Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Sinalhan - Sinalhan's Incredible Patroness

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Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Sinalhan
In the quiet baranggay of Sinalhan, located in Santa Rosa City, Laguna, where the people were living the simple life, there is a holy place where locals flock to throne of their miraculous petite patroness - Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Sinalhan. This petite image of the Virgin became a source of hope to her devotees that they held their patroness with high regard that is evident on how the Virgin is presented in her altar and how her fiesta is celebrated.

The image

The Virgin in her full regalia
The image of Nuestra Señora de los Angeles of Sinalhan, Santa Rosa City, Laguna is actually ang image of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal that were commercially produced at that time. The Virgin is standing on a peana with cherubs on its clouds.The stance of the Blessed Virgin is that of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal with both hands extended downwards as said to be due to the overflowing grace of God.

Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Sinalhan
The image features a fine artistry as can be noticed by the delicate and well defined fingers and the stance by which it majestically poses. Details of the vestures feature the blue mantle and white gown of the Virgin with a white belt.

The Virgin is also vested with a cape and a curtain-like manto that covers the upper part of the base that were added by her devotees as ex votos in thanksgiving to the miracles the she gave to them and at the same time, to give the Virgin a regal look. The Virgin wears a beautiful crown and the diagnostic doce estrellas to further emphasizes her role as the Powerful Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Though the image was clearly that of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, the image was name "Nuestra Señora de los Angeles" due to the fact that the image was discovred on the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels of Portiuncula.

The History of the Sinalhan's Virgin

 The origin of the devotion to the Virgin of Sinalhan dates back in August 2, 1908 when the image of the Virgin was found in the area. There were two traditions on how the Virgin was found the Sinalhan, One is that a farmer riding a carabao who took a shortcut path to his home. On the way, the animal suddenly stopped on the path and would not budge. The farmer went down and dug on the spot and found the image of the Virgin. Another version of the discovery of the image is that  the image was tossed by the waves on the 'baybayin' of the Laguna Lake. Though the origins were different, both of them reconcile to the fact that both took place in August 2, 1908 - the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels, the Patroness of the Franciscan Order.

As soon as the Virgin was discovered and considered as an act of Divine Providence, a makeshift chapel was built by the person who found the image and as soon as miracles began to occur, the people immediately built a better edifice for the Virgin and as of this writing, it is already a sub-parish under Santa Rosa de Lima Parish in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Details of the Virgin of Sinalhan
The Miracles of the Virgin

 Since her enthronement, numerous miracles were immediately reported through her intercession. Whenever there were epidemics, she was brought in procession to stop them from spreading and to spare the barrio from flood inundations of the lake. Her famous miracles also included visitation of people from faraway places because they were asked by the Virgin in a dream to bring sacks of santol for the celebration of her fiesta. A childless couple also attributes their child bearing to the Virgin. Miracles of healing are also attributed to the Virgin and one worth mentioning is the healing of Alice Espia who was comatose yet by the placing of the Virgin's vestments upon her, she was healed.

Devotees preparing the Virgin for
her fluvial procession
One of its famed and most remembered miracle of the Virgin took place during the Japanese invasion of Sinalhan for it is said that the Japanese troops planned to attack and plunder the area that the people asked the Virgin for her help. When the Japanese soldiers arrived, they were dumbfounded for when they searched for the barrio, they cannot find it and all they saw was a very thick forest, and as such, they missed it and thus the people named the place was called "Sinalhan",which originated from an old Tagalog word 'sala' which means 'to miss', in honor of the miracle of God through the help of the Virgin.

The Devotion 

The devotion to Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Sinalhan was proven to be strong and it continued that way for decades. Her feast day is celebrated every August 2, the Franciscan Feast of the Virgin of the Angels of Portiuncula and also the anniversary of the discovery of the image.

The Virgin on her Carozza as she prepares
for her procession
The annual fiesta is celebrated with a novena and on her fiesta, a fluvial procession took place where the Virgin, in her full regalia, is being docked to a pagoda and santol fruits are tossed to the pilgrims and devotees while a musical bands plays festive music to accompany the Virgin as she blesses Laguna Lake. Once the fluvial procession ended, the solemn procession took place where the Virgin is toured around the vicinity of the Sinalhan to bless her devoted children. Locals and pilgrims from different parts of Laguna are making their pilgrimage to her chapel to ask her intercession in times of need.

The devotion to Virgin of Sinalhan shows us that God has His own ways to manifest His grace to His children that He used a simple petite image of the Virgin as a channel of graces that He knows His children's need for their spiritual and temporal good. May our devotion to the Virgin may lead us to the truth that God moves in mysterious ways as what He did to the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary when He chose this simple woman of Nazareth to become the Mother of His only Begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Sinalhan, Ipanalangin mo kami!

References:

About Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Sinilhan, Retreived from https://www.facebook.com/Nuestra-Se%C3%B1ora-de-los-Angeles-Mini-Parish-SINALHAN-385770248254753/.Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Sinalhan, City of Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Since 1908 (2017), Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/egeria.ph/.

Credits to the owners of the images of the Virgin that is used for this blog feature.

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