heritage and part of our Filipino identity. Even where religious instruction among Catholics is inadequate, the Filipino always holds on to the devotion to Mary as a source of inspiration and an aid to salvation. This devotion, even in an imperfect form is a positive asset that we pray will always be ours. And we write this Pastoral Letter so that the Filipino may grow in his devotion to Mary and acquire a deeper understanding of Mary’s role in the Church and a keener appreciation of her role as our Mother.
We would now like to bring to your attention certain aspects needing either reform or renewal from a particular pastoral point of view or in the general context of Christian life. It is not our intention to draw up an exhaustive list. We have chosen just a few examples either because some need more immediate attention, or because the principles and norms we propose may be applied not only to the case in question but may also serve as a pattern for similar situations. But before we come to them, let us examine the positive values we find in the veneration of Mary by our faithful.
Positive Values of the Devotion to Mary
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
As a preparation for the writing of this Pastoral Letter a survey was conducted on the devotion to Mary in the Philippines which, although limited in scope, was very precise in the questions proposed. From the answers given in the various ecclesiastical territories in the Philippines it seems clear that devotion to Christ’s Mother is a positive and powerful force in and for the Christian life of our people, although in some cases it must be purified and more vigorously incorporated into Christ’s mystery.
Several facts have been brought up in this survey which in a remarkable way point to the same conclusion and serve to complement each other. We find them expressed in various forms.
The love and veneration of Mary, especially by the celebration of her feasts, the pilgrimages to her shrines, the recitation of the rosary (a practice however not as flourishing as in the past) have given the faithful a community awareness, while promoting a Christian atmosphere, and continue to help keeping solidarity by making participants feel that they truly are brothers.
Besides effects of a more general nature, these practices of Marian devotion have produced other concrete and perceptible results in our people. We do not speak only of the Marian life fostered by the Legion of Mary whose praesidia are widely disseminated in some dioceses, nor the fact that the Barangay Sang Birhen has taught a number of believers how to pray the rosary and continues to help many to build up christian communities. We refer particularly to the fact that the cult of Mary and the devotion to her image have helped many simple people to remain Catholics. Although the religious practice of many is minimal, yet the devotion to the Mother of God helps them to keep their faith alive. In fact on the occasion of her feasts and during novenas in her honor, a perceptibly greater number of people receive the sacraments. Hence we may say that even a minimal form of devotion to Mary has consistently proven valuable.
This has helped in many instances to keep and nurture the prayer-life of our people, but also–and this must be noted–it has given an added dimension by providing a powerful motivation for works of Christian charity, particularly by groups dedicated to her. It is to be hoped, however, that it will help them also to dedicate themselves with greater ardor to the apostolate of social justice, accepting Mary’s special role in humanity’s destiny, in the development of humanity to a community of justice and peace.
Perhaps this is the place to reflect more deeply on an aspect of our catholicism which on the one hand is characteristic of our people and on the other contains a richness of spiritual values which might not have been properly appreciated in the recent past or may have been placed out of focus.
Popular Religiosity
Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga
The recent Synod of Bishops in Rome has discussed the problem of Evangelization in the World Today, considering it in the various regions of the globe and in the various aspects of Christian life. In a certain sense, the presentation and defense of popular Catholicism at the Synod, albeit surprising to some, represents a new approach in pastoral theology. An attempt will be made here to reflect on these aspects of popular Marian religiosity that seem to demand more immediate attention in our country.
Our brother bishops of Latin America — a continent with which our country has more than a few similarities — have also been confronted with the problem of popular religiosity in their own countries. Their reflections were offered to their fellow bishops during the recent Roman Synod. Their views represent very valid insights into the problem. Hence we do not hesitate to make our own many of their ideas as they are applicable in general to popular Catholicism in the Philippines and in particular to the veneration of Mary by our faithful.
Christian tradition penetrates individual existence, social content and the very history of our people. This Christian tradition, a real experience of God and of faith, can be said to be the concrete mode in which Christianity is incarnated in our people, deeply lived by them and manifested in their existence.
This popular religiosity is manifested above all in a special sense of God and of His providence over our lives, of the special help and protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints and in certain fundamental attitudes in the face of life and death. From these arise the popular devotions, novenas, processions, pilgrimages, fiestas, and the celebrations that surround baptism, first communion, marriage, death and burial.
While not a few forms of this popular religiosity are of a rather ritualistic sort and in general tend to be unrelated to day-to-day life, still the spirit behind them keeps in our people its full unity and operative power. Popular religiosity in our country is a springboard as well as an invitation for the deepening of a more religious consciousness. The valid elements of an authentic faith, which are present in the profound religiosity of our people, need and demand that they be purified, internalized, made more mature, and brought to bear on daily life.
This demand that certain syncrettic and superstitious elements that might have entered into certain practices of devotion, at times a kind of folkloric ritual which is wholly out of keeping with the true Christian faith, must be eliminated or transformed. In particular this religiosity of our people,this beautiful gift of God which is the seed of our authentic faith, must be deeply rooted in the reality of the Person of Jesus Christ and in the Paschal Mystery–the Christ-event which at times has been somewhat obscured
This brief summary of what popular religiosity is, its positive values and shortcomings may now be applied to the devotion to Mary in the Philippines.
Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Orani
It cannot be denied that popular religiosity has maintained in our country a deep Christian content. Witness the many facts, historical and situational, presented in Part One of this Letter. From them it appears clearly how devotion to Mary in the Philippines has been intimately intertwined with Christ and the mystery of Incarnation and Redemption. In fact, the Philippines, like her sister countries in Latin America, is a Christian and Marian nation. The Philippines was evangelized in the light of Christ, of the crucified Christ — hence the prominence of Christmas and Holy Week — and of Mary. In this incarnational and redemptive context, the veneration of Mary has been and still is an important element in bringing about a deep evangelization of the masses of our people.
In this respect what is true of Latin America is also true of our country: “The fundamental paschal dimension came to us through the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially through the recitation of and meditation on the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary,” a devotion which encompasses the mysteries of the Incarnation, Passion and Ressurrection of our Lord.
In this sense, we may also say with our brother bishops of Latin America that devotion to Mary “is the safeguard for the preservation of our faith and the principle of deeper and fuller evangelization.”
Hence we cannot but encourage our priests and faithful to continue fostering a fervent and authentic devotion to Mary.
Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Manaoag
One particular aspect of the veneration of Mary intimately connected with the forms of popular religiosity in our country is the holding of fiestas in her honor and pilgrimages to her shrines.
Fiestas are more intense and vigorous moments of the spirit in the collective life of the people and constitute for them a privileged encounter with God and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our people should be helped to rediscover in community the ever present riches of the religious celebrations.
These celebrations in honor of Mary often culminate in pilgrimages to one of her shrines , where God’s presence among us appears with particular transparency, where people feel they have a proper forum for their religious experiences, and where the pilgrim finds a particular stimulus to commit himself to a real “salvation history.”
In this context we find a deep meaning in the holding of processions, a feature most frequently found in the celebration of fiestas. These processions when participated in with a spirit of faith and prayer, become the sign of the pilgrim Church moving towards Christ’s paschal mystery. In this sense participants become — and are — eschatologically oriented. Pilgrimages to Mary’s shrines, thus, not only help in conserving a tradition of faith, but are also full of spiritual meaning and content. It is the duty, therefore, of the pastors to make these fiestas and processions in honor of Mary and pilgrimages to her shrines a true spiritual encounter, and to prevent in their celebrations any deviation towards superstition or even the appearance of commercialism.
Need of Reform
La Niña Maria de Sariaya
We said above “authentic” devotion to Mary. This word invites us to reflect on those aspects of the devotion which might have deflected from genuineness and purity, and hence are in need of reform and renewal.
The survey on the veneration to Mary we mentioned above, has shown not only the many and rich, positive and potential values of this devotion, but also brought to light some aspects that are less commendable. Some attitudes or practices in Marian devotion, well-intentioned as they are, cannot be unreservedly approved, and in this respect there is a need of instruction and correction.
The lack of doctrinal instruction (biblical or liturgical) on the role of Mary in the history of salvation, seems to be at the root of the problem. The exploitation of Marian popular devotions for show purposes or for the benefit of visitors, and the fact that in many places the main devotions appear to be too secularized, should be the object of special reflection.
Some practices need special consideration. We cannot approve, for instance, of the presence of several images of Mary in the same house, chapel or church — even parish churches — with their devotees extolling the power of their statues over the others as if they were rivals. Medals, scapulars and votive candles are by their very nature religious symbols and manifestations of spiritual trust and candid devotion. However we see a danger connected at times with their use, when people consider them as magic talisman, a kind of anting-anting for mere material or bodily protection. We warn our faithful against a thirst for and easy acceptance of visions and visionaries with the concomitant dangers of paying a less than prudent credulity to strange announcements, threats or promises. We are seriously concerned about the abuse in some places, where so-called faith-healers use the popularity of the devotion to Mary under one or other of her titles to persuade the simple people that their faith-healing power comes from her or through her intervention.
Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de Quezon
Above all we wish to emphasize that all veneration of Mary is to be subordinated to the adoration of the triune God and of Christ who is the Mediator. Mary’s dignity is the most exalted among all the saints because of her divine maternity and hence she is worthy of special veneration as the Mother of God. Her place and role in the economy of salvation is to be clearly proposed to the faithful, as the Second Council of the Vatican has expressed. This, we think, is a very important point and, if wrongly understood, is the root and source of any ill-advised form of Marian devotion.
It is in this context that certain pastoral steps should be taken to reform and renew some practices in the life of our faithful. The faithful should be instructed to venerate Mary out of love for her and appreciation of her dignity and not primarily to obtain personal and material favors. They should see the hierarchy of Christian values and the duties in the Christian life by paying greater attention to the participation in the Eucharistic celebration on Sunday than in any other form of devotion. Public and traditional Marian celebrations like the Flores de Mayo, often connected with the Santacruzan , must be prevented from becoming fashion shows that take away their spiritual meaning, with the danger of converting Marian devotions into beauty parades rather than religious manifestations of faith. Similarly the traditional forms of devotion must never be an ostentatious show to be displayed for guests or visitors. The real spirit of these devotions should be emphasized, and not merely the external practice.
Need for Renewal
Our Lady of the Mission
These and other points are offered here as concrete suggestions for reform. But there must also be room for renewal. Not a few forms of Marian devotion, good in themselves, and with the venerability of tradition, have fulfilled an important role in their time. However they must be updated and adapted to today’s religious world and needs. The lead has been shown to us by the Second Council of the Vatican which courageously initiated liturgical reform and renewal.
Thus, in consonance with the principles of liturgical renewal which do not need to be repeated or enumerated here, it is clear that the problem of fiestas and novenas must be squarely faced. Pastors must be vigilant to prevent as far as possible the mixing of paraliturgy with liturgy, or the simple incorporation of novenas into the Eucharistic celebration. A distinction must be made also between the novena for the annual patronal feast, a weekly novena (like the popular novena to Our Lady of the Perpetual Help) and devotions to Mary that may last one full month (May and October). In any event two alternatives may be offered here:
Nuestra Señora de Caridad de Bantay
A.) A Mass-Novena with the elements of the Novena incorporated into the Mass either after the Communion and before the dismissal, or even during the Prayer of the Faithful. It is to be noted, however, that in this case the prayer should always be addressed to God the Father, not to Mary. b) The novena by itself, which should be renewed. A special committee to deal with this matter for the liturgical and paraliturgical forms of devotion to Mary will be established, particularly for the renewal of the Novena structure and prayers.
Novenas will then be renewed by making them more scriptural, avoiding a verbosity present in some of them and a sentimentality less in consonance with today’s religious attitudes. On the other hand it is a well-known fact that the holding of Novenas, specially in preparation for Mary’s feasts, brings with it a particular sense of community among those practicing the devotion.
As for the Flores de Mayo an effort must be made to utilize them better to instruct the people about the meaning of religious celebrations and to revitalize them. A similar remark applies to the practice and recitation of the block rosary, a practice we highly recommend. We address also a word of encouragement to priests and religious: they too should try to rediscover the value of the rosary as a community prayer.
A word of caution seems to be in place here. Our calling attention to the need of reform and renewal does not in any way advocate a kind of iconoclasm for images or devotions. On the contrary we wish these manifestations of veneration to be kept for their value and to be purified of excrescences or deviations. Hence pastors should be very careful not to eliminate or discourage devotions of piety in their correct forms, and in this way create a vacuum which cannot be easily filled. This is a delicate matter that needs to be handled with utmost pastoral prudence lest we lose many religious practices and particularly forms of devotion to Mary, because of an imprudent or too premature uprooting of forms that demanded only reform and renewal. This demands in turn a certain sensitivity and a profound respect for the people’s affectivity, their love for color and their sentiments of faith.
These are some of the aspects we thought deserve your attention from the pastoral and liturgical point of view. Let us now enter into that dimension that Pope Paul VI elaborates as the fourth principle in his Apostolic Exhortation on the Marian Cult.
Anthropological and Social Dimensions
Virgen de Barangay
Let us turn our attention now to a different but not less important aspect. We refer to that dimension essential in the authentic devotion to Mary which is particularly relevant in today’s world — the social and anthropological dimension. This sociological aspect has come to the fore with distinctive intensity in the 20th century and must be discerned in the light of the Gospel.
A revolution is going on which is woman’s growing awareness of what she is. Previously consigned to roles defined for her by a man-controlled society, woman is now questioning the structures of such a society. Agencies all over the world are taking cognizance of this phenomenon. The United Nations, for one, has designated 1975 as International Year of Woman. If the Church is to be faithful to her call, she must look at this phenomenon and question herself regarding her own attitude towards women. This is not a problem only for women, but a profoundly human one.
Without question, the male element is preponderant in the Church. Sometimes this fact breeds a certain unconscious attitude of paternalism or condescension toward women which prevents women from attaining mature stature or from fully participating in the life of the Church. This area needs to be explored, especially with regard to implementation of new forms of service for women, and renewal of a devotional spirituality that often appears less masculine in character. However the traits of liturgical services and spirituality are more pronounce masculine.
In the Philippines where women enjoy a status and a freedom to which her Asian counterparts still aspire, we must look deeper into the question, beyond what seems to be obvious and taken for granted by convention. The Filipino woman, though stereotyped as Maria Clara, is a figure of strength not only in the family but also in society. Her relationship with man, therefore, is highly ambivalent. Since it is this relationship which is at the root of any society, it needs to be examined before any renewal of Philippine society can be effected. Is the Filipina one who is equal but complementary to man, or she is one who supplants man? Does she, by her manner of being and her attitude toward herself and the opposite sex, help to produce better Filipino manhood or does she weaken it? These questions need to be probed especially by those engaged in the social sciences.
Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados de Manila
Imitation of Mary does not mean keeping women within the cultural limitations which bound the women of Mary’s time. The Virgin Mary is proposed to the faithful as an example to be imitated not precisely in the concrete tasks she undertook at Nazareth, and “much less for the socio-cultural background in which she lived and which today scarcely exists anywhere. She is held up as an example to the faithful rather for the way in which, in her own particular life, she fully and responsibly accepted the will of God, because she heard the word of God and acted on it and because charity and a spirit of service were the driving force of her actions.”58 The quality of her life as spouse and mother can imbue the ordinary chores of women in the home with a deeper meaning and significance.
The modern search for the equality of women, and their co-responsibility in politics, the social field, scientific research, and intellectual activities, is by no means incongruent with a deep devotion to Mary. Marian devotion and imitation have shown themselves in varied ways, according to the different sociological contexts in which Christian women lived. The Church does not bind herself to any particular anthropological ideas underlying such expressions of the Marian cult. She “understands that certain outward religious expressions, while perfectly valid in themselves, may be less suitable to men and women of different ages and cultures.”
In connection with the image of women, there is these days widespread publicity given to numerous beauty contests, a fact that is deplorable since these events are occasions of falsehood which distort the true image of women, feed people’s minds with false values, and put women on pedestals only to exploit them. The eyes of the nation are often diverted by such beauty pageants from the ills of society and the serious tasks of nation-building. Church-related activities are not entirely free of this tendency, and fund-raising connected with fiesta queens ought to be discouraged. It is also worthwhile mentioning that respect for women should find its expression in decent feminine dress, and is also fostered by Christian propriety.
Mary, Help of Christians of Parañaque
In view of the above consideration of Mary and the Filipino woman it is appropriate that we should address a few words to the Filipino man in particular. The dignity, self-awareness and spiritual realization to which Mary is summoning the Filipina is for the Filipino man a challenge to understand her correctly and a reminder to respect, love and protect her. A woman is degraded when treated like an object, the conquest of which is taken as a proof of one’s masculinity in the spirit of childish machismo. A woman is a companion and a partner, an equal, and not a plaything or a slave. It does the Filipino woman no justice to practice in her regard a double standard, by which she is expected to fulfill her familial duties, while the man’s infidelity and irresponsibility are excused or taken for granted. Moreover, supporting her materially is by no means the only obligation of a husband to her, nor does it justify any negligence or abuse on his part.
The mutually enriching and salvific union which is the goal of the institution of the sacrament of marriage can only be achieved on a basis of respect, love, fidelity and the deep sense of responsibility that a man should have for his wife and vice versa. The Filipino woman measures up more fully to her very important role in our nation-building and most especially in that basic unity of society, the family, when she is accorded love and justice by the Filipino man.
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Loboc
We rarely associate devotion to Mary with the social dimension of Christian living, and this is when devotion to her can tend to become pious individualism. Mary should always be seen in a Biblical context, for she was the product of the heritage of patriarchs, prophets, and psalmists of the Old Testament. We see this very clearly in her song of praise, the Magnificat, where she turns naturally from herself to her people. The God who is her personal Saviour and whose greatness she proclaims is a God whose action on behalf of the lowly and the poor endures through the ages. Although Mary’s words are not to be interpreted in the contemporary sense of class struggle, they point to a reversal of the social order in the Kingdom of God.
Mary’s song speaks of a God who has “routed the proud of heart,” “pulled down princes from their thrones,” “exalted the lowly,” “filled the hungry with good things,” and “sent the rich empty away” (Luke 1:51-53). This is an echo of the utterances of the prophets who condemned the wealthy not for their wealth but for their selfish complacency, the powerful officials not for their positions of authority but for their injustice and cunning. The poor of Israel were a blight in the land; they were the manifestations of a sick society, but even more fundamentally, of a radical deviation from God’s intentions for his people. In brief, the poor were visible signs of the deep-rooted sin of the nation. Greed and deceit were in the hearts of the powerful of the land who were squeezing the lifeblood from the poor for their own selfish purposes. Though entrenched in this social sin, they put a facade of piety and respectability which was sacrilegious in the eyes of the prophets. It was to those people that the Lord said: “When you stretch your hands I turn my eyes away. You may multiply your prayers, I shall not listen… Take your wrong-doing out of my sight. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good, search for justice, help the oppressed, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:15-17).
Such a society is encountered in the Philippines. The destitution of millions of Filipinos is an indictment of all of us who call ourselves believers. The oppression that exists in Filipino society is contrary to the salvation that Jesus and His Mother proclaimed by their lives. We who profess to be their followers must live according to what we say we believe. At this moment of our history as a people, our collaboration with God’s work of salvation must take the form of work for justice, freedom, and peace — not in the abstract, but in the daily realities of living, for they are the conditions of salvation. Wherever there is injustice, bondage, and unrest there sin prevails.
Our devotion to Mary should never lose sight of the present plight of the vast majority of our Filipino, brethren who live lives unworthy of human beings. These poor and oppressed brethren of ours are devotees of Mary, too; and they call out to her, their Mother, to ease their sufferings and free them from their chains. And surely her maternal heart goes out to them. Her appeal comes to those of us who can help the helpless. Mary is the model of the perfect disciple of the Lord: “the disciple who builds up the earthly and temporal city while being a diligent pilgrim towards the heavenly and eternal city, the disciple who works for that justice which sets free the oppressed and for that charity which assists the needy.” Devotion to Mary shows itself in works, and the works which we needed in the Philippines today are the works of justice and freedom from oppression. As the Church points out to us, our mission is “to be present in the heart of the world proclaiming the Good News to the poor, freedom to the oppressed, and joy to the afflicted.”
Conclusion
Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario – La Naval de Bacolor
These are some of the reflections on Mary, the Mother of the Lord, which we wished to share with you. The knowledge of the sincere veneration of our people for Mary has given us particular comfort and joy. This veneration is not only rooted in history but, above all, is deeply rooted in the hearts of our faithful.
We have also shared with you some insights on this devotion which is grounded solidly, as we have shown, in the teachings of the New Testament and the life of the Church itself from her beginnings.
But these two aspects–the historical and the doctrinal–must not be considered as triumphalist or irrelevant utterances. In offering them to you we have a practical and pastoral aim in view: the authentic renewal of the veneration of Mary in the Philippines. This devotion must be fundamentally biblical, solidly Christological, soundly liturgical.
The profound religiosity of our people– call it, if you wish, popular religiosity — will receive a powerful impulse during the celebration of the Holy Year, a year of renewal and reconciliation. Our faith in and love for the Incarnate Lord, who took flesh in Mary, will be strengthened in the measure we try to live with and for Christ as Mary did, so that we may become, like her, his true disciples. The Church contemplating Mary’s “profound holiness”62 “admires the most excellent fruit of the redemption and joyfully contemplates, as in a faultless model, that which she herself wholly desires and hopes to be.”63 Our veneration of Mary, therefore, should be an imitation of her who achieved her destiny by freely cooperating with God’s love, reacting responsibly to the demands of God and neighbor during her “pilgrimage of faith.”64
For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines:
+JULIO R. CARDINAL ROSALES Archbishop of Cebu President
Manila, February 2, 1975 Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord
Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Cardona – Virgen de Sapao
The rosary is one of the most popular Marian devotions in the country where we can see people holding their rosaries in homes, churches, chapels, processions, daily commute, and everywhere we go as a part of our identity as Filipino Catholics. The Numerous rosary shrines, rosary confraternities, and prayer groups were scattered all over the county attest to the wide scope of the devotion which played crucial roles in the country’s long yet tumultuous history.
One of the rosary shrines and image that became the center of the rosary devotion in Rizal province is that of Cardona, Rizal where the devotion to the Virgin of the Rosary continues to flourish and miracles continue to draw devotees to her shrine up to this day.
The Visage of the Queen
Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Cardona – Virgen de Sapao
The venerable image of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Cardona – Virgen de Sapao is a de vestir image of the Madonna and Child under the title of Our Lady of the Rosary. The image is fashioned in the typical iconography of Philippine Santo Rosario images that is seen the country: the large bastidor, a regal dress, manto, rostrillo and the estrellas for the Virgin, a royal robe and bib to the Child Jesus, the traditional accessories from the baston de mando and scepter and the diagnostic rosary. For this image, she often wore her beautifully crafted plancha. The carving of both Mother and Child shows a recreation of the Filipino Chinese style with sinitic eyes, fine elongated noses, and small lips. The image is presented standing on a base with clouds, cherubs and a garland of flowers that is enthroned at the main altar for veneration of the faithful.
The Beginning of the devotion
Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Cardona – Virgen de Sapao
The origins of the devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary of Sapao in Cardona, Rizal began when the Franciscan Missionaries arrived in Sapao, the old name of Cardona. The Franciscans established a Visita dedicated to St. Francis of Asssi in 1608. An image of the Blessed Virgin Mary was enshrined in the visita that the locals called “Nuestra Senora de Sapao”. A miraculous spring, called “Fuente Bendita”, was located near the visita where the faithful would bathe in the water and venerate the image of the Virgin.
According to local tradition, the image was once enshrined at San Geronimo Parish in Morong. The townsfolk would notice that the amorseco burs from Sapao can be seen stuck in the image. The people then realized that the Virgin wished to be enshrined in Sapao. The image was later transferred to the said town and the church was dedicated in honor of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. The Parish of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Sapao was later established in 1872.
Miracles
Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Cardona – Virgen de Sapao
Numerous miracles were attributed to the intercession of the Virgin of Sapao over the centuries that were duly recorded and passed on to different generations of devotees. One instance is when a woman was able to bear a child after praying to the Virgin.
During the Japanese occupation, a group of people went into hiding in the spring and prayed for the Virgin’s help to hide them in sight of the Japanese soldiers. The enemy soldiers left without seeing anyone at the spring. Another instance was during the days leading to the end of the Second World War and the liberation of the country, the Japanese forces burned Cardona before they surrendered to the American forces. The townspeople saw how the Japanese soldiers were throwing fireballs at the Church. However, the people were surprised that the church was spared from the fire yet the houses and the municipal hall were burned down.
One stormy day, the waters from Laguna de Bay reached the town which leads to flooding which is destroying the town. Yet when it reached the vicinity of the parish, the flood water did not reach the parish.
Church Recognition
The Pontifical Coronation of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Cardona – Virgen de Sapao
With the continuous flow of devotees and miracles that were attributed to the Virgin of the Rosary of Cardona, the Parish was elevated to the status as the “Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary” on August 17, 2017, and its elevation rites took place on October 1, 2017.
The image of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Cardona, “Virgen de Sapao” was granted the honor of Episcopal Coronation on September 27, 2018. On January 12, 2022, Pope Francis, thru the Papal Decree issued by the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments granted the Pontifical Coronation of the image. The Coronation Rites took place on October 7, 2022.
The devotion at present
Fluvial Procession of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Cardona – Virgen de Sapao
The devotion to Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Cardona – Virgen de Sapao continues to flourish up to this day. Devotees and pilgrims continue to flock to the Virgin’s shrine, especially on her feast day on October 7, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Municipality of Cardona holds the annual “Sapao-an Festival” on the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary where the devotees and the whole of Cardona perform street dancing in honor of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. The shrine have a devotional day dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary every Seventh of the Month called “Siete Dia Devocion” where devotees and parishioners would offer their rosary prayers and a votive mass in her honor.
The impact of the rosary on the lives of the faithful is immense where they experience a sense of peace, security, and a contemplative connection with the Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary when praying the Rosary. Through the rosary, the devotees and the faithful live their Catholic faith in connection with Our Lord while Our Lady guides them and exercises her role as a guide, mediatrix, and advocate. Let us pray the rosary unceasingly, especially in these times of confusion and uncertainty, that she will grant peace and healing in our divided society and live in accordance with the Will of her Son.
Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Cardona – Virgen de Sapao, Ipanalangin mo kami!
Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, “Kasaysayan ng Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Cardona – Virgen de Sapao”, Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Cardona, Rizal, 2022.
Sanchez, Francisco, “La Virgen Maria Venerada en sus Imagenes Filipinas”, Manila: Imp. De Santos y Bernal, 1904.
Photos:
Cruz, Dan Raphael of DC Photography Daquioag, Michael of Buen Viaje Ph Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Cardona, Cardona, Rizal Facebook page Figueroa, Jun of Antipolo Cathedral
Special thanks to the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Cardona, Cardona, Rizal
Nuestra Señora de Candelaria de Paco of Paco, Manila
Paco, Manila, one of the most historic districts in Manila due to its historic cemetery, old ancestral houses and its parish. The Parish of San Fernando de Dilao is the home of two miraculous images of Manila – The Señor Santo Sepulcro and Nuestra Señora de Candelaria.
The image
Nuestra Señora de Candelaria de Paco of Paco, Manila
The image of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria of Paco is a de vestir image of the Madonna of Child standing on a cloud base with cherubs. The Virgin is enthroned at the epistle side of the altar gazing on her children looking sideways downwards. The Virgin wears a beautiful set of vestments from a tunic, a cape, a lace veil, sporting a crown and the traditional doce estrellas holding a candle and the Child Jesus. The Child Jesus on the other hand wears a long white gown stylized like those for newly born infants that are seen during baptisms, wears His crown and facing sideways with His hands open.
The beginning of the devotion
Nuestra Señora de Candelaria de Paco of Paco, Manila
The devotion to Nuestra Señora de Candelaria of Paco is inseparable with the history of Paco, along with that of the Santo Sepulcro. The district was founded by the Franciscan missionaries. The place was then known as the town of “Dilao” from the yellow dye extracted from the plants growing abundantly in the area, which was situated along the banks of the Pasig River. The name is preserved until 1791 during the governorship of Felix Berenger y Marquina by adding “San Francisco” to the name of the place.
The first church of Paco was initially dedicated to La Purificacion de Nuestra Señora, was made of light materials in 1580. But from 1599 to 1601, it was rebuilt of stone by the inhabitants of Paco, under the able direction of Rev. Fr. Juan de Garrovillas.
In 1600, Lt. Don Cristobal Mercado commissioned an artist to carve an image of Our Lady of the Candles which he later donated to the Church of Dilao. The devotion initially flourished and the image resided in the Church until 1603 when the structure was destroyed by the Chinese uprising. In 1606, the Church was rebuilt with stones at the expenses of Don Francisco Gomez de Arellano and was rededicated to the Virgin.
The oblivion
However, the devotion to the Virgin of the Candles was set aside by the end of 1606, the image was transferred to the Hospital de Aguas Santas in Los Baños, Laguna. From there, it was taken to Siniloan and enshrined in the place that is now known as Mabitac. The image remained there despite of attempts from the townspeople of Dilao to reclaim it.
Devotion reignited
Nuestra Señora de Candelaria de Paco of Paco, Manila
The devotion to Nuestra Señora de Candelaria appeared to be resilient despite the challenges over the centuries. The present image of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria was carved in the 1920s and the devotion gradually once again became part of the parish life of Paco.
Since 2014, the image of the Virgin joined the procession of the Santo Sepulcro during the month of August and later on the Feast of St. Ferdinand of Castille, the current titular patron of the parish every May 30. The image underwent restoration and was enthroned to her current altar in 2017 through the efforts of Rev. Msgr. Rolando de la Cruz, Parish Priest of San Fernando de Dilao of Paco, Manila.
A Cofradia dedicated to the propagation of the devotion to Nuestra Señora de Candelaria was established in 2020.
The devotion at present
Nuestra Señora de Candelaria de Paco of Paco, Manila
The devotion to Nuestra Señora de Candelaria continued to flourish in the modern times. The Feast of the Virgin is celebrated every February 2 and the on her feast day, a dawn procession of the Virgin took place within the jurisdiction of the parish. After the procession, the faithful would stand at the facade of the Church and the rite of blessing of candles took place. The faithful would then enter the church and for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the feast.
The devotion continues and exists side by side with that of the miraculous Santo Sepulcro which makes the parish home of the two Manileño devotions in this part of Manila. As we ponder on the devotion to the Virgin of the Candles, we should look at it as the devotion that will lead us to her Son, the Light of the World and we should emulate Him as the light and salt of the world especially in these times.
Nuestra Señora de Candelaria de Paco, Ipanalangin mo kami!
References:
Aviado, Lutgarda, Madonnas of the Philippines, Manlapaz Press, Quezon City, 1972.
Darang, Josephine, A Purely Personal book of Miracles: A Collection of Columns published by Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sound Publishing Corporation, Makati City, 2006.
Intramuros Administration, The Virgins of Intramuros and suburbs, Intramuros, Manila, 1982.
Photos:
Cofradia de Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Paco, Manila
Cebu – the Bastion of the Catholic faith in the country, home and throne of the famed Santo Niño de Cebu and other popular venerated and crowned Marian images in the country. One of the most distinct and miraculous is that of Nuestra Señora del Carmen – La Limpia of Cebu City which gained a reputation of being miraculous and the focal point of the Brown Scapular devotion in Visayas and Mindanao.
The image
Nuestra Señora del Carmen – La Limpia de Cebu
The image of Nuestra Señora del Carmen – La Limpia is a seated image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel venerated at her Parish in Cebu City. The image presents her gazing sweetly to the Child Jesus who sits at her lap. The Child Jesus on the other hand faces the beholder with His right hand is raised in gesture of blessing while the other is holding a Brown Scapular.
The image sits on a cloud-like throne set on a base as if the Mother and Child looking over her faithful children. The Virgin wears the Carmelite habit with the brown robe the white cape, the Brown Scapular of the religious and a lace veil. The Child Jesus on the other hand wears a white robe.
Origins
The original bas relief image of La Inmaculada Conception that was saved from the demolition of the old church edifice where the current structure of the Parish to Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Recoletos
The Parish of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel traced back its foundation as early as 1621 when the Augustinian Recollects Friars set foot in Cebu. Bishop Pedro Arce gave them a place outside the walls of the city, with a small chapel initially dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In the early 1700’s, the image was initially an image of the Immaculate Conception or “La Limpia Concepcion” in Cebu since the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception was not yet declared at that time until 1854. The devotion to La Limpia Concepcion became known with the image of the parish and the relief image at the facade of the old Church which also gained a miraculous reputation.
The Old Main altar with the image of La Limpia enthroned
When the devotion to the Immaculate Conception was adopted by the Cebu Cathedral in the 1800’s, the patroness and the image was renamed as “Nuestra Señora del Carmen” (possibly taking a queue to the success of the devotion to Nuestra Señora del Carmen of San Sebastian in Manila) and she became a focal point of the Brown Scapular devotion in the Visayas and Mindanao. The image would later be considered as the oldest image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Cebu. The name “La Limpia” was appended to this image to pay homage to the origins of the parish with the devotion to the Immaculate Conception.
Later in 1964, the old Recoletos Church was torn down and gave way to the construction of a more spacious and modern church that could accommodate more pilgrims. The Church was formally declared as a parish under the patronage of Nuestra Señora del Carmen on January 1, 1971.
Ecclesiastical Acclamation
The Solemn Episcopal Coronation of Nuestra Señora del Carmen – La Limpia of Cebu
In line with the celebration of the 50th Founding Anniversary of the Parish and the 400th Anniversary of the Recollect Presence in Cebu, in 2021, the image of Nuestra Señora del Carmen – La Limpia was approved to receive the honor of Episcopal Coronation. As part of preparations for the said coronation, the image underwent restoration and the image was enthroned back to her altar on December 8, 2021.
The image went on an “Illis” or tour around Cebu City in preparation for her Episcopal Coronation. The Coronation rites took place on January 8, 2022, in the presence of numerous devotees and parishioners.
The procession of Nuestra Señora del Carmen – La Limpia of Cebu at the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway Bridge (CCLEX) after the elevation of her Parish as an Archdiocesan Shrine.
On April 29, 2022, the Parish of Nuestra Señora del Carmen – La Limpia of Cebu was elevated to the status of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – La Limpia. On that day, after the elevation rites, the image of the Virgin went on a procession at the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway Bridge (CCLEX) – the first public road activity on the newly established bridge.
The devotion at present
Nuestra Señora del Carmen – La Limpia de Cebu wearing her Episcopal Coronation regalia
The devotion to Nuestra Señora del Carmen – La Limpia of Cebu is a devotion in progress from its origins. Miracles were reported through her intercession and the Brown Scapular became wide known in the Visayas and Mindanao, just like what the Recollect friars did in Luzon centuries ago before the actual Carmelites arrived during the Post Spanish Era.
Her Feast day, July 16, is well attended with devotees to honor the Lady of the Brown Scapular. The devotion thrives as there are devotees that are faithful to wearing her livery. In this time of uncertainty, let us place our lives and confidence to Our Blessed Mother by wearing her Brown Scapular with the resolution to emulate her virtues, not as an amulet.
Nuestra Señora del Carmen – La Limpia de Cebu, pray for us!
We might be familiar with the sobriquet and its accompanying devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe in the country mainly for two things: the Celestial Patroness of our country and Pro Life Patroness. But in a simple parish dedicated to St. Rita of Cascia in Olongapo, Zambales, a special altar dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe can be seen where she is officially the Patroness of the youth in the said parish and diocese.
One might wonder how it happened, but as we learn about her story, we see how the Virgin of Guadalupe transcended all ages and once again showed herself as a Mother to all of us.
The Image
The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe of St. Rita of Cascia Parish in Olongapo, Zambales is a poster print image of the Virgin of the said title that is commercially produced for parishes, chapels and homes. The image shows signs of fading due to the discoloration of the poster image yet still projects a maternal look to the beholder. The image is now set in an ornate frame with a cape placed at the back of the frame and her Episcopal Crown on top of it.
Advocate of Youth
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Olongapo
The origin of the poster image is unknown yet it is said that the image already existed and was kept at the parish office for the longest time.
The devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe in Santa Rita de Cascia Parish in Olongapo, Zambales began when in 2005 when the youth leaders of the parish headed by Norwin Nicol, Rannie Agrabio, Rodel de Guzman and Jeramie Molino. The youth retreatants were introduced to the Virgin’s image and story by a nun during their retreat in a Monastery in Caryana, Pampanga by narrating its history and distributed holy pictures and prayers to the Virgin.
The parish youth leaders were moved by the account of the apparition that the retreatants made a promise to the nun to do what they can to spread the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. The devotion to the Virgin of the Tilma formally began with the celebration of the first Guadalupe fiesta that was held in 2005 with a print image of the Virgin was enshrined at the parish as the focal point of the devotion.
The Parish Youth group continued their annual tradition of the festivity in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe and further helped on spreading the devotion to the whole parish that she became the focal point of the “Parish Youth Week” with the support of their parish priests since 2009.
In 2013, the Parish was caught in a typhoon that the image was one of the casualties while it was kept at the Office of the Commission of the Family in the parish. The image was toppled down to her altar and was muddied yet the image was miraculously kept intact and the glass protector wasn’t broken. The following year, through the parish youth’s initiative, with the help of Rev. Fr. John Michael Guilleno, the image was brought to Pampanga to have it encased to a better frame and a special throne for her.
Numerous miracles were attributed to her intercession that the devotion grew over the years and the youth organization of the parish became the prime promoters of the devotion.
Church Recognition
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Olongapo
During the celebration of the Year of the Youth by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippine, on December 11, 2011, Bishop Florentino Lavarias, DD, then Bishop of Iba granted the Episcopal Coronation of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and was named as the Mother, Queen, and Patroness of the Youth of Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish, Olongapo, Zambales.
The devotion at present
The devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe of St. Rita of Cascia Parish in Olongapo, Zambales continued to flourish up to this day and was credited for the transformation of the youth in the said parish. Even as the youth members grew older, the devotion persisted and became an integral part of their spiritual life.
“Am I not here, Your Mother?” These were the words that the Virgin of Guadalupe uttered to St. Juan Diego that also left a deep impression to all who would read or encounter the account of the apparitions. In the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Zambales, we see that its the youth who heeded her messages and entrusted their lives to her that became a catalyst for their faith which affected many up to the present.
It is sad to see our modern day youth cares more about themselves with the rise of social media were they will do anything, even acts of sacrilege, just to gain clout and short term popularity. The sad situation should be a challenge for us to introduce to them Our Lord and Our Lady and their immense love to all of us that one may not look for anything that is of this world.
Let us ask the intercession of the Virgin of Guadalupe to help us in this modern age where the culture of death is becoming more prevalent to preserve and protect our youth and our nation, as its Celestial Patroness, from its ugly claws that would lead us to destruction.
References:
Decree of Episcopal Coronation of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Diocese of Iba, Zambales, 2011.
“Maikiling Kasaysayan ng debosyon sa Mahal na Birhen ng Guadalupe ng mga Kabataan sa Parokya ng Santa Rita”, St. Rita Parish, Olongapo, Zambales, 2016.
Our Lady of Guadalupe of Makati City, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Extremadura de Loboc and Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Cebu
Whenever we would hear the name “Guadalupe”, we would immediately associate it to the famed Virgin of the Tilma of Mexico given with our rich historical link with the latter and maintained such relationship for centuries. Numerous churches, shrines, chapels, schools, establishments, and women were named after the Virgin of Guadalupe in her honor.
Interestingly, if we are going to look further on the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, we would be surprised that apart from the famed Virgin of Mexico, there would be a different image of the Virgin of the same name – this time holding the Child Jesus and presented as a regal Queen Mother like its original counterpart in Extremadura, Spain.
Given these thoughts in mind, we are going to look deeper into how the name “Guadalupe” would be synonymous with two distinct and famous devotions of the Hispanic world and its devotions in the country as we celebrate the Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe – the Celestial Patroness of the Philippine Islands.
The name “Guadalupe”
Virgen del Coro is located on a back wall in the choir loft of the Virgin of Guadalupe of Extremadura Shrine in Spain. Notice how the iconography of the Spanish and Mexican Guadalupe merged in the bas-relief image.
One might be mistaken that the name “Guadalupe” was Mexican and of Spanish origin. Interestingly, recent studies showed that the name “Guadalupe” was actually a Spanish version of the Arabic word “Wadi-al-lubben” meaning “the hidden river” or “the beautiful river”. We have to keep in mind that Spain was once conquered by the Arab-speaking Moors from Northern Africa and there were Spanish words that were later incorporated into the Spanish language. The term Wadi-Al-Lubben describes the place where the river actually narrows as it approaches the town of Guadalupe in Extremadura – hence the name of the location and was later used to the name the Virgin of Extremadura.
The name “Guadalupe” would later evolve when she made her appearance in 1531 at St. Juan Diego. A few days after the Miracle of the tilma happened, St. Juan Diego was accompanied by Spanish clergy, officers, and new converts to his home to check on his uncle Juan Bernardino. All of them were amazed when they saw Juan Bernardino was cured of his illness and he too was graced with an apparition of Our Lady. The Virgin revealed that she wished that the image will be known as “Santa Maria de Guadalupe”. The title Guadalupe that Juan Bernardino revealed might have been mistranslated by the Spaniards for it is believed that what the Virgin actually wished to be called in her Nahuatl (The language of the Aztecs) name as “Santa Maria de Tecoataxopeuh” (some scholars would say it was “Santa Maria de Coatlaxoepuh”) which means “The one who crushes the head of the Serpent”, a further Confirmation of her Immaculate Conception which at that time, was not yet declared a Dogma of Faith until December 8, 1854, with the bull “Ineffabilis Deus”.
We can see in the narrative of the devotion how the name became synonymous with the two great devotions of the Spanish realm and continues to flourish up to the present. It can be also seen as an act of providence that the two distinct devotions that share the same name would play important roles in the evangelization and history of the so-called Old and New World.
La Guadalupana of Extremadura, Spain
The original image of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Extremadura in Spain
The devotion to Virgen de Guadalupe of Extremadura in Spain began sometime in 580 when it is said that Pope St. Gregory the Great gave the original statue (believed to be carved by St. Luke the Evangelist), to St. Leander of Seville, Bishop of Seville, Spain. The Virgin of Guadalupe of Extremadura gained much popularity yet the Virgin needed to be buried along with its church bell and important documents pertaining to the cultus to protect it from the Moorish invasion.
Centuries later, a cowherd was searching for his lost cow and followed it into the mountains until he found the cow lifeless. As he is about to butcher the cow, a voice came out of nowhere and beheld a beautiful lady. The Lady told him to dig nearby the cow’s resting place and he will her image and wished that a chapel will be built in her honor. After the vision disappeared, the cow came back to life and began to dig. As he was digging, he found the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe of Extremadura together with the bell it’s the documents that were buried for centuries.
Miracles soon took place in that spot where a chapel was built in honor of the Virgin. The place became a very important place in the Spanish kingdom from a pilgrimage made by the King of Spain in 1340 in thanksgiving on his crusade to expel the Moors from Spain and its role in the voyage to the New World where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabela made a pilgrimage to discern for this historic venture headed by Christopher Columbus which they later approved.
The Cultus of La Guadalupana de Extremadura in the Country
The devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe of Extremadura was introduced in the country at the Augustinian Church of Nuestra Señora de Gracia in San Pedro de Macati (now the modern-day Makati City) and at the Parishes at Loboc and Sevilla, Bohol.
Nuestra Señora de Gracia Parish, Makati City
The Guadalupana de Extremadura devotion in Makati began when the Spanish population in the country clamored to have the Virgin under this particular sobriquet in 1604. The devotion to the Virgin of Extremadura grew and numerous miracles were attributed to her intercession. By 1632, the devotion had spread and devotees thronged into the Shrine to pay their respects to the Virgin. It became such a habitual courtesy that the authorities were forced to put up a landing dock at the foot of the hill by the river. A wooden house and stairs of stone of around one hundred steps were built in order to accommodate the pilgrims.
A painting of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Extremadura
The 1754 eruption of Taal Volcano severely damaged Batangas province but spared the Guadalupe complex. In 1762, the occupying British soldiers converted it into their military headquarters. They desecrated the church, sacked the tombs, and divested images of their decorations and jewelry. The image of the Virgin of Guadalupe was spared due to the timely intervention of an Irish official who brought it to Pasig for safekeeping until 1764.
The 1880 earthquake caused considerable damage to the church. The masonry vault collapsed, which slackened the church buttresses and reduced the shrine in shambles. This earthquake also destroyed the original image of the Virgin of Guadalupe of Extremadura. A replica was made after six years by Melchor and Gaspar San Pedro to replace the original, and this image was venerated until 1899 when it was lost in the Philippine–American War, and the church was left in ruins for many years. When the Augustinian Friars returned in 1970, the ruined Church in Makati was reconstructed and rehabilitated, and rededicated to its original patroness – Nuestra Señora de Gracia.
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Extremadura de Loboc
The Boholano devotion on the other hand began when a replica of the Virgin of Extremadura arrived in Loboc, Bohol in 1843. At that time, a cholera outbreak was plaguing the place that took the lives of many. The arrival of the image seemed to be providential that as soon as the image arrived, the cholera outbreak ceased. As of this writing, the image is currently enshrined in a provisional church since the original centuries-old church was one of the destroyed churches of the massive earthquake in 2013 until it was fully restored in 2021. On the 390th anniversary of the arrival of the image, the image received Episcopal Coronation on May 24, 2018 – the first Marian image in Bohol that received a formal ecclesiastical coronation rite. The Loboc Church was declared the Diocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Extremadura de Loboc and later granted the Spiritual Bond of Affinity with the Basilica of Sancta Maria Maggiore of Rome in 2021.
La Guadalupana of Mexico
A few centuries later, the Blessed Mother made her presence known and permanent in a newly discovered New World while Europe was losing many souls due to the Protestant Reformation.
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Mexico
On the morning of December 9, 1531, the Virgin appeared to St. Juan Diego who was on his way to mass when he saw a maiden at the Hill of Tepeyac, in what would become the town of Guadalupe in the suburbs of Mexico City. Speaking to him in the Nahuatl language, the Virgin asked that a church be built in her honor. St. Juan Diego recounted the events to the Archbishop of Mexico City, Fray Juan de Zumarraga who instructed him to return to Tepeyac Hill and ask the “lady” for a miraculous sign to prove her identity. On December 12, 1531, the Virgin left her image permanently upon the tilma of St. Juan Diego. Her likeness was given as a sign to Bishop Zumarraga, who abided by her wishes and constructed a church on the site of the apparitions. That same tilma is an enduring and living miracle as new studies and discoveries about the famous tilma from its preservation, the colors, motifs, symbolism, and other obscure elements would continue to baffle scientists and strengthen the faith of her devotees.
Millions of natives were converted to Christianity during the period following her visit with numerous miracles attributed to her intercession and the devotion spread throughout the New World, in Europe, and in Asia in the coming centuries. One of the most notable of the miracles of the Virgin outside Mexico was during the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 which saved Christian Europe.
In 1555 In the Provincial Council, the second archbishop of Mexico, Alonso de Montúfar, formulated canons that indirectly approved the apparitions.A formal inquiry and investigation were conducted by the Church from February 18 to March 22, 1666, and again by Archbishop Lanziego y Eguilazin 1723. In 1887, Pope Leo XIII granted the Pontifical Coronation of the image, which occurred on October 12, 1895. Pope Pius XII accorded her the title “Queen of Mexico and Empress of the Americas” in 1945, and “Patroness of the Americas” the following year.
The Devotion and Patronage in the country
The apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531 in Mexico made a huge impact in the New World because of the massive conversions in the Western Hemisphere at the time when the Protestant movement is rampant in Europe that resulting in the loss of souls to the true fold. With the Reconquista of the Philippines in 1565, the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe was also introduced in the country and its first shrine was established in Pagsanjan, Laguna in 1687 and it would later spread in other parts of the country, especially in Cebu, Makati City, Zambales and other parts of the country with Parishes, shrines, and chapels dedicated to her.
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Pagsanjan
A Papal Bull was issued on July 16, 1935, by Pope Pius XI, issued a Papal Bull declaring the Virgin of Guadalupe of Mexico as the “The Celestial Patroness of the Philippine Islands” On November 13, 2001, the celebration of the Feast of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in the Philippines was declared an Obligatory Memorial.
The cult of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Pagsanjan, Laguna is the pioneer of the La Guadalupana Mexicana devotion in the country since 1687 by Franciscan missionary Fray Agustin de la Magdalena. The original image of the Virgin was donated by Father Agustin when the parish was first established and was installed at the main altar on December 12, 1688. Numerous miracles were attributed to her intercession, specifically, the protection of Pagsanjan from bandits, and an arch was built as a reminder of the miracle. Unfortunately, the original image was destroyed during the War, and two new images arrived in Pagsanjan as replacements, one is the altar image that was carved by Maximo Vicente and later in 1958, Mexican Catholics contributed a life-sized image of Our Lady of Guadalupe sculpted by Ramon Barretto of Toluca, Mexico. The Mexican image received Episcopal Coronation on December 12, 2012, along with the declaration of her parish as the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Cebu
The Cebuano devotion to the Virgen of Guadalupe began when the image was found in 1880 by Ricardo Ramirez from a cave in Cebu and from it emanated a great light. Numerous miracles were attributed to Cebu’s Lady of Guadalupe over the centuries. One of the most notable miracles of the Virgin occurred in 1902 when a cholera epidemic took the lives of many Cebuanos they invoked the intercession of the Virgin of Guadalupe which she, in turn, did not turn a deaf ear and the epidemic stopped. A thanksgiving novena was held from July 8 – 16 that same year and the people celebrated July 16 as the second fiesta of the Virgin of Guadalupe of Cebu as an act of perpetual thanksgiving to her intercession to stop the epidemic. The Virgin was Pontifically Crowned on July 16, 2006, the 104th anniversary of the miracle, and was named the Patroness of Cebu in 2002.
From these recorded accounts of the cultus of the Mexican Virgin of Guadalupe, we see how the Virgin became the succor and protectress of these towns. As the modern age came, with numerous societal changes and reforms that took place, the patronage of the Virgin of Guadalupe would evolve. In 1955, the Minor Seminary of the Archdiocese of Manila was inaugurated and named after the Virgin of Guadalupe which would help in the formation of future priests in their lifelong mission to administer the faithful and bring the light of the Gospel.
As the threats of the culture of death begin to creep in in our society, she began to be invoked as the Pro-Life Patroness and the Protectress of the Unborn due to the fact that the image presents the Virgin as a Pregnant mother due to the placement of a belt on her waist which is Aztec culture, it denotes pregnancy. It is also interesting to note that there were also miracles that were associated with her saving children from abortion or safe delivery of mothers. In fact, on September 8, 2002, the Virgin of Guadalupe was named as Pro-life Patroness in response to the issues of human reproduction and mortality in the country in recent times.
A social dimension was added to the patronage of the Virgin, most notably in the devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe in her National Shrine in Makati City where the plight of the marginalized and the protection of life is in focus.
The original statue and Pilgrim Image of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Makati City
The devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe of Mexico began when Archbishop Gabriel Reyes, DD, the first Filipino Archbishop of Manila, established the parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1951. The parish became the solace of the people who cling to her protective mantle of protection from the culture of death that is plaguing our modern society. One of the most notable miracles of the Virgin of Guadalupe of Makati was during the SARS outbreak all over the world and in response, the late Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, then the Archbishop of Manila at that time, requested that the Pilgrim tilma Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe be brought to his residence in Villa San Miguel to ask for the protection of the Philippines from the threat of SARS abated. The Virgin heeded the pleas of her children and things went back to normal for our country. On August 15, 2002, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, His Eminence, the late Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin elevated the Parish as the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe then as the National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe on May 31, 2010.
As the digital and social media age came in, we would see an interesting development in the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe as the Patroness of the Youth of St. Rita Parish in the Province of Zambales.
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Olongapo
The devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe in Santa Rita de Cascia Parish in Olongapo, Zambales when in 2005 when the youth leaders of the parish were introduced to the Virgin’s image and story by a nun during a retreat by narrating its history and distributed holy pictures and prayers to the Virgin. The parish youth leaders were moved by the account of the apparition that the devotion formally began with the celebration of the first Guadalupe fiesta that was held that same year with a print image of the Virgin enshrined at the parish as the focal point of the devotion. Numerous miracles were attributed to her intercession that the devotion grew over the years and the youth organization of the parish became the prime promoters of the devotion. On December 11, 2011, Bishop Florentino Lavarias, DD, then Bishop of Iba granted the Episcopal Coronation of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and was named as the Mother, Queen, and Patroness of Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish, Olongapo, Zambales.
The twinning of the Two Guadalupe Shrines
The Twinning rites of the Spanish and Mexican Shrines of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Extremadura Shrine in Spain in 2023.
The union between the two Guadalupe Shrines in Spain and Mexico become stronger in recent years. On February 13, 2023, the Royal Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Caceres, Extremadura, Spain is now formally twinned with the National Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Mexico with a Holy Mass presided by Archbishop Francisco Cerro Chaves, Metropolitan Archbishop of Toledo, and Primate of Spain, formally making the twinning official with the signing of an agreement with the Primate of Mexico. Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, Metropolitan Archbishop of Mexico City.
With this twinning of the two sanctuaries under the invocation of “Our Lady of Guadalupe” in Spain and Mexico, here are the commitments both sanctuaries must adhere to the following agreement:
To celebrate solemnly in the Basilica of Tepeyac the Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe of Extremadura in Spain every September 6, the designated feast of the Extremadura Shrine.
To celebrate in the Basilica of Extremadura the Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe of Mexico every December 12.
To enthrone one or the other invocation in the homonymous sanctuaries, meaning the Mexican Basilica will enshrine a replica of the Virgin of the Extremadura Sanctuary while the Spanish sanctuary will enthrone a reproduction of the tilma of the Mexican Virgin.
To pray in the Spanish Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe for the brotherly union with the Mexican people, and also in the Mexican Basilica for the Spanish people.
To seek the dissemination of knowledge of both apparitions of the Blessed Mother, united under a common dedication, to strengthen the ties between the devout devotees of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Extremadura, Spain, and Mexico City, Mexico.
The Devotion at Present
After we have touched on the different facets of the devotion to the Virgins of Guadalupe of Extremadura and Mexico, we saw how the devotion gained much footing in our country – one with her constant protection to her realm while the other was the ever-evolving patronage needed of the time.
Her words to St. Juan Diego of Mexico “Am I not here, I, Your Mother?” is still as comforting and important as it is today, especially in our present time. Now we see, looking at it in the eyes of the faith, that in this surprisingly diverse devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe, we realized how Our Lord cared so much for our souls that she gave His Immaculate mother as a channel and distributor of His graces that flow like a beautiful river that helped change the course of history and a remedied the needs and struggles of the time.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray for us!
References:
Alvarez, Prieto, Fernando. La Virgen del Tepeyac: historia, leyendas y tradiciones referentes a la maravillossa aparicion de la Virgen de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe de Mexico. Barcelona: Mexico: J.F. Parres, 1883.
Aviado, Lutgarda, Madonnas of the Philippines, Manlapaz Press, Quezon City, 1972.
Barcelona, Mary Anne, Ynang Maria: a celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Philippines. Ed. Consuelo B. Estampa, P.D. Pasig City, Anvil Publishing Inc., 2004.
Jose, Salvador R., Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pro-Life Patroness especially of the Unborn, Sick, Aging, Disabled and others, Paulines Publishing House, Makati City, 2011.
Mary, Francis. A Handbook on Guadalupe, Ignatius Press, 1997.
Sanchez, Francisco, La Virgen Maria Venerada en sus Imagenes Filipinas, Manila: Imp. De Santos y Bernal, 1904.
Interviews:
Buñag, Ronald – National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati City Mendez,Ellis Manuel – Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe de Cebu and Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, Punta Princesa Cebu
Photos:
Ricaplaza, Nikko Marc Abadiano of Vestuario Sagrado Malabanan, James Benedict Naval, Wilfred Jason of My Religious Journey National Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Gudalupe, Makati City. St. Peter Parish – Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe de Extremadura, Bohol St. Rita of Cascia Parish, Olongapo, ZambalesMalabanan, James Benedict Naval, Wilfred Jason of My Religious Journey St. Peter Parish – Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe de Extremadura, Bohol St. Rita of Cascia Parish, Olongapo, Zambales
In the municipality of Baras, Rizal, one of the most distinct landmarks of the said place is it’s centuries old parish dedicated to the Glorious St. Joseph, the Chaste Spouse of the Virgin Mary. The parish became the center of the devotion to St. Joseph, not only in the town but also in the Province of Rizal as devotees flock his shrine for centuries.
The image
San Jose de Barras
The venerated image of San Jose de Baras is a de tallado image of St. Joseph carrying and facing the Child Jesus on his arm while the traditional staff with a sheaf of lilies on the other. He stands on a cloud base with cherubs’ head showing. The image is carved wearing the traditional green robe and a golden yellow cape and interestingly a hat placed at his back. The Child Jesus on the other hand sits on a white long robe held by St. Joseph and facing the beholder.
The image is often clothed with beautiful embroidered capes given by his devotees. The image wears metal accessories with a paragua for St. Joseph and the diagnostic tres potencias to the head of the Child Jesus. Recently, a medal bearing the insignia of the municipality of Baras, Rizal as a symbolic act of entrustment of the municipality to its patron saint.
The Beginning of the devotion
The image of San Jose de Barras vested with a cape
The devotion to St. Joseph is intertwined with the history of Baras, Rizal with the establishment of the town by the Franciscans in 1595 to its first location which is the present site of Bosoboso south of Painaan as a visita of Morong with Santiago Apostol as its patron saint. The visits was later ceded to the Jesuits in 1616 yet it was burned, along with the whole town by rebelling Aetas in 1635. In 1636, the town was transferred to a place called Ibayo and placed under the patronage of San Salvador (Most Holy Redeemer). Unfortunately, the town and the church was attacked and burned by the Chinese rebels in 1639. The administration of Baras was returned to the Franciscans in 1679 in exchange of Binangonan.
In 1682, in the aftermath of the tragic destruction from marauding tribes and rebels, the people once again moved to a new location to its present site. The third church was was constructed until it was completed in 1686 and was dedicated under the Patronage of St. Joseph and remained as such up to the present. The origins of the image of St. Joseph is unknown due to lack of records available yet it became witness to the ever changing landscape, history and the Catholic faith of the municipality. The Parish of St. Joseph in Baras is set to be elevated as the DIocesan Shrine of St. Joseph on December 7, 2021.
The devotion at present
San Jose de Barras
The devotion to San Jose de Baras continues to thrive in Baras as it became a pilgrim site in the province of Rizal for centuries. The Obreros de San Jose de Baras was established in 2019 to help further propagate the devotion to St. Joseph in the realm of the shrine and other parts of Rizal and in the country. The Rosary of St. Joseph and other devotions associated to him are regularly prayed in the shrine. The Feast of San Jose de Baras is celebrated much every March 19 as a festive town fiesta.
The devotion to St. Joseph is much needed in our time of confusion, fear and uncertainty. As St. Teresa of Ávila said, “To other saints it seems that God has granted to help us in this or that need, while I have experienced that the glorious St. Joseph extends his patronage on all.” St. Joseph is ready to bring this downpour of grace after grace upon us — if we initiate to accept and follow and ask and pray. Now is his time – Ite ad Ioseph!
References:
“Baras 400”, St. Joseph Parish, Baras, Rizal, 1996.
Photos:
Diocesan Shrine of St. Joseph Parish – Baras, Rizal Facebook page
Pintakasi 