The Mysterious and Miraculous Our Lady of Papaya of Don Galo, Parañaque City
Our Lady of Papaya |
The image
The image of Our Lady of Papaya is a tiny image of the Blessed Mother whose appearance seemed like a pocket image of the famed Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje of Antipolo, Rizal. The tiny image has this dark color due to passage of time. The image is currently kept inside a wooden "urna" with flowers and cotton balls inside it.
Our Lady of Papaya of Don Galo, Parañaque City |
The story of the "Birhen ng Papaya" dates back on July 25, 1937 where it is said that a certain Antonio de Leon who joined in the military exercises in preparation for the then impending Second World War. When Antonio returned home from the days long pilgrimage to Antipolo, his mother Aling Poten prepared a hearty lunch with tinola as the main course. Antonio's brother Alberto just finished his meal and asked his mother for a dessert, Aling Poten gave Alberto a piece of papaya with seeds on it. While Alberto was eating, he bit on something hard and upon checking, he found the dark tiny image of the Blessed Virgin Mary inside the fruit.
Alberto called his mother and the rest of the family and showed the tiny image that she found from the papaya fruit. Aling Poten examined it and confirmed it was an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary which resembles that of Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje of Antipolo, Rizal. Aling Poten and his family attested that there was no hole in the papaya fruit that can insert the image to its meat. Aling Poten kept the image afterwards. The remnants of the papaya fruit were kept as well.
Soon, the news of the myserious discovery of the image spread like wilfire in Barangay Don Galo in Parañaque City and the residents swarmed the de Leon residence to see and venerate the tiny image. The townfolk was in awe with the image. As much as the family wanted to keep this finding a secret, the residents just could not help it for early on, miracles began to be reported through the intercession of "Birhen ng Papaya".
Our Lady of Papaya inside her urna |
Since the miraculous discovery of the image, numerous miracles began to b reported through the intercession of the Virgin. it is said that the remnants of the papaya where the image was found was consumed by the visitors of the de Leon family and instatneous cures took place. During the Second World War, the family fled to the woods to hide from the Japanese forces and brought with them the image. The familty testified that the Virgin kept them safe from different elements and protected them on the duration of their hiding during the bloody war.
More miracles were reported through her intercession from the finding of a missing child, unexplainable cures from various diseases and ailments, alleviating families who have financlal crisis, internal peace and consolation to some devotees among others. it is also said everytime the image will be brought out of procession, there was no rainfall even though her feast day always fell on a arainy season.
Despite all of these wondrous miracles and how the image improved the lives of their fellow townsfolk, the family never sought fame or monetary gain, for the family and the townsfolk wanted to preserve the dignity of their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary without much hype from the media.
Fiesta procession of Our Lady of Papaya |
The feast of Our Lady of Papaya is celebrated in Barangay Don Galo every July 25, the day of the discovery of the image. A nine day novena is held in the Chapel of Sta. Monica, just a few blocks from the family's residence, precedes the fiesta.
On the day of the fiesta, a solemn procession takes place and one can see the simplicity of their devotion to the Blessed Virgin from the way they celebrate their fiesta and express their love for this tiny image of Our Lady.
Reference:
"Kilalanin anf Mahal na Birhen nf Kapayapaan ng Don Galo, Parañaque", Retrieved from http://ourparishpriest.blogspot.com/2018/07/mahal-na-birhen-ng-papaya-hidden.html on September 22, 2019, 2018.
Special thanks to the owners of the photographs used in this blogpost
+AM+DG+
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