Nuestra Señora de Lourdes de Cabetican - Cabetican's Miraculous Lady of the Grotto

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Nuestra Señora de Lourdes de Cabetican

Cabetican, a barangay located in Bacolor, Pampanga, is widely known as one of the pilgrim sites in the province of Pampanga due to its popular shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. The Cabetican shrine sees itself a pilgrims hub where numerous miracles, especially healing miracles, were reported through the Virgin's intercession and continues to happen up the present.

Nuestra Señora de Lourdes de
Cabetican
The image

The beautiful image of  Nuestra Señora de Lourdes de Cabetican is a de tallado image of Our Lady based from the visions of St. Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. In this image, the image wears an all while robe and mantle with golden linings in detail on her veil and on ends of her robe. She wears a blue sash on her waist with two long ends, a rosary on her hand, her hands in prayer position and her head looking up to the heavens.The Virgin is standing on rocks (in allusion to the grotto) with her feet covered with golden roses. One can notice that the smiling countenance of the image while she looks upwards. The countenance somehow gives a vivid description on how the Virgin answered St. Bernadette on her questions with regards to her identity as "The Immaculate Conception". The image also sports the diagnostic doce estrellas and at times she wears a crown and white lace veil on special occasions, especially on her feast day. 

The beginning of the devotion

The devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes of Cabetican began on May 16, 1906 where the image of Our Lady of Lourdes was brought to Barrio Cabetican who was on board on a native 'Banca' on their shoulders and brought it to the barrio chapel. At that time, the patron saint of Cabetican was San Nicolas de Tolentino, who until now is venerated as such together with Virgin. Originally, the barrio chapel was made of light materials: nipa, bamboo and wood. Later, it was reconstructed into a semi-concrete structure. Then it was again reconstructed with strong materials such as hard wood, cement and steel with GI Sheets for its roofing.

Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
de Cabetican
At that time, Cabetican was a typical rural area. Its inhabitants were mostly farmers and carpenters. A good number were poor and jobless. When the image of the Virgin arrived, Cabetican was gradually emancipated from it's status as an unknown and rustic place. Such phenomenon can be attributed to the Great Lady. For instance, every February 11 when the barrio celebrates it's annual fiesta, a good number of devotees never fail to attend the celebration; hear mass and offer their thanks to the Blessed Mother for her prayers, love, concern and intercession. Many residents have improved their livelihood, the jobless poor suddenly found resources to improve their lives, selling candles to the devotees attending masses, pilgrimages and other Marian affairs. 

Miracles

Since the arrival of the image in Cabetican, numerous miracles were attributed to her intercession and here are some of the most celebrated miracles that are inscribed in the records of the shrine. 

Numerous cures  suffering from different epidemics, diseases, both curable and non curable that plagued the entire province of Pampanga. One of the most notable was that of Ms. Maria Roxas. It is said that her right hand was fractured and she was unable to move it. Her doctor advice her to have a Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. After her novena, her right hand was healed and she was now able to play the piano again. She experienced sleepless nights thinking of what she can give to the Miraculous Lady of Cabetican on account of her miraculous cure. Then suddenly, this came to her mind that the jewels she inherited from her mother which afterwards were made into a set of crown and eventually placed on the head of the miraculous image.

Nuestra Señora de Lourdes de Cabetican
Some unexplained phenomenon were also recorded in the shrine's annals, One of them is a reported appearance of the Virgin to some young men from Nueva Ecija who followed a beautiful young lady all the way from Aliaga to Bacolor. She disappeared to these men along the way and soon, they realized that they were already on Bacolor. They saw people going to the church of Our Lady and decided to attend Mass. They saw that the Blessed Mother in the grotto was the same lady that appeared to them. After the mass, they kissed the feet of the Image. Another was the miracle of the rose in the bottle of oil of the sick woman who came to the sanctuary.

It is said that during the infamous Bataan Death March on April 1942, a good number of war prisoners were able to escape in the vicinity of Cabetican without being seen by the ferocious Japanese guards. In the aftermath of the World War II, the province of Pampanga was in turmoil. Farm tenants were restive, there was an agrarian unrest. Clashes between government and non-government forces were regular occurrence. Bishop Cesar Maria Guerrero, for his lasting credit, found a non-violent solution to the peace and order problem in the province. He conceived of an idea which became known as "La Concordia Pilgrimage" with Cabetican as the site of that annual Marian affair to help pacify the conflict. Consequently, there can be no room for doubt that Cabetican, through the help of Our Lady, the seeds of peace in Pampanga were sown in the hallowed soil of Cabetican.

After the violent eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, Barangay Cabetican was almost erased in the Map due to the onslaught of lahar coming from the slope of Mt. Pinatubo. While Cabetican suffered devastation, not a single life was lost due to the loving concern of the great Lady. From the debris of destruction, Cabetican regained it's former glory. Today, big and beautiful houses dominate the barangay's landscape. All these are attributed to the miraculous intercession of the dear Lady. Urban growth is now visible all over the place.

Nuestra Señora de Lourdes de Cabetican
Church Recognition

Due to the numerous miracles that were attributed to her intercession and her chapel continues to be a pilgrimage spot in Pampanga, the chapel was elevated to the status of an "Archdiocesan Shrine" on November 29, 1980 and  it was formally and solemnly established on March 11, 1981. 

The devotion at present

The devotion to Nuestra Señora de Lourdes de Cabetican continuous to flourish up to this day. Pilgrims continues to flock her shrine, especially on her feast day, February 11, the first day of her appearance to St. Bernadette which is the day selected by the Church. More miracles continued to happen through her intercession up to the present. 

In this devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady presents herself a remedy, a remedy to our afflcitions, and a remedy for those of us who are seriously tempted, or live in the occasion of sin. As the Immaculate Conception, She is the perfect woman, the purest of all mother and virgins. Her purity and obedience to Almighty God are an example for all of us. Our devotion to Mary Immaculate is a powerful spiritual remedy. When we turn to Her, as children in need, She comes to our aid. She intercedes for us and obtains special graces to avoid persons, places and situations that test our human weakness.

References:

"History of Our Lady of Lourdes of Cabetican" Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, Cabetican, Bacolor, Pampanga.

Special Credits to the owners of the photographs used in this blogpost.
+AM+DG+

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