Pintakasi

Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia de Manila In the suburbs of Paco, Manila, a peculiar Parish can be found within the complex near Gomez St. where the common masses reside. This particular Parish houses one of the most miraculous Marian Icons in the country - the prototype of The Queen of Bicolandia - Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia de Manila. The icon became the beacon of light of the masses of Paco for the Virgin continues to shower many graces to her devoted children through centuries. The image The icon of the Virgin is an easel painting depicting the apparition of the Blessed Virgin to Simon Vela. The Peñafrancia devotion started when a French Friar, Simon Roland found an icon believed to have been buried since 711 A.D., after a long search. Mary's image was excavated in a cave on a rocky mountain of Salamanca, Spain. The complete details of the image The image is an easel painting done on thick canvas, which restores date to the 1660s. At the upper register, an ov

Saint Lorenzo Ruiz In our history, names like Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio and other Philippine heroes are very dominant in local history books. But among those people, one man stood out from the rest with a more noble cause - a Martyr for Christ. Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, was a simple layman who died as a martyr for the faith. His extraordinary fortitude in the face of sufferings is an example that Christians must imitate. His Birth Lorenzo was born in Binondo, Manila sometime in the 1600s to 1610 since his baptismal records were destroyed during the war and this left some probability on when he was actually born. He was named after the Great Martyt of Rome, St. Lawrence the Deacon which somehow prophecies his future. He was among the many Filipinos in whose veins blended the mixture of two oriental blood: Chinese from his father and Filipino from his mother. Being of mixed parentage, he had the advantage over many children of his age for he could speak b

Santa Maria Magdalena de Kawit In the historic town of Kawit, Cavite, where the Philippine Independence was boldly proclaimed, the town also have its most priced treasure that influenced the First Philippine President to name his faction after this great Biblical figure and even place it under her patronage. The miraculous image of Santa Maria Magdalena of Kawit, Cavite gained much veneration that she became an instrument for the liberation of the Country. The people of Kawit is so attached to their Patroness that they call her as the "Paraluman" of the town ( "Paraluman" means a woman who inspires a man or the people) or to her famous nickname "Sta. Nena" which is derived from "Magdalena". The Image The miraculous image is a detailed wooden sculpture with carved hair, draped clothing and a pair of silver shoes, she holds a crucifix on her left hand and a jar or perfume on the right hand. Her detailed carved clothing is a mixture of pi

Virgen de Kalooy of Calape, Bohol In the silent area of Calape, Bohol, one might think that there is nothing exceptional in the area, aside to the waves of the sea. However, God decided to have this place, a place of an unexpected miracle that will draw local and lately pilgrims to a simple chapel where a marvel so unthinkable happened - An image of the Virgin of pristine beauty is mysteriously forming in a shell! From a poor man's catch to a everyone's hope, the Virgen de Kalooy of Calape continues to work miracles that it reached far and soon in a national scope. The Image The image of the Virgin is standing gracefully inside a Takubo shell, her left hand in a gesture of blessing while her right is holding a stalk of lily - a symbol of purity. The image of the Virgin as of this writing is 7 inches tall and it is said the Virgin is also growing. The word "Kalooy" means "Mercy" - hence the Lady of Mercy. It is said that the Virgin's detail app

Nuestra Señora de la Regla de Cebu Aside to the famed Santo Niño de Cebu, there is another devotion that flourished in the island that pilgrims visit through the centuries succor in times of great need - the felicitous Nuestra Señora De la Regla. The miraculous image is venerated widely by the Cebuanos who believe that the prosperity they enjoy is a blessing achieved through the strength of her maternal intercession. The image is currently venerated at The National Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Regla in Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan Island, Cebu. Features of the image The image of the Virgin is patterned to the original located in Chipiona, Spain. The Our Lady of the Rule image carved from the trunk of dark Philippine hardwood, was installed at the her own altar of Our Lady of the Rule Church in Lapu-Lapu City. The Brown Madonna holds the Infant Jesus in a form of offering and showing - as if she is presenting the Child Jesus to the people and telling them to worship his Son -

Santo Cristo de Longos In the oldest existing Chinatown in the World located in the Philippine Capital, Binondo is a melting pot for cultural diversity. Since the Spanish era, Binondo became the center of the Sangley's trade and commerce. With the efforts of the Dominican Order to evangelize the Sangleys, Christianity was accepted, however Chinese folk beliefs were also incorporated through time. The Filipino Chinese community in Binondo has its own devotions to boot from the Virgen del Rosario, Virgen del Pronto Socorro (the oldest venerated Marian painting in the country), the Virgen de Soteranna (now in the custody of Imelda Marcos) and their most celebrated fellowman, San Lorenzo Ruiz who hails from this ancient arrabal. Another image that the Filipino Chinese community venerate and held so dearly is the Santo Cristo de Longos venerated both in the Basilica Minore of San Lorenzo Ruiz or more popularly known as Binondo Church and in his two street shrines in the area. Th

Nuestra Señora dela Asuncion de Dauis Within the historical paradise of Bohol, the faith of the Boholonas is kept alive through the ages. This is evident to the churches that they preserved that unfortunately destroyed by a powerful earthquake of 2010. The earthquake might destroy their temples, but the faith is still resilient. Our Lord God, through their beloved Patroness, the Blessed Virgin Mary, showed them an example through this astounding series of miracles, the retablos with the miraculous images of the Virgin are still intact and unscathed. One of the Miraculous Marian images that was miraculously preserved in the devastating earthquake is the Nuestra Señora dela Asuncion de Dauis. The Virgen de Asuncion is one of the best known images of Bohol and part of the collective group, known by the knowledgeable Marian devotees as "The Miraculous Virgins of Bohol" which composed of the Virgen sa Kasilak, VIrgen de Guadalupe de Extremadura, the Virgen de Asuncion of Dau