La Divina Pastora de Lipa - Lipa's Clandestine Guide

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La Divina Pastora de Lipa
In the developed area of Lipa City in Batangas that was once famous for being the sole supplier of coffee beans during the Spanish period and the center of the controversial alleged apparitions in the 1940's, there is a simple church located in Tambo, a town inside Lipa City where a there is a miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin enshrined in this humble church and working miracles for centuries.

The Divina Pastora of Lipa clandestinely guiding her flock and nourished them with graces that are necessary for their spiritual and corporal needs.

The image 

The miraculous image of La Divina Pastora of Lipa is an image of the Blessed Virgin under the title of "Divina Pastora" (The Divine Shepherdress) based from the apparitions of Fray Isidro de Sevilla in 1703 in Seville, Spain.

In the apparition, the Virgin was sitting on a rick tending sheep, yet in the image of Lipa's Divine Shepherdress, the Virgin is standing, wearing a white and blue dress, a cincture, a straw hat and carrying the Child Jesus on her right while holding a shepherd's staff on the left. The present image was a replacement since the original image was destroyed by fire. The faces of the Madonna and Child evokes a folksy yet lovely expression that the beholder finds himself overwhelmed with love due to the loving gaze of the Virgin.

La Virgen Divina Pastora de Lipa
The arrival in Lipa

Three Spaniards arrived in Tambo in an unknown date and year bringing with them the image of the Divina Pastora from Seville and they met the teniente del barrio of Tambo who happened to liken the image. During their conversation, they decided to have the image to stay in Tambo for veneration of the people in the area. In return, the teniente del barrio gave the Spaniards 20 Pesetas as thanksgiving.

Three days later, a tuklong or a small chapel was established and the teniente appointed a pious lady named Maria Paran as the steward of the tuklong and the image.

Unfortunately, in May 1951, the image and the chapel were caught on fire when a candle near the image inflamed the Virgin on one of their Flores de Mayo days. The image was set for repairs by the teniente, however, the image disappeared in the taller where the image was supposed to be repaired for unknown reasons. The teniente later decided that a new image will be commissioned that is currently enshrined in the parish.

La Divina Pastora Parish, Tambo, Lipa City, Batangas
The Parish

The Parish was first established as a Chapel in 1930 and the people of Tambo flocked the chapel and the growing number of devotees and pilgrims led to the transfer to its present location. The present site was 3,038 square meters which the large portion was donated by the heirs of Mrs. Gavina Guevarra, Simeon and Lucia Paran while the remaining lot was bought by the Archdiocese of Lipa.

The Parish was solemnly dedicated by Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, D.D,, STL, then the Archbishop of Lipa on December 12, 2008 - the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The Devotion

The devotion to the La Divina Pastora of Lipa was silently developing in Tambo and with her miracles that she wrought to her people, she immediately won the hearts of the faithful in Tambo and in other parts of Lipa City. The Feast day of the Virgin falls every May 6 and it is celebrated with masses, rosary prayers and a solemn procession. She may not be that much known yet in the country, yet she continuous to be the loving guide of the town and in a clandestine way as she continuous to lead her devotees to the Good Shepherd, her Son Jesus Christ

La Divina Pastora de Lipa, pray for us!

Reference:

Nobena sa Karangalan ng Birhen Divina Pastora [Novena booklet] (2012), Divina Pastora Parish, Tambo, Lipa, Batangas
Divina Pastora de las Almas: Su História y Su Novena [Novena booklet] (2014) Madrid, Spain.

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