Marian Titles: The Virgin of Antipolo: Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage
Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (Spanish: Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje, Tagalog: Mahal na Ina ng Kapayaapaan at Mabuting Paglalakbay) or more popularly known as Birhen ng Antipolo is an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in the city of Antipolo, Rizal in the Philippines. The brown image of the Blessed Virgin of the Immaculate Conception is enshrined in the International Shrine dedicated to her, also known as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountains, east of Manila. The revered image travelled across the Pacific Ocean from Mexico to the Philippines aboard the galleon El Almirante, arriving in the Philippines in 1626 through the generosity of Governor General Juan Nino de Tabora.
The peaceful and safe voyage of the El Almirante was attributed to the image of the Blessed Mother, named Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje. The powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin was further proven by the many subsequent successful voyages of galleons plying the Manila - Acapulco route with the image as their patron and guide on their journey.
It is said that there was already a strong devotion to the Virgin of Antipolo, which is one of the famous images of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Philippines in the mid-19th century, mentioned by national hero Dr. Jose Rizal in his writings. From May to July, every year, the image is visited by thousands of pilgrims from different parts of the country and the world. by virtue of the permission of Pope Pius XI, the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage was granted Canonical Coronation on November 28, 1926.
Brief History
On March 25, 1626, the galleon El Almirante set sail from Acapulco, Mexico. Onboard the ship was the newly appointed Governor General of the Philippines Don Juan Nino de Tabora, who brought with him an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary . The image was carved in Mexico from a wood from a variety of tree that darkens with age. After a nearly four-month voyage, the El Almirante safely weathered storms and a fire that broke out inside the ship and safely and peacefully docked at the port of Manila on July 18, 1626. The image was conveyed to the Jesuit-run church of San Ignacio in Intramuros in a magnificent procession attended by the governor general, civil and ecclesiastical authorities, and the people, while being greeted by the firing of canons and the continuous ringing of church bells. The image remained in the Church of San Ignacio for a while.
When the governor general passed away, the image was bequeathed to the Jesuits who at that time were evangelizing the mountainous region east of Manila. There they built a stone church in what is now Boso-boso, part of the district of Sta. Cruz, which they intent to make into a parish. It was to this church that the famous Jesuit historian, Fr. Pedro Chirino brought the "Brown Madonna" when he was appointed parish priest of Antipolo, Taytay and nearby towns.
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| Lumang Simbahan ng Antipolo c. 1898 |
While enshrined in Boso-boso church, the image mysteriously disappeared several times and was always found at a higher place, on top of a Tipolo tree (Artocarpus incisa). This was considered a sign from heaven so the location of the church was moved to where the Tipolo tree stood. The pedestal on which the image stands is said to be made of wood cut from the same Tipolo tree where the image was found several times. The name of the present city of Antipolo is also derived from the Tipolo tree. The image was enshrined in the new church in 1632 and has remained in the same site until the present.
In 1639, the Chinese revolted in Calamba and in their retreat, a large mob reached the Antipolo area. They burned the whole town including the church and the image of the Blessed Virgin. But the image was miraculously saved without any damage except for a small cut on its right cheek and neck caused by the stabbing of the unbelieving Chinese. The scars on the right cheek and neck of the Blessed Virgin remain visible to this day.
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| Mahal na Birhen sa puno ng Tipulo |
Fearing for the safety of the image, Governor General Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera ordered the transfer of the image to Cavite where it was temporarily kept and remained for several years.
In 1648, Governor General Hurtado de Corcuera ordered the removal of the the image from its temporary shrine in Cavite and the image returned to Mexico aboard the galleon San Luis. At that time, the image of the saint aboard the galleon served as the patron of the expedition and protector of the said voyage with its crew on the Manila - Acapulco route. From then on, the image travelled back and forth between Acapulco and Manila aboard the galleons which resulted in a flourishing trade between Mexico and the Far East.
Through a decree of Governor General Sabiano Manrique, the title Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje was formally conferred on the Virgin of Antipolo on September 8, 1653 and a mass led by the Archbishop of Manila Miguel Poblete was celebrated at the San Ignacio church in connection with the said formal conferral of the title.
The Virgin of Antipolo continued to travel aboard galleons. The image of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage crossed the Pacific Ocean several times aboard the following galleons: San Luis (1648 - 1649), Encarnacion (1650), San Diego (1651 - 1653), San Francisco Javier (1659 - 1662), Nuestra Senora del Pilar (1663) and San Jose (1746 - 1748).
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| Pag-aaklas ng mga Tsino |
On her last journey overseas, the Virgin was welcomed with a great celebration upon her return to Manila in 1748. From the palace of the Archbishop of Manila, she journeyed back to Antipolo on February 18 - 20, accompanied by the singing, dancing, praying of the rosary and thanksgiving of the devotees while sailing along the Pasig River until she arrived at the Church of Antipolo to be permanently enshrined there.
Years passed and a decree from Queen Isabella II of Spain on May 19, 1864 stipulated that the church of San Nicolas de Tolentino be transferred to the care of the Jesuits in exchange for the churches of Antipolo, Taytay and Morong which were given to the Recollects. From then on, the image has been transferred to the care of the Recollects.
The Virgin of Antipolo and St. Pedro Calungsod
Some accounts say that during one of the voyages of the galleon San Diego in the year 1667, Blessed Luis San Vitores and Saint Pedro Calungsod, and their fellow catechists who were going to Guam for a mission, boarded the ship for a brief stop in Mexico to get their provisions and to encourage others to join them in their mission of evangelization. Since the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary is onboard the ship, it is presumed, that Saint Pedro Calungsod and Blessed Diego had prayed and asked for guidance from the Brown Madonna to help them in their mission.
The Virgin of Antipolo and the Virgin of Caysasay
In 1732, the town of Taal was made the capital of the province of Batangas. The town's center was located on the shores of Taal Lake (then called Bombon Lake). The town's development was attributed to providing provisions to the passing galleons from Manila that sailed on the Manila - Acapulco route. These galleons also took shelter in Taal Lake during typhoons. Taal Lake at that time was salt water and connected to the ocean through the Pansipit River. The river was deep enough for galleons to pass through. Passing galleons carrying the image of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage would honor the Virgin of Caysasay, with the firing of cannons, as they approached and passed by her shrine located near the river.
A very destructive eruption of Taal Volcano occurred in 1754 that lasted for over eight months. Due to the eruption, the entrance to the Pansipit River was blocked, which caused the water level of Taal Lake to rise. Taal Lake which was previously salt water, gradually turned into freshwater as a result.
World War II: Evacualtion to Colaique
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| Paglikas patungong Colaique |
In 1944, Japanese soldiers entered the town of Antipolo and turned it into a garrison while the church was used as a storage place for ammunition and guns. To save the image, the sacristan mayor, Procopio Angeles, wrapped it in a thick blanket and placed it in a drum and then buried it in what used to be the kitchen of the convent.
The clash between the Japanese and the combined forces of American and Filipino soldiers prompted Angeles and other devotees to dig up the image and evacuate to the Colaique hills near the town boundary in Angono. From there, the image was evacuated to barangay Santolan in Pasig and then at the poblacion. Afterwards, the image was hidden by Rosario Ocampo Alejandro in their home on Hidalgo Street, Quiapo before it was enshrined in Quiapo Church until the end of World War II.
On October 15, 1945, the traslacion of Our Lady of Good Voyage took place. The image was brought from Quiapo Church back to her shrine where it remains to this day.
Prior to this, the image was honored with a canonical coronation by the Archbishop of Manila, the Most Reverend Michael J. O'Doherty on November 28, 1926 in a ceremony held at Luneta, now Rizal Park, in the city of Manila which was witnessed by thousands of devotees.
String of Miracles
During the Spanish era, a cholera epidemic spread throughout the country and many people died. The town of Antipolo was not spared from the epidemic either. The people were gripped by fear and in their fear, they turned to the Virgin of Antipolo to help them and to pray for the end of the epidemic. The people processed to a hill, which was a high place in the town. After the mass was held, the epidemic soon disappeared. Since then, it has become a tradition to bring the Virgin of Antipolo to the hill in times of great need. The tradition was somewhat forgotten over the years so on May 3, 1947, during the tenure of Monsignor Francisco Avendano as parish priest of Antipolo, it was revived with a solemn mass and since then, the commemoration of that miracle is repeated year after year.
The hill is now called "Pinagmisahan" and currently, every first Tuesday of May, the image is brought to Pinagmisahan in a procession to begin the annual pilgrimage season.
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| Pambansang Dambana ng Mahal na Birhen ng Kapayapaan at Mabuting Paglalakbay / Antipolo Cathedral |
The first missionaries to evangelize Antipolo were the Franciscans who arrived in 1578. The administration of the church was transferred to the Jesuits from 1591 until May 1768 when the decree expelling the Jesuits from all Spanish territories, including the Philippines, reached the country.
The church was severely damaged by the Chinese uprising of 1639, the earthquake on the island of Luzon in 1645, and the earthquakes of 1824 and 1883. Jesuit historians Pedro Chirino and Murillo Velarde were just some of the missionaries who served the church.
The Diocese of Antipolo was created on January 24, 1983 and officially established and inaugurated on June 25, 1983. The episcopal see was assigned to the Antipolo Church, also known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage - Immaculate Conception Parish. Bishop Protacio Gungon was appointed as the first bishop of the diocese.
Annual Pilgrimage Procession
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| Taunang Alay Lakad patungo sa Simbahan ng Antipolo |
The annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo begins in the month of May, which is designated by the Catholic Church as the month of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
On the evening of April 30, thousands of devotees from Metro Manila will participate in the yearly Alay Lakad to the National Shrine where they will attend the celebration of the early morning Mass on the first day of May.
Devotees begin their walk at Quiapo Church in remembrance of the transfer of the image from the Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo back to its Shrine after World War II.
The tradition of visiting the Antipolo Church every May is an old custom that dates back to the 19th century. On June 6, 1868, the then still young Jose Rizal, along with his father, Don Francisco Mercado went to the Antipolo Church to give thanks for the safe delivery of his mother, Dona Teodora Alonzo, who risked her life giving birth to the child Rizal who was born on June 19, 1861.
With the continued growth of devotion to the Blessed Virgin of Antipolo, and the continuous increase in devotees over the years, it was proposed that the Virgin of Antipolo have its own feast day in addition to the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception every December 8.
So in May 22, 2018, Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, in a decree, Most Reverend Francisco De Leon, bishop of the Diocese of Antipolo, declared that the solemnity of the Virgin of Antipolo, patroness of the diocese, will be celebrated every first Tuesday of May, based on a writing by Jesuit historian Fr. Murillo Velarde that the first Tuesday of May signaled the beginning of the pilgrimage season in Antipolo even during the Spanish era.
The Oratory of the Virgin of Antipolo at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C.
The symbol of Catholic faith and devotion to the Blessed Mother of Filipino-Americans in the United States was given recognition with the building of an Oratory honoring Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage at the largest Catholic church in the United States, the Basilica and National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
The oratory was dedicated on June 7, 1997 by the late James Cardinal Hickey of the Archdiocese of Washington and the late Bishop Protacio Gungon of the Diocese of Antipolo. The dedication was the result of six years of hard work by members of the Filipino-American Catholic Community in the United States to obtain permission to build the oratory and to cover the necessary construction cost.
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| Ang Oratoryo ng Birhen ng Antipolo, Basilica ng Immaculada Concepcion, Washington, D.C. |
The architectural firm Leo A. Daily, in collaboration with Filipino architects Bobby Manosa and Chelo Hofilena, designed the oratory located in the northeast corner of the Basilica's crypt.
The 125-year old image of the Virgin of Antipolo enshrined in the oratory is an exact replica of the original image found at the International Shrine of the Virgin of Antipolo in Antipolo, Rizal. The image, made of dark mahogany wood was donated to the Filipino-American Catholic Community by sisters Pacita and Socorro Mota of Makati City. This was the image that was used in the celebration of World Youth Day in Manila in 1995 and was photographed with Pope John Paul II.
On either side of the oratory are two murals by the famous Blanco family of Angono, Rizal. The "Pagdating" on the left depicts the arrival of the image of the Virgin to the Philippines in 1626. The mural on the right, "Ang Paglikas" depicts the image and the people of Antipolo as they flee the town to escape Japanese forces in 1945.
Since its dedication in 1997, the oratory has become a favorite destination for Filipinos visiting Washington, D.C. A National Pilgrimage is held annually in response to the call for Filipino-American Catholics to strengthen their devotion to the Blessed Mother. This includes the celebration of Mass every last Saturday of the month for devotees of the Virgin of Antipolo.
The Virgin of Antipolo in Collegio Filippino
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| Chapel of the Collegio Filippino, Rome, Italy |
The Pontifical Collegio Seminario de Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje was the official name given to Collegio Filippino when it was inaugurated on October 7, 1961. An image of the Virgin of Antipolo is enshrined in the sanctuary of the chapel of the Collegio that serves as the official residence of Filipino priests specializing in various Pontifical universities and institutions in Rome. Most Reverend Ruperto S. Cruz, current bishop of the Diocese of Antipolo used to be the rector of the Collegio and is currently the chairman of the CBCP Commission on Pontificio Collegio Filippino.
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| Ang Pambansang Dambana at Basilica ng Immaculada Concepcion, Washington, D.C. |
References:
At Naglakbay ng Birhen ng Antipolo retrieved from https://sjbptaytayrizal.wordpress.com/2015/05/16/at-naglakbay-ang-birhen-ng-antipolo/ on May 13, 2020.
Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje: The Lady on top of a Tree retrieved from http://pintakasi1521.blogspot.com/2016/09/nuestra-senora-de-la-paz-y-buen-viaje.html on May 14, 2020.
Our Lady of Antipolo (Birhen ng Antipolo) retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20140808055416/http://home.catholicweb.com/mfod/index.cfm/NewsItem?ID=143894&From=Home on May 14, 2020.
Patroness of the Diocese of Antipolo retrieved from https://antipolodiocese.org/the-patroness-of-the-diocese/ on May 13, 2020.
Photographs: CTTO.
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