Nuestra Señora del Refugio de Dulag - The Miraculous Patroness and Protectress of Dulag, Leyte

Nuestra Señora del Refugio de Dulag

In the quiet town of Dualg, located in Leyte Province, one of the historic towns of Leyte province, one can find a simple looking parish where it tells its colorful history of the town and the home of Dulag's miraculous patroness, Nuestra Señora del Refugio.

The image

The venerated image of Nuestra Señora del Refugio (Our Lady of the Refuge) is a de tallado image of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus. This image is one of this image has a unique Indo - European features which is a rarity for venerated Marian images in the country. The Virgin hsa a long wavy hair, wears a white robe and a blue cloak while the Child Jesus wears a white robe and both decorated with gold trimmings. The Madonna and Child also sports a set of crowns and the diagnostic doce estrellas for the Virgin. The image presents a smiling Virgin while the Child's left hand is in a gesture of blessing  and holding a globus cruciger on the other.

The beginning of the devotion

The beginning of the devotion to Nuestra Señora del Refugio de Dulag begain with the Christianization of Leyte. The first Jesuit missionaries arrived at Dulag in September 1595. An encomendero, Don Pedro Hernandez brought them in his boat from Cebu. The missionaries, Fr. Alonzo de Humanes and Fr. Juan del Campo, first coaxed the natives to settle within the limits of the sitio instead of living far from each other. After this was accomplished, the Jesuit fathers built a church and a convent.

Our Lady of the Refuge Parish, Dulag, Leyte

The Town of Dulag, Leyte was founded on August 20, 1596. It became the second mission center of the Spanish Missionaries after Carigara, Leyte. When the Church was completed, the church was dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary September 8, the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady of Refuge was chosen as its feast day. Later, with stories of how Our Lady saved the town from calamities, Our Lady of Refuge became the titular of the Parish. Due to the miracles that were attributed to her intercession, she later became known as "Virgen del Refugio". The parish would later be administered by the Augustinian Recollects, the Franciscans and by the secular clergy.

Nuestra Señora del Refugio de Dulag

Miracles

Since the enthronement of the image of the Virgin, several miracles were already reported and duly recorded that gained her name "Refugio" for she became the refuge of the people of Dualg, especially in times of crisis.

During the Moro raids of 1603,when the  the enslavement of Christians and the capture of the parish priest were rampant, the people sought refuge from the Blessed Virgin who performed miracles to scare the Moro’s never to molest the town again. In another instance, when three huge tidal waves were sighted billowing with its frightening sound calculated to annihilate most of Dulag’s population was miraculously pacified and reduced to stillness by Our Lady of Refuge.

During the Japanese occupation, three notable miracles were reported through her intercession. Some eye witnesses tell that of a Japanese soldier during the war looking for a lady of exquisite beauty in her flowing white gown with long hair telling him not to inflict so much suffering to her people. When he entered the church of Dulag, he trembled when he discovered the lady he saw was the Lady at the altar of the Dulag Church.

Another miracle took place in 1944 when Dulag was totally devastated, razed to the ground, the church was bombed with the entire structure crumbling in pieces. The image of Our Lady of Refuge miraculously stood on the ground despite the fact that her altar was bombed. However, the image was hit by a threaded scrap nail screwed on the left portion of her abdomen. The nail was carefully taken out by aid of prayer; the scrap nail that was taken out had a portion of the Virgin’s body attached to it. The nail was preserved and it is reported that the nail causes cure illnesses when it is submerged in water.

Nuestra Señora del Refugio de Dulag

When the image will be transferred temporarily to Mayorga for safekeeping due to the damage of the war, several attempts to move the image. Strangely, the image became heavy that even a group men failed to take her away for she was extraordinarily heavy, In their effort to bring the Blessed Lady to Mayorga, the faithful then prayed asking her permission for temporary transfer to be taken back as soon as a chapel shall be constructed. Miraculously, the image became light she was transported to Mayorga and stayed for sometime until Dulag was fully recovered.

During the 1960’s when an epidemic hit Dulag where people just die in an instant, a beautiful Lady was seen by the road side showing concern for the victims who then were saved with the total control of the disease. Once the the people got cured, when they visit the Church, they would found the image with the likeness of the lady who helped and nursed them.

The Miracle during Typhoon Yolanda

The recent miracle of Nuestra Señora del Refugio occurred during the ravages of Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. Between 5:00 – 8:00 early morning the typhoon released its fury, rooftops and buildings flew in all directions, houses of light materials vanished0 In barely 3 hours Dulag was reduced to ruins, trees uprooted, roads impassable, electrical posts, wires, houses and debris of all kinds pilled up on roads and everywhere. Communications, electricity were likewise destroyed, transportation was useless due to impassable roads and absence of fuel. At 8:00 am calm weather prevailed, thinking the typhoon was over, only to realize Dulag was on the eye of typhoon. Shortly after, people of the coastal shores, in panic, were rushing to the market place for safety. Seen where 3 huge waves much, much higher than the height of the coconut tree, billowing towards the highly populated area of Dulag.

Nuestra Señora del Refugio de Dulag

The first wave released its might and pounded on the coastal barangays. A fisherman running towards the people, panting in fear, almost speechless, tried to convey his message of  his vision of a Lady in White on the sea shore pacifying the approaching storm surge. This was confirmed by the others stationed on the church’s belfry of a Lady in White walking along the street beside the church towards the shore.

To every one’s surprise the two remaining surge never landed in Dulag. A hurricane, coming from the south, with its deafening sound and horrible exploding vibration (feared as the end of the world) harrowed the shoreline and blew the approaching waves splitting in two; the southern portion landed on the marshes, the northern portion on the underpopulated area of Dulag,the middle portion merely diminished and gently splashed on the seashore. Had it not been for Virgin, Dulag would have been like Tanauan, Palo and Tacloban where the greatest havoc occurred were properties were destroyed and millions died.

The devotion

The devotion to Nuestra Señora del Refugio of Dulag, Leyte continues to flourish up to this day. Devotees and pilgrims continuously visit her altar to ask for her refuge in their times of affliction and thanksgiving. The Virgin's feast is celebrated every September 8 and it is celebrated with much solemnity.

THe devotion to Our Lady as Nuestra Señora del Refugio of Leyte shows the role of Our Lady as our help and also our refuge in times of need and darkness. As our Mother, she is always there to bring her Son to us, our hope.

References:

Mercader, Cesar, "Special Report: Christianity in the Philippines" Graphic: Manila, December 25, 1968.

"Our Lady of Refuge Parish - Dulag", Retrieved from https://archdioceseofpalo.org/our-lady-of-refuge-parish on December 30, 2019.

Special thanks to the owner of the photographs used in this blogpost.
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