Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted of Maricaban - Pasay's Comforting Mother

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Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted of Maricaban,
Pasay City
In the busy area of Maricaban, located in Pasay City, there is a Marian parish which bears a unique Marian patronage that is hardly found in other parts of the country - the Parish of Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted.

This particular parish houses a unique image of the Virgin under this particular ancient title of the Blessed Virgin Mary that guided the area since the foundation of the parish.

The image 

There were three images of Mary, Comforter of the afflicted that existed in the parish, the original altar image which depicts the Virgin holding the Child Jesus at the right and a sheaf of flowers at the left. A rafaga (rays of light) decorates the detallado image and she wears a crown while the Child Jesus sports the diagnostic Tres Potencias. The Mother and Child Stands on stands on a cloud base where three angels can be seen in it. The image is also decorated with gold leafed motifs in the sculpted image and she wears a blue cape.

The second image was a small image that is modeled after the first image and this image is intended for her domiciliary visits to her devotees in Maricaban to give comfort to those who were suffering in the area.

Details of the original image
On the ancient title "Consolatrix Afflictorum"

This particular title of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the "Consolatrix Afflictorum" (Comforter of the Afflicted) was one of the ancient titles in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary which is originated in the Shrine-Basilica of the Holy House of Loreto.

Through her spiritual martyrdom, Mary has become in a special way the comfortress of the afflicted. It was by her own experience of sorrow that she was taught the sympathy which enables her to comfort her children in all their afflictions. God gave her a mighty and a sympathetic heart for this great task. She became the Consoler of the Afflicted for she herself experienced affliction by enduring the sufferings of being the Mother of God as her way collaboration to the God's Plan of Salvation.


Consolatrix Afflictorum of Luxembourg
The devotion worldwide

The devotion to Mary as Comforter of the Afflicted was one of the most popular in Europe, particularly in the Duchery of Luxembourg where a wooden image of Maria, Consolatrix Afflictorum is the Patroness of the Country. At the end of the 18th century, the church received the miraculous image of the Maria Consolatrix Afflictorum and with numerous miracles that were reported through her intercession, numerous "ex votos "adorned the image and she became the Proctectress of Luxembourg.

The nation celebrates the annual Octave celebration where this is  one of Luxembourg's major annual religious celebrations. It starts on the 3rd Sunday after Easter and closes with the Octave Procession on the 5th Sunday after Easter which is dedicated in honor of the Virgin, the Comforter of the Afflicted.


Consolatrix Afflictorum of Kevlear, Germany
The framed print image of Maria, Consolatrix Afflictorum in Kevelear, Germany also gained much popularity in that country. The devotion has a clear connection with that in Luxembourg for the print image was an illustration of the one in that country.

The origin of the devotion dates back in 1641, when praying at a roadside cross, peddler Hendrik Busman heard a voice: "Build me a chapel on this spot." With his pastor, John Schink, he began the building. At Eastertime, his wife, Mechel Schouse, had a vision of an illuminated chapel containing an engraving of Our Lady of Luxembourg, Comforter of the Afflicted, which two soldiers had recently offered at a price she thought too high.

Meanwhile, the night watchman saw a light coming from the Busmans' house. Mechel tracked down the engraving and bought it. On Sunday, June 1, 1642, the chapel was finished and Fr. Schink installed the picture there. Pilgrimages and cures multiplied. During World War II, the image was hidden. Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted (Trösterin der Betrübten), was declared Patroness of Kevelaer on May 31, 2000. The Feast day of the Virgin is celebrated every August 15, the Feast of the Assumption.

In the US, the Shrine of Our Lady, comforter of the Afflcited was establishd in Youngstown, Ohio by the Franciscan Friars from Hungary who fled to their homeland in the 1950's after the Second World War and rampant communism at that time. The shrine has a replica of the original in Transylvania, hungary which was closed by the Communist.

The image of Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted
prior to the restoration
The devotion in the Philippines

The beginnings of the devotion to the Virgin, Comforter of the Afflicted dates back in 1970 when the this humble House of God was first dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima. This humble chapel was completed with the help of the members of “Pigres Home Owners Association”. The whole population of Maricaban helped out in the construction of the chapel and its maintenance.

 As years passed by, with the initiative and guidance of Msgr. Juan Bautista, the chapel changed its Patron from the Virgin of Fatima to Sts. Peter and Paul the Apostles and the images of these saints were donated by then Mayor Pablo Cuneta in 1990. Since the change of Patronage, the people of Maricaban held its first fiesta dedicated to the two apostles every June 28 and 29. Also during that same period, the people wished for the improvements and expansion of the chapel and with the help of Msgr. Bautista, then the Parish priest of San Juan Nepomuceno Parish, this became a reality. Soon afterwards, the people started a survey campaign for to petition His Eminence, the late Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin for the elevation of the chapel to a full fledge Parish with 70,000 faithful who gave their "Yes" votes.

The Processional image of
Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted
In 1992, an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary was donated by Mrs. Carmen Cani to the chapel. This image of the Blessed Virgin Mary is that of a de vestir image of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal which would later to be known as Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted.  That same year, Cardinal Sin approved the petition and he dedicated the Parish to Mary, Comforter of the Afflcited and was later declared as the official patroness of the Parish. He appointed Fr. Glen V. Orocio as its first parish priest. August 28 was the chosen feast day of the Virgin and was later moved to the last Sunday of August.

 The development of the devotion

 During administration of its current parish priest, Fr. Russel Ocampo, he conducted a through research about the title "Comforter of the Afflicted" and its surrounding devotion worldwide. He shared his findings to the people about the existing devotion in Luxembourg. With his research at hand, he immediately began the restoration and alteration of the image based from the one venerated in Luxembourg.

The home visitation image of
Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted
The rehabilitated image now carries the Child Jesus on her left arm with a sheaf of azucenas at her right. The Child holds a "globus cruciger" and the Mother and Child is surrounded with a rafaga (rays of light reserved to Marian images) and a crecent moon under her feet. A processional image and a baranggay image was also commissioned to further propagate the devotion to the Blessed Virgin under this ancient sobriquet. Aside from the restoration of the image, May 15 was also designated as a Feast in keeping with the celebration of the Feast of Consolatrix Afflictorum in Luxembourg.

 The devotion at present

The devotion of the people to the Virgin grows stronger as time passes by. Thursdays is known as her devotional day with votive masses dedicated in her honor and this days is also set for her weekly home visitation to console her devotees of their life's afflictions, A vigil and a dawn procession takes place every last Friday and Saturdays of the month.  As for the further propagation of the devotion outside Maricaban, she made her debut in the annual Grand Marian Procession in Intramuros, Manila in 2016. The Grand Marian Procession in Intramuros is known for the procession that features different Marian images from several shrines, parishes and private individuals nationwide.

The devotion to Our Lady as the comforter of the afflicted shows to us that it is our souls that need comfort most, and no one under God can comfort us as She who has been sealed to that labor of love, the "Comforter of the Afflicted," who knows what is good for us, in health and in happiness, in sickness and in sorrow. And so we pray to Her in the words of the Church's beautiful refrain in the Ave Maris Stella—"Break the captives' fetters, light on blindness pour, All our ills expelling, every bliss implore." — that is to say, "Ask for us all that is truly for our good."

References:

Coronel, Hernando M. (2000), "Her other name is mother : reflections on the rosary and the litany". Paulinian Publications, Makati City.
Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted Parish, (2017), "Kasaysayan ng Parokya Maria Mapang-aliw sa Nagdadalamhati", Retrieved on August 25, 2017 from http://www.facebook.com/marycomforteroftheafflictedparish.
Santoro, Nicolas, (2011) Mary in our Life: Atlas of the Names and titles of Mary, the Mother of Jesus and their place in Marian Devotion, iUniverse Publishing, 1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN, USA.


Interviews:

Arnold Viernes - Social Media Communications Ministry, Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted Parish
Rev. Fr. Russel Ocampo - Parish Priest, Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted Parish

Special thanks to Mr. Arnold Viernes and Rev. Fr. Russel Ocampo of Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted Parish.

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