UA&P welcomes the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Manaoag
By Tanya Reverie Rafanan
Associate Editor, Universitas
The University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P), through the Chaplaincy and UA&P ALAB, welcomed the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Manaoag through a weeklong celebration of prayer, devotion, and Marian reflection held at the Sancta Maria Stella Orientis Oratory.
The visit was made possible through the initiative of the Devotees of Our Lady of Manaoag – New Jersey, spearheaded by committee members Mrs. Henrietta Ho and Myrna San Agustin, who coordinated with the Chaplaincy for the holding of the event at the university.
The life-size callejera image of Our Lady of Manaoag arrived on campus on April 25 at around 2:40 p.m., marking the beginning of a series of devotional activities centered on the Marian image long venerated by Filipino Catholics. Throughout the visit, members of the UA&P community gathered daily for the rosary and a nine-day novena in honor of Our Lady of Manaoag.
A welcoming Mass presided by Rev. Fr. Carlos V.G. Estrada was celebrated on April 26 at 4 p.m., attended by students, faculty, staff, and devotees. The celebration concluded with a farewell Mass presided by Rev. Fr. Jimmy Liao on May 3, with priests from the Program of Church Management joining as concelebrants during the liturgical celebrations.
Alongside the novena, UA&P ALAB mounted “MANAOAG: Ang Inang Tumatawag,” a Marian exhibit on devotion, history, and pilgrimage, in collaboration with the Blessed Ivan Merz Reliquarium in Marikina. The exhibit explored the enduring history of devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag and its place within Filipino Catholic life.
The exhibit featured historical materials on the apparition of Our Lady of Manaoag, the canonical coronation of the image in 1926, and the continuing role of the Manaoag shrine as one of the country’s major pilgrimage sites. It also showcased sacred relics and devotional artifacts connected with the Dominican and Marian tradition.
Among the featured relics and artifacts were the hair relic of Saint Carlo Acutis, the bone relic of Saint Dominic, the Staff of Saint Joseph, a brick from the Jubilee Door of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, and a replica of the Marian icon Salus Populi Romani.
According to the organizers, the exhibit sought to provide both a historical presentation and a reflective space for prayer during the weeklong celebration. Held in connection with the centennial celebration of the canonical coronation of Our Lady of Manaoag, the event highlighted the enduring role of Marian devotion, pilgrimage, and catechesis in the spiritual life of the Filipino faithful.
Through the visit of the pilgrim image and the accompanying exhibit, the UA&P community was invited to reflect on the Blessed Mother’s continuing call to prayer, trust, and closeness to Christ.