Virgen de Kalooy: The Virgin that appeared from a shell

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 appears mysteriously as years gone by and jewels like necklaces ad rings adorns this image as ex votos.

History

Maximo Dumangca

Sometime in 1800, there lived a couple by the name of Maximo Dumangca and Baldomera Borong, in sitio Kalooy, Barangay Bentig, Calape, Bohol. The couple had an only child then named Pedro, but due to extreme poverty, they could hardly eat three square meals a day and their only means of livelihood was fishing.

One evening, Maximo went out fishing and unluckily, he didn't have any catch because every time he would spread out his fishnet and pull it in, his only catch was one empty Antuwang Shell better known today as the Takobo Shell. Maximo therefore thought to get rid of the shell. He thus sailed his banca towards the deeper part of the sea and went on fishing only to find out that the shell was once again in his fishnet.

Maximo was very surprised that the shell kept on following him and he also wondered why he didn't have any catch at all except for that ordinary-looking shell.

Nevertheless, thinking that there must be something significant in the shell, Maximo therefore brought it home and put it in one corner of his nipa hut. Once in a while, he would use it as container of feeds for the chickens.

A Takubo Shell

The Miracle that is about to unfold

One night, however, he dreamt he was being asked by someone to make a nine-day novena to the Virgin de los Remedios. Being religious and devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he made the novena together with his wife. Strangely enough, after the novena ended, people from neighboring towns of Jetafe (Bohol) and Inabanga (Bohol) went to see the parish priest of San Vincent Ferrer Church of Calape, asking him on the whereabouts of the Lady in a Miraculous Shell. They claimed that they were asked in a dream to go to the barrio of Bantig, where they will find the miraculous shell.

Details of the Virgin

Maximo, unaware that his shell was a miraculous one, showed it to his neighbors and they were the first to discover that there was a strange growth in the once empty Antuwang shell. Maximo then cleaned the shell and kept it inside his baul. Meantime, people started flocking to his place and donated small amounts of money, which Maximo used in reconstructing his nipa hut.

Time went by and people later on noticed that the growth in the shell had become transformed into an image of a very beautiful and radiant lady. The shell looks like ivory and the miraculous lady seems to be made of ivory. She wears a white long robe, her eyes are beautiful and gentle and even her cheeks and lips are somewhat reddish.

Almost every five years, the Virgin would add some trimmings to her robe and mantle, like for
instance; she is now wearing a white robe with gold trimmings whereas before, it was not visible to the naked eye. Until today, the image of the Lady, which is about seven inches tall, is still very much attached to the shell.

The Chapel of the Virgin

Modern Miracles

Several miracles and answered petitions were recorded through the intercession of the Virgin. One of which is that of  Msgr. Cris Garcia of Bohol shared his experience on visiting the Capilla of the Birhen sa Calooy. He narrated that when he visited the capilla of Calooy, he asked the caretaker to take photos of the Virgin Mary.

The caretaker replied that he has to ask permission first to Our Lady. Msgr. Garcia didn't care about the directions of the caretaker instead he continues pressing on his camera for a shot. But all five cameras that were brought by his brothers did not function. Remembering the directions of the caretaker, he came to kneel down and ask the permission of the Virgin and she granted his request with one shot. But what surprises Msgr. Garcia was that even for that single shot, three pictures were developed showing three poses of Virgen de Kalooy.

Veneration

The image was later known as the as Our Lady of Kalooy whose feast falls on December 10.  Devotees of the Birhen sa Kalooy come from as far as Mindanao and Luzon.The chapel, which used to be of wood, is now a concrete edifice built through donations and offerings to the image. Pilgrims continue to come from far and wide to venerate the Blessed Mother of Jesus.  Up to this day the heirs of Maximo Dumangca take turns in keeping watch over the image enthroned in a more decent home.

Indeed, miracles do happen until today. Miracles may be questioned by skeptics of modern times, but for the faithful, it continues to happen and miracles only shows how mighty Our Lord is and how he chose the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of His Son, Redeemer of the World, to be a Mediatrix between her Son and his people as she shows much concern to humanity so that the people will return to God and live the promised everlasting life.