Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes de Catbalogan - The Merciful Mother of Catbalogan, Samar

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Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes de Catbalogan
In the quiet and peaceful area of Mercedes, located within Catbalogan City, Samar, a Marian Shrine is being flocked by pilgrims for a century due to the miracles that she wrought to her devotees even up to the present. The Venerable image of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes of Catbalogan City became part of the fabric of life of the community up to the point that the area was named after her.

 The image

The image of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes of Catbalogan is an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Mercy, the Patroness of the Mercedarian Order. In this image, she was patterned after the Peruvian model where the Virgin raises her hands holding the White Mercedarian Scapular and a shackle as she is depicted as Liberator of Captives. The Virgin has a set of vestments that was given by her devotees for year as a sign of their gratitude to the Virgin. There were three images of the Virgin that is venerated and kept in the chapel, the original image, the altar image and a processional image.

One unique feature of the image of the Virgin is the sandallas that she wore which a rarity for only a few images with such accessory  feature are known along with Nuestra Señora de los Angeles of Santa Maria, Laguna and the famed San Agustin "Tata Usteng" of Tanza, Cavite.

The oldest known photograph of Nuestra
Señora de las Mercedes de Catbalogan
The beginning of the devotion

The devotion to Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes of Mercedes, Catbalogan City, Samar began in 1881 when the image of the Virgin was brought by the Chacon couple in Samar when Don Enrique Chacon was appointed as the politico-military governor of the isalnd province. The couple stayed in Catbalogan and befriended with some locals of the capital town including Doña Barbara Cinco - Domanguerra. When the couple was about to return to Spain, after Don Enrique finished his term of office, the couple gave the image of the Virgin as a present to Doña Barbara in 1884. When the image was given to Doña Barbara, the Governor decided to officially change thename of the barrio from Burac to Barrio de las Mercedes in the name of the Virgin they gave to their friend Doña Barbara.

As soon as the Virgin was venerated by the whole barrio, miracles were already reported and a chapel was later constructed in her honor. Her feast was first celebrated in 1919 and later a Cofradia was established to propagate he devotion to Our Lady of Mercy of Samar.

Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes de Catbalogan
(Processional image)
Miracles

Some of the notable miracles of the Virgin were duly recorded. The Cinco - Domanguerra were the first to experience miracles of the Virgin from cures, assistance to their livelihood, saving family members from danger among others and as soon as the news of the miracles spread, the image was enshrined in the barrio chapel in 1895 and more miracles were recorded through her intercession.

Some notable miracles of the Virgin were duly recorded and known by the whole populace of Mercedes. More miraculous cures from different diseases were reported through her intercession. During the Second World War, some of the guerillas from Samar were rescued and returned to their families alive through the intercession of the Virgin.

More miracles of the Virgin recounts how the Virgin save Mercedes from different natural calamities. One o them tells us that in 2006, while the Virgin is being vested, the found her dress and her feet soiled with cake mud. It was later realized that the Virgin saved the town folk of Mercedes to from a mud flow that would have destroyed the town days before her feast day. It is also know that Mercedes are always spared from the ravages of typhoons through the intercession of the Virgin and there was even an account that they would see a lady, with the likeness of their patroness, walking in the midst of the raging typhoon and it will suddenly stop.

The Episcopal Coronation of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes
de Catbalogan
Church Recognition

Due to the numerous miracles that were attributed to her intercession and in line with the celebration of the 100th fiesta of the Virgin, His Excellency +Most Reverend Isabelo C. Abarquez, D.D. - Bishop of the Diocese of Calbayog, bestowed the chapel of the Virgin as a Pilgrim Church through an Episcopal Proclamation on April 30, 2019.. The same local ordinary issued the decree of the Episcopal Coronation of the miraculous image of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes. The Episcopal Coronation rites took place on September 24, 2019 perfrmed by the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, His Reverence Gabriele Caccia, DD on September 24, 2019.

Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes de Catbalogan
(Altar image)
The devotion

The devotion to the Virgin of Mercy of Samar continues to be popualr and important in the area, Through the years,not she became the beloved protectress of the area, but also became part and parcel of the history and the lives of the people of Barangay Merced in Catbalogan, Samar.

The providential arrival of the Virgin became an important cornerstone for the Catholic faith in Barangay Merced for the Blessed Mother, through the graces that she showered and the protection that she provided to her Samarnon children, she kept the faith alive and prosper up to this day. The

References:

 Carnacite, Jesus, III, History and Provenance of the image of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, (Unpublished manuscript), Samar, 2019.
Carnacite, Jesus, III, Recorded Miracles and Miraculous attributions tO Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, (Unpublished manuscript), Samar, 2019.

Special thanks to Mr. Manuelito Uy for the documents and photographs of Nuestra Señora del las Mercedes de Catbalogan.

Comments

  1. StevennSeptember 25, 2019 at 12:48 AM

    Hi I hope you'll also feature Nuestra Señora dela Merced of Taysan, Batangas.... and the Nuestra Señora del Santissimo Rosario of Padre Garcia Batangas.... I think they have interesting history too... Thank you ! God bless

    ReplyDelete

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