Maria Inmaculada de Salawag - The Prodigious Patroness of Salawag
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| Maria Inmaculada de Salawag |
The Virgen de Salawag became a witness to the town's economic and spiritual development over the years and the people have grown to love their Patroness.
The Image
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| Facial detail of Maria inmaculada of Salawag |
Humble beginnings
The history of the Virgen started on May 6, 1987 when the Ten Years After Club, a youth group in Salawag, suggested to Captain Leonardo Paras to build a chapel in the area. The community also needed a spiritual guidance and a solace due to the town’s distance from Dasmariñas town proper and the increase of Protestant presence in the area.
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| Mary Immaculate Parish, Salawag, Dasmariñas Cavite |
established and it was on April 20, 1987, the chapel was inaugurated and it was first dedicated to St. Isidore the
Farmer (More popularly known in his Spanish name as Sans Isidro Labrador) as suggested by Rev. Fr. George Morales for he foresees that he would be a guide to the industriouse peopleof Salawag. On that same year, a beautiful image of the Blessed Virgin Mary that was carved from Paete, Laguna, arrived in Salawag and it was donated to the community by the late Mr. Leonardo and Mrs. Carmen Paras.
Since the establishment of the chapel, it became a solace of faith and hope of the community for years. However, due to the lack of priests in the Diocese of Imus at that time, the community faced a challenge on who will watch over Salawag’s faithful flock that for the meantime, the people would seek help from other parishes or Diocese to alleviate their struggles.
The Good Lord and his Mother did not turn a deaf ear to the struggles of their faithful children that on November 22, 2002, the Congregation of the Sons of Holy Mary
Immaculate arrived in Salawag to start their mission. The year 2003 became an important year for the community of Salawag for it was on that year that the said Congregationo took over the spiritual needs of the community and the cchapel was expanded to it’s current size.
August 25, 2003 was an important date to remember when the chapel became formally a Parish, this time it is dedicated to Mary Immaculate while placing San Isidro Labrador as its second patron. The Mary Immaculate Parish was formally inaugurated on September 8, 2003, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary by His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, then the Bishop of Imus and installed Rev. Fr. Nestor Escamis as first parish priest.
The Miracles
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| Maria Inmaculada of Salawag |
In 2002, it is also believed that the arrival of the Congregation of the Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate was a petition granted by the Blessed Virgin Mary when the faithful of Salawag began their first novena in honor of her Immaculate Conception when the community were struggling to have a chaplain.
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| Maria Inmaculada de Salawag |
Other unusual phenomenon were also attributed to the Virgin of Salawag and these were witnessed and also duly recorded by the faithful. One fiesta day, the procession was held inside the parish due to inclement weather, when Fr. Lito Barber sprinkled holy water to the flowers that decked the carozza of the Virgin, lo and behold, the faithful witnessed that the flowers suddenly bloomed as if they were not plucked from their roots. Another fiesta day, it is reported that the miracle of the dancing sun took place for a few minutes during the procession of the Virgin.
Probably the most outstanding miracles of the Virgin of Salawag are the indescribable cures on there separate occasions. First was took place sometime in 2013 when a patient who was in comatose state was suddenly woke up as if he was sleeping when the person and his family passed through the entrance of the parish were the Virgin was gazing. Second case was another patient who was in a comatose state suddenly recovered when a handkiercheif that was touched to the image the Virgin was placed on the patient. A third case was when a cancer patient was suddenly healed when he made a novena in honor of the Virgin of Salawag.
The Episcopal Coronation and Church Recognition
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| The Episcopal Coronation of the Virgen de Salawag |
A week after celebrating the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8, 2018), the incumbent Parish Priest, Fr. Erwin Tom A. Esquejo, SHMI and his Steering Committee (Parish Pastoral Council) decided to launch the campaign for the Episcopal Coronation of the Original and Miraculous image of Mary Immaculate in recognition and thanksgiving for all the graces she mediated for the community for the past 31 years of her maternal presence in the community of Salawag.
A Signature campaign was launched involving all pastoral core groups, church ministries and mandated organization for the span of one week. Surprisingly, the response of the faithful was positive and overwhelming that on the Second week of October, it was already forwarded to the Diocesan Chancery. It was also during these period that miracles concerning the Virgin were revisited for documentation purposes.
On November 7, 2018, His Excellency Most Rev. Reynaldo G. Evangelista, Bishop of the Diocese of Imus and his presbyteral council approved unanimously the petition for Episcopal Coronation along with the request for the Episcopal Coronation made by the Parish of Our Lady of Candelaria in Silang, Cavite.
The date established for the Episcopal Coronation was on the fiesta itself: December 8, 2018 at 4:00 PM during a concelebrated Mass presided by the Bishop himself. Preparations were done and the whole community participated and waited for that memorable event.
The Devotion
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| The procession of the Virgen de Salawag |
The devotion to Maria Inmaculada de Salawag grows stronger as years passed by it became an integral part in the lives of the people of Salawag. Miracles continued to happen and reported through her intercession. The Feast of the Virgin is solemnly celebrated every December 8 and it became an important date for the community to give thanks to the Lord by giving His Mother as the communities Mother, Protectress, and Mediatrix. In late 2018, to further propagate and stengthen the devotion to the Virgin of Salawag, "Byaheng Inmaculada" was organized where a replica of the Virgin tours around the community and miracles were also reported throughout the visits.
Why would God use Mary as a special instrument? A mother is the one person in all the world who is closest to her children. Who else but a mother can know the feeling of holding her child in her body from the very first moment of his existence? A mother is with the child all throughout his life, as Mary was with Jesus. As truly man, Jesus had a truly human mother, and He loved his mother with just as great, in fact a greater, love than the rest of us love our mothers.
As the first disciple, and one without original sin, Mary was always perfectly conformed to God’s Will. She did and still continues to point the faithful to her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
References:
Nazareno, Teresita M. (2009), Kasaysayan ng Mary Immaculate Parish, Mary Immaculate Parish, Salawag, Dasmarinas, Cavite.
Paras, Rico (2012), Kasaysayan ng Simbahan Mula sa San Isidro Labrador hanggang maging Mary Immaculate Parish, Salawag, Dasmarinas, Cavite.
Paras, Rico (2012), Mga Pangyayaring sa paniniwala ng mga nakausap ay ang pagpapakita ng malasakit at pagmamahal ng ating Mahal na Birhen Maria sa sambayan ng Salawag, Salawag, Dasmarinas, Cavite.
Photo credits to Mr. Glenn Inocencio, Sis. Shirley Ruiz Monton and Bro. Christoffer Denzell Aquino, SHMI.
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