La Virgen Divina Pastora of Gapan - the Queen of the Central Plains
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| The original image of La Virgen Divina Pastora |
The Divina Pastora for centuries, since her arrival, have manifested to the people of Gapan and later the whole province with miracles that she earned a special place in the heart of everyone in the province and the whole Central Luzon that she was also known as "The Queen of the Central Plains".
The Image
In her National Shrine in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, there were three venerated statues of the Virgin under this unique title of Divine Shepherdress, the original image, the Canonically Crowned image and the Pilgrim image.
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| The Canonically Crowned image of La Virgen Divina Pastora |
All of the three images shared the same iconography, that is, the Virgin seated on a rock tending sheep, holds a shepherd's staff (sometimes a crosier on special occasions) on her left while holding a caressing a lamb perched on her lap on her right hand. She wears a shepherd's cloak and wears a straw hat or on other times, a crown on special occasions. This unique Iconography of the Virgin was based from an apparition in Seville Spain that happened sometime in the 1700's.
The Title
The title "Divina Pastora" was a unique title given to Our Lady not only based from the apparitions of Fray Isidro, but because she tends to her flock that will lead them to their true caretaker, her Son Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
In the recent years, there were questions arising to this particular title that Msgr. Sabino Vengco Jr., a well known theologian comments that this partucular title of the Virgin does not a "claim of divinity for her" but an expression of faith that "in her, we discover and experience divine love." He also added that: "She is the guide and shepherdress, the servant of the Lord, dedicated to our spiritual welfare, growth and safety. We are guaranteed that she will be there for us always, never abandoning us especially at the approach of perils and threatening predators (the forces of evil). Mary's wish as our Divina Pastora is to lead us al, intact as the Lord's flock, to the eternal bliss of the heavenly sheepfold."
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| Fray Isidro de Sevilla |
The Apparitions of the Divina Pastora dates back in 1703 when Fray Isidro of the Capuchin Order in Seville Spain while meditating on Jesus as the Good Shepherd, she saw the Blessed Virgin as the Divine Shepherdress on June 24, 1703 with the following description:
"In the center and under the shade of a tree, the most holy Virgin seated in a rock, radiating from her face divine love and tenderness. The red tunic, but covered the bust to the knees and wears a girdle at the waist. A blue mantle, penciled to the left shoulder, will envelop the environment of her body, and to the right on her back, she wears the straw hat and next to the right hand will appear the staff. In her right hand on a lamb that is placed in her lap. Some sheep will surround the Virgin, forming her flock and all in their mouths will carry roses, symbolic of the "Ave Maria" with which they venerate her."
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| The original painting by Alonso Miguel de Tovar |
The first image of the Divina Pastora was first commissioned to the artist Alonso Miguel de Tovar of the Escuela Pictórica Sevillana months later and on September 8, 1703, during the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin, the painting was exposed and a procession took place later. Miracles were later reported through the intercession of the Virgin as the Divina Pastora. Years later, Francisco Antonio Ruiz Gijón, sculpted the first life sized image of the Divina Pastora. The devotion and the apparition received Papal Approval from Pope Pius VI in August 1, 1795.
The devotion to the La Divina Pastora became widely popular in Seville, later it spread out throughout Spain and several replicas of the Virgin were commissioned and venerated in their own localities. With the strong popularity of the devotion, the Capuchin's brought along with them the devotion to the Divina Pastora to different Spanish colonies from Mexico, Latin America and in the Philippines.
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| The oldest known photograph of the original image |
In our country, the center of devotion to the Divina Pastora is located in her National Shrine in Gapan, Nueva Ecija where the devotion flourished over the centuries. In most books about the history of different venerate Marian images in the Philippines, almost all of them stated that it was brought by the Augustinian Missionaries in an unknown date and got lost for sometime yet years later, they found the image on the trunks of the callos tree as if she is watching over the shepherds of the place. Despite the perpetuated popular belief of her arrival, there was an actual account on how the image arrived in the country.
The origin of the Divina Pastora in the country began in the late 1700's, the same period where the devotion in Spain was thriving. It was through a dream when the Virgin appeared to Doña Juana Valmonte, daughter of the influential Don Bartolome Valmonte who as then the Gobernadorcillo of Gapan and also known to as the overseer of their family farm in Barrio Callos, now part of Peñarada which is adjacent to Gapan.
In the dream, the Virgin asked Doña Juana to fetch an image of her from Spain and be transported in her land. Perplexed, she immediately asked her father for the meaning of her dream, her father in turn asked her daughter to ask their friar friend (probably their confessor as well) for his advice on what she should do next. Immediately, she went to Intramuros to seek guidance to the family's friar friend regarding her dream. The friar, listening intently to her narration of her dream and then recalled the devotion to the Divina Pastora and related its history and popularity. It was then that she was convinced that this was the sign that she hoped for and she resolve to have an image of the Divina Pastora from Seville and chose her as the Patroness of the family's farm in Nueva Ecija. With the necessary arrangements made for this providential purchase, the image (the original image) arrived months later via Manila - Acapulco Galleon Trade and received the image in Intramuros and took the beautiful petite image with her back home.
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| The original image of La Divina Pastora of Gapan |
The wooden image was first enshrined in their family home in Gapan, then later transferred to their farmhouse and prayed for abundant harvest, the Virgin in turn generously granted them these graces from her Son that lead to the tradition of celebrating of her feast day every First of May - which is the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the Marian month of May.
When Doña Juana died, she did not have any children as heirs to act as stewards of the Virgin yet it was decided that her siblings will takeover the stewardship of the image.
The Miracles
Several miracles were reported that were attributed to La Divina Pastora and some of these were immortalized in legends like her famous "wandering" on a Callos tree that was later perpetuated as the origin of the Virgin by some Marian authors over the centuries.
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| The Pilgrim image of La Divina Pastora at the Grand Marian Procession in Intramuros, Manila |
A miraculous spring was also reported that have sprung near the church premises and it caused much miraculous healings over the years until it was dried up due to the commercialization of some scrupulous devotees.
Years later, the Parish of the Three Kings adopted and supported the devotion to the Divina Pastora and later participated in the May First fiesta of the Virgin that further strengthen this unique Marian cultus. The Virgin in turn, granted the people her powerful protection from different calamities, pestilence and the ravages of the Second World War.
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| The Canonical Coronation of La Virgen Divina Pastora |
With the growing popularity of the La Virgen Divina Pastora, the Archdiocese of San Fernando declared the Divine Shepherdress as the Patroness of the Diocese. (N.B.: Nueva Ecija was once part of this Diocese until it was separated when the Diocese of Cabanatuan was created in 1963 and the Divina Pastora was declared as its Patroness while the Virgen delos Remedios de Pampanga became the Patroness of the Archdiocese of San Fernando)
In 1963, Pope Paul VI issued the Papal Bull entitled "Novissima in Insulis" which grants the Canonical Coronation of the La Virgen Divina Pastora and the coronation rites took place in April 26, 1964. For the coronation rites, the church owned replica was the one who received the Canonical Crown since at that time, the original image was still under the custodianship of the Valmonte family yet she was given a special place of honor and was crowned on that day.
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| Three Kings Parish - National Shrine of La Divina Pastora of Gapan, Nueva Ecija |
On this important occasion, the Valmonte family, represented by Donata Valmonte-Cala and her daughter Emma - the last caretaker's of the Virgin, formally donated the original image of the Divina Pastora to the Shrine and she is now permanently enthroned in her retablo for public veneration.
The Devotion
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| Devoteed flocking the Canonically Crowned image of the Divina Pastora during her visit in Pasig City |
Two celebrations are currently held in honor of the Patroness of Nueva Ecija, her traditional feast day every First of May and the Anniversary of her Canonical Coronation where she is flanked by the patron saints of different visitas of the area. Both celebrations are well attended by her devotees from Nueva Ecija, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and other Marian devotees from different parts of the country and other parts of the world. The pilgrim image of the Divina Pastora visits her flock throughout Nueva Ecija and other parts of the country from different towns, cities, churches, seminaries, other public places and notably in Marian processions that are held all over the country.
Pilgrims from different parts of the country continue to flock the National Shrine of La Virgen Divina Pastora to ask for the intercession and guidance of Our Lady under this unique title of the Divine Shepherdress. In today's world were people, like sheep, who were lost and gone astray because of sin, we need the loving guidance of Our Lady, the Divine Shepherdress to help us find our way that will lead us to her Son Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
La Virgen Divina Pastora, Prinsibini ng Gitang Kapatagan, Reyna ng Nueva Ecija, Ipanalangin mo kami!
References:
Barcelona, Mary Anne.(2004) Ynang Maria: a celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Philippines. Ed. Consuelo B. Estampa, P.D. Pasig City, Anvil Publishing Inc.
Delos Reyes, Michael P. (2015) Salve Regina: On Crowning image of the Virgin Mary, Diliman, Quezon City, Claret Communications Foundation Inc.
Divina Pastora de las Almas: Su História y Su Novena (2014) Madrid, Spain.
Sanchez, Francisco (1904). La Virgen Maria Venerada en sus Imagenes Filipinas, Manila: Imp. De Santos y Bernal.
Three Kings Parish. Nobena sa Birheng Divina Pastora
Valmonte, Ramon. (2014) Ave Maria, La Divina Pastora: commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Canonical Coronation and the 28th Anniversary of the Declaration of the National Shrine. Gapan: Three Kings Parish.
Valmonte, Ramon. (2014) La Virgen Divina Pastora: Canonical Coronation Golden Jubilee, 28th Anniversary of the Declaration of Her National Shrine.
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