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Our Lady of Manaoag

Our Lady of Manaoag (formal title: Our Lady of


the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag; Spanish: Nuestra
Seora del Santsimo Rosario de Manaoag) is a Filipino
Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in
Manaoag, Pangasinan, the Philippines.
The titles associated image, which dates from the 16th
century and is supposedly miraculous is enshrined inside
the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary
of Manaoag. The shrine is a major pilgrimage site in the
country, and is administered by the Order of Preachers
within the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.
Our Lady of Manaoag, who is invoked as patroness of
the sick, the helpless and the needy,[1] is celebrated on
two feast days: the third Wednesday after Easter, and the
second Sunday of October (as Our Lady of the Most Holy
Rosary).

Etymology

Tradition holds the town of Manaoag was derived from


the Pangasinense verb mantaoag, which means to call
(from the root taoag, call).[2]

Statue

The statue of Our Lady of Manaoag is a 17th-century


ivory image of the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus enshrined at the high altar of the Basilica. It was brought to The Virgins appearance to the farmer, depicted on a mural in
the Philippines from Spain via the Manila galleon from the transept.
Acapulco, Viceroyalty of New Mexico, in the early 17th
century by the priest Juan de San Jacinto.
Documents dating back to 1610 attest that a middle-aged A pilgrim replica of the image also exists, and is toured
farmer walking home heard a mysterious female voice. around parishes in the Philippines for veneration.
He looked around and saw on a cloud-veiled treetop an
apparition of the Virgin Mary, holding a rosary in her
right hand and the Child Jesus in her left arm, all amidst
a heavenly glow. Mary told the farmer where she wanted
her church to be built, and a chapel was built on the hilltop
site of the apparition, forming the nucleus of the present
town.

2.1 Regalia and security

The original icon of Our Lady of Manaoag and her bejewelled crown are considered priceless. There have been
several attempts to burglarise the Manaoag Shrine of the
Our Lady of the Rosary is depicted in other countries with jewels sewn into the icons dress and set into its regalia.
similar attributes, with the accoutrements and style of the The image of Our Lady of Manaoag is fully secured
vestments varying across cultures. The Manaoag image within a bulletproof glass enclosure above the new high
is distinct from other statues in its sculpture and regalia, altar, which has additional wood carvings, an elevated
pedestal, and four golden candelabras. The coat-of-arms
particularly its crown.
1

3 SHRINE

of the Dominicans is embedded above the images window as a demonstration of the Orders devotion to her.
The bas-relief, made of narra carvings beneath her throne
that beautifully depicts the historic events in the devotion
to Our Lady, has been refurbished.
Several of her golden crowns and haloes are deposited at
the shrines museum, donated by both Filipino and foreign devotees. An expensive collection of liturgical vestments that have been used by the image and the Dominican priests are also on display. A large array of lavishly elegant perfumes used to anoint the image is likewise showcased. These were donated by devotees and pilgrims from
around the world as ex-votos to the image.
The archdiocese, reckoning with the Filipino custom of
touching a venerated image or its clothing, constructed a
staircase that rises to the second oor Veneration Room
behind the high altar. This room has pews and people
queue to kneel at the alcove behind the images shrine.
Supplicants touch the lower part of the images mantle,
and may drop their prayers into a box. After touching the
mantle and praying, devotees pass through the religious
souvenir shop on their way out.
Detail of the face of the image of Our Lady of Manaoag.
A precious mantle of Our Lady of Manaoag at the
shrine museum, c. 1870.
Old regalia of the image including its breastplate,
haloes, crowns, sceptres, baton, and vestments at the
museum.
An embroidered processional banner or gonfalon on The shrines faade and belfry in 2012.
display at the church museum.

Shrine

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary


of Manaoag, located on top of a hill in the town, has been
canonically aliated with the Papal Basilica of Saint
Mary Major in Rome since June 2011. The parish encompassing Manaoag and the surrounding towns is administered by the Order of Preachers under the Roman
Catholic Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.

and souvenir shops at the front oce of the church, beside the Veneration Room at the second oor behind the
main sanctuary, and at the Candle Gallery in the space
behind of the church.

3.1 History

The Augustinians built the rst Chapel of Santa Monica (the original name of Manaoag) in 1600, at the site
of the present graveyard. It was served by the friars
Some of the miracles attributed to Our Lady of Manaoag from the town of Lingayen, who were succeeded by
in 1605 and served from the town of
are depicted in murals inside the churchs transepts and the Dominicans
[3]
Mangaldan.
nave. The Paschal Chapel beside the south ank of the
church has icons of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo, the The rst Dominican priest to work in the Manaoag mischurchs copy of the Santo Entierro (Dead Christ), and sion was Juan de San Jacinto, O.P., who was the rst
other statues of the Virgin Mary. The sanctuary on the curate of Mangaldan. It was only in 1608 that the Manleft side of the main entrance has a large image of the galdan mission was formally accepted by the provincial
Crucied Christ.
chapter of the Dominicans. In 1610, Toms Jimnez,
Behind the church are the Parish Oce, Museum of Our O.P. became the Manaoag missions rst resident priest.
Lady of The Rosary of Manaoag, Candle Gallery, Pil- Numerous threats from the Igorot tribes of the surroundgrims Center and Rosary Garden. There is also an Infor- ing mountains led to the transfer of the entire community
mation Center at the Priory at the left side of the church to the present site on a hill. The Dominicans started to

3.2

Transport

build a large church on its present site in 1701 under the


sponsorship of Gaspar de Gamboa and his wife, Agata
Yangta, who were wealthy residents from Manila who
moved to Lingayen. Later expansion of the church from
1882 was frustrated by an earthquake in 1892.
During the tumult of the Philippine Revolution for independence from Spain, revolutionaries set re to church,
its treasures, ornaments, and records on 10 May 1898.
The image narrowly escaped destruction; it was found
abandoned at the back of the church. It was spirited away
to Dagupan City, where it was kept from June to October
1898.
The Dominicans returned in 1901 upon the invitation of
Rev. Mariano Pacis, the diocesan priest of Manaoag.
Under the aegis of the Dominicans, the church that was
started in 1882 was nally completed to a large extent
in 1911-12. The central retablo, incorporating Baroque
columns from the 18th-century altar, was completed by
the famed Tampinco Atelier of Manila. The transepts
were completed in 1931-32.

3
to achieve this status followed by the Shrine of Our Lady
of Caysasay in Taal, Batangas in June 2012.
The ocial document and a shrine ocial, who was
among the priests who went to Rome, conrmed that the
plenary indulgence may be obtained on each visit to the
shrine subject to three conditions for each occasion: going to confession immediately before or after the pilgrimage; receiving the Eucharist during the pilgrimage; and
praying for the intentions of the Pope; each done in a spirit
of detachment from the attraction of sin.
3.1.2 Elevation to basilica

On 22 July 2011, the Shrine of Our Lady of The Rosary


of Manaoag was elevated to a minor basilica in a ceremony attended by more than 100 archbishops and bishops, leaders of church and state, and numerous devotees. The Shrine was henceforth called the Basilica of
Our Lady of The Rosary of Manaoag, headed by a rector
appointed by the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan.[5] A
The Dominicans ceded all their Pangasinan missions to special Mass was also held to arm the Special Bond
the diocesan clergy except Manaoag. Spiritual adminis- of Spiritual Anity in Perpetuity between the Manaoag
tration of the shrine in perpetuity was granted by the Holy Shrine and the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in
Rome.
See to the Order of Preachers in 1925.
A huge crowd attended the canonical coronation of the
image on 21 April 1926 by then-Apostolic Nuncio to
the Philippines Guglielmo Piani, S.D.B., as authorised by
Pope Pius XI. This meant that the Catholic Church ocially recognised and proclaimed that The Virgin Mary
acclaimed as Our Lady of The Rosary of Manaoag had
granted favors and blessings to or formidable intercessions for her devotees through the centuries.

3.2 Transport

The Minor Basilica 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 MacArthur
Highway to Urdaneta City, Pangasinan, then heading
The church was rebuilt after surviving Japanese bom- northwest via the Urdaneta-Manaoag Road. It is easily
accessible by public transportation. It is four to ve hours
bardment during the Second World War.
by bus from Cubao, Quezon City.
The old convento is now the Our Lady of Manaoag College, founded as Holy Rosary Academy in 1946 by the
The reredos of the shrines main altar.
last Spanish Dominican in Manaoag, Rev. Teodulo Cajigal, O.P..
Museum and Parish Oces
Since 8 December 1972, the Shrine of Our Lady of the
Rosary of Manaoag has been under the Philippine Dominican Province. It celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of
the images canonical coronation on 1 January 2000.
3.1.1

Canonical aliation with Saint Mary Major

On 21 June 2011, Cardinal Bernard Francis Law,


Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in
Rome and Pope Benedict XVI canonically approved the
granting of a Special Bond of Spiritual Anity in Perpetuity through which the pilgrims are assured of the same
blessings and entitlement to a plenary indulgence equal
to that received when visiting a papal basilica in Rome.
This was conrmed by the prelate (now Archbishop) of
the Lingayen-Dagupan, Socrates B. Villegas, in a circular
dated June 13, 2011.[4] The Manaoag Shrine is the rst

The Rosary Garden of the shrine.


Our Lady of Manaoag at the Virgins Wishing Well
Building
An lithograph of Our Lady at the museum, c. 1870.

4 Veneration
4.1 Miracles
Some of the earliest miracles attributed to Our Lady of
Manaoag are depicted in the murals in the church. These
include images of the town miraculously spared from a
wildre, the origin of the basilica and the parish, and the
original apparition.

5 SEE ALSO
Holy Rosary - where the universal feast day of Our Lady
of The Holy Rosary is celebrated every rst Sunday of
October. There are processions after the afternoon Mass
on these occasions.

4.3 Services
Thousands converge on Saturdays and Sundays to pray for
their intentions, hear Mass, pray the rosary, oer owers,
light candles, buy religious articles, have religious articles or vehicles blessed, get holy water, and join in the
daily and seasonal activities. The blessing of religious articles and vehicles is performed at the back of the church
grounds after every Mass, while holy water is also dispensed there for free to those with containers.
The short dawn procession and rosary every rst Saturday before the 5 a.m. Mass is well-attended by regular
pilgrims mostly from Metro Manila and from Regions
I (Ilocos), II (Cagayan Valley), and III (Central Luzon).
These rst Saturday rites are pursuant to the Communion
of Reparation on the First Saturdays requested by the Virgin Mary in her third apparition at Ftima on 13 July 1917
for the preservation of world peace.

Mural in the transept depicting of the image sparing the town


from a wildre.

Any of the Masses in the regular schedule may be offered for personal petitions and thanksgiving. The 7 a.m.
Masses on Fridays (except on Good Friday) may be offered for the . These may be done through the parish ofce at the right side of the main entrance of the church; at
the Shrine Museum; or at the back of the church beside
the religious store at the entrance of the Candle Gallery.
Mass oerings and donations may be oered also through
its website.

Services at the shrine and religious programming are


broadcast on Radyo Manaoag 102.3 FM, which is also
In the early days of the Spanish colonization, animist
accessible through its website.
mountain tribes burnt down newly converted Christian
villages. The town of Manaoag was among the settlements set are. The thatch-roofed church was the locals
last refuge. The leader of the pillagers climbed over the 4.4 In Guam
compounds crude fence and shot aming arrows into all
parts of the church, but miraculously the building did not A three-foot replica of the image of Our Lady of Manaoag was donated by a devotee and traveled to the United
ignite.
States unincorporated territory of Guam on 17 August
During the Second World War, enemy Japanese forces 2012. The statue was enshrined at the Saint Anthony of
dropped several bombs within the churchs vicinity. The Padua and Saint Victor Catholic Church in Tamuning,
structure was only moderately damaged. Four bombs Guam where a dedication rite was held the following day
were released above the church, with three landing on the attended by Filipino-Guamanian Catholics.[6] The statue
plaza and the faade, destroying both. The last bomb fell traveled as a paid passenger aboard the United Airlines
into the sanctuary, but miraculously did not explode.
ight.[7]

4.2

Feasts

The primary feast of Our Lady of Manaoag is on the


third Wednesday of Easter. The peaks of the pilgrimages are during the Lenten and Easter seasons, the month
of May, and the month of October the month of The

5 See also
Roman Catholicism in the Philippines
Marian apparition

5
Our Lady of La Naval, a similar Marian image enshrined in Quezon City.

References

[1] https://www.facebook.com/pages/
Our-Lady-of-Manaoag/120437460753?sk=info
[2] Our Ladys Welcome. Shrine of Our Lady of The
Rosary of Manaoag. Retrieved on 2014-01-03.
[3] History. Shrine of Our Lady of The Rosary of Manaoag
Ocial Website. Retrieved on 2014-01-05.
[4] J.E.(2011-06-08). CBCP: Vatican approves indulgences
for Manaoag visitors. GMA News Network. Retrieved
on 2014-01-05.
[5] Administrator (2012-05-27). Manaoag Shrine elevated
to Basilica. Shrine of Our Lady of The Rosary of Manaoag ocial Website. Retrieved on 2014-01-03.
[6] (2012-08-24). Pinoys in Guam join dedication rites of
Our Lady of Manaoag statue. GMA News Online. Retrieved on 2014-01-05.
[7] Darang, Josephine (2012-09-12). Filipinos in Guam
welcome Our Lady of Manaoag; Kapampangans in Los
Angeles. Inquirer.net. Retrieved on 2014-01-05.

External links
Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag Ocial Website

Coordinates: 16238.5N 1202919E / 16.044028N


120.48861E

8 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1

Text

Our Lady of Manaoag Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our%20Lady%20of%20Manaoag?oldid=647653097 Contributors: Vegaswikian, RussBot, Moe Epsilon, Gadget850, SmackBot, Pinoy916, Hmains, Chris the speller, OrphanBot, Will Beback, TastyPoutine,
Ninetyone, PKT, Nick Number, Waacstats, The Anomebot2, CommonsDelinker, Anna Lincoln, Billinghurst, Orestek, Chitorsantos, Florentino oro, Lloydbaltazar, Sallicio, Briarfallen, Lightbot, Yobot, AnomieBOT, Jim1138, Browebmaster, TerraHikaru, Rosarian, I dream
of horses, Tim1357, Athene cheval, Sideways713, Carloandrion, Esoglou, John of Reading, Ramon FVelasquez, ClueBot NG, LoveforMary,
Ushau97, Khazar2, RioHondo, Kuya kyon, HeartyBowl1989, Tomlin87721, QvisDevs, Mavsfernandez, BethNaught and Anonymous: 54

8.2

Images

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Public domain Contributors: The design was taken from [1] and the colors were also taken from a Government website Original artist:
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