The Shrine of Our Lady of
Manaoag
The Shrine of Our Lady of The Rosary, located on a hill in
Manaoag, has been canonically affiliated with the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in
the Vatican since June, 2011. The parish serving Manaoag and the surrounding
towns is administered by the Dominican Order under
the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.
Some of the miracles attributed to Our Lady of Manaoag are in
the murals inside the church. The Paschal Chapel beside the south side of the
church has the icons of The Nazarene, The Santo Entierro, and the Blessed
Virgin. The sanctuary at the left side of the main entrance has a large
Crucified Christ image.
Our Lady of Manaoag (Spanish: 'Nuestra
Señora del Santissimo Rosario de Manaoag') formally known as Our Lady of
the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag is a title given to the Blessed Virgin
Mary, associated with a statue in Manaoag, Pangasinan from the 16th century.
She is the patroness of the sick, the helpless and the needy.
The church is one of the Philippines' most widely visited Roman
Catholic Pilgrimage sites. Many people from across the Philippine archipelago
come and visit the town of Manaoag, where the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary
is enshrined in a church dedicated to this name. The church is administered by
the Dominican Order in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.
The statue of Our Lady of The Rosary of Manaoag is a
17th-century Roman Catholic ivory image of The Blessed
Virgin Mary with The Child Jesus enshrined at the high altar of
the Basilica. It was brought from Spain via Acapulco in the early 17th century
to the Philippines by Padre Juan De San Jacinto.
Documents dating back to 1610 attest that a middle-aged farmer
walking home heard a mysterious female voice. He looked around and saw on a
cloud-veiled treetop an apparition of The Blessed
Virgin Mary, holding a Rosary in her right hand with The Child Jesus on
her left arm amidst a heavenly glow. Mary told the farmer where she wanted her
church to be built. A chapel was built on the spot where Mary appeared to the
man and the town quickly grew around it.
Worldwide, Our Lady of The Rosary is depicted by the same images
of The Blessed
Virgin Mary holding a rosary, with The Child Jesus on her left
arm. These figures vary basically in the material used, the rendition by the
respective artists, the regalia, and the style of the vestments according to
the native culture. Thus Our Lady of The Rosary of Manaoag can be
distinguished from the other statues by its distinctive sculpture and regalia,
and most especially by her crown.
It should be understood that The Real Mary, The Mother of Jesus
Christ, is the one being addressed as Our Lady of The Rosary of Manaoag. She is
the one actually performing the miracles, granting the requests, or formidably
interceding for those that implore her miracles or intercessions and not the
inanimate icon with all its majestic royal and opulent grandeur. The
veneration, devotion, and prayers should be directed to the Blessed Virgin Mary
and not to the statue depicting her or in any of her various titles. It would
not be just a fallacy but a sin of idolatry.
Accessibility
The Shrine of Our Lady
of The Rosary of Manaoag is located approximately 200 kilometers (120 mi)
kilometers north of Manila. From the city, Manaoag is reached via North Luzon Expressway, then McArthur Highway
to Urdaneta
City, then heading northwest via the Urdaneta-Manaoag Road. It is
easily accessible by public transportation. It is 4–5 hours by bus from Cubao,
Quezon City.
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