Happy Feast Day to all! Our 4th year of devotion to our Mother of Perpetual Help.
Historical notes: Where our devotion to the Mother of Perpetual Help started.
The National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (also called the Redemptorist Church, popularly known as the Baclaran Church) is one of the largest churches in the Philippines. It houses an icon, Our Mother of Perpetual Help, which is among the most venerated Marian images in the country.
The shrine is a Roman Catholic parish church. It is under the vicariate of the parish of Santa Rita de Cascia in the Diocese of Parañaque. The edifice is on Roxas Boulevard in the barangay of Baclaran in Parañaque City, Metro Manila. The present rector of the shrine is Rev. Fr. Victorino A. Cueto, C.Ss.R.
One of the most widely known churches in Metro Manila, the shrine draws worshippers from many parts of the region and the nation. It is home to the replica of the miraculous icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, an object of popular devotion and pilgrimage among all walks of Filipino life, including politicians and celebrities. Devotees flock to the sanctuary every Wednesday in what has become known as Baclaran Day, when a novena is offered to the Mother of Perpetual Help.
Wednesday has been known as Baclaran day since the first Baclaran Novena was conducted on June 23, 1948, a Wednesday. Contrary to popular belief, the Perpetual Novena did not start in Baclaran but in the province of Iloilo at the Redemptorist Church of San Clemente. After witnessing the devotion of the Ilonggos (Iloilo natives) to the Mother of Perpetual Help Novena, the Irish Redemptorist Father Gerard O'Donnell introduced the novena to Baclaran. Father Leo English conducted the first Baclaran Novena with 70 participants.
The icon and the church have undergone changes over time. In 1932, the Redemptorist priests replaced the Mother of Perpetual Help icon with a larger version to accommodate the growing number of devotees. The present church building of Modern Romanesque style is the third to be built on the same site. In December 1952, the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help was completed.
Birthday celebrants:
Nora Arquillo, Jacqueline Almarines, Ernesto Benares, Marion Deduyo, Zeny Deocampo, Elizabeth Lee, William Lutap, Francis Macabeo
Anniversaries:
Philip/Ami Salas, Alejandro/Maria Theresa San Diego
No comments:
Post a Comment