La Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig - The Queen and Patroness of Pasig City

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La Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig
Pasig City - one of the most prosperous and historic city in the country famous for it historic river that played a crucial role in out history from trade, literature, communication among others that became the lifeline of the then Spanish colony for centuries up to this day. 

La Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig
One of the most historic landmarks of the city is the Cathedral - Parish of the Immaculate Conception, the oldest church in the city, where the beautiful and miraculous image of La Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig is enshrined at the main altar overlooking her children and the prosperous city of Pasig.

The image

The beautiful image of La Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig is one of the most unique image of the Immaculate Conception in the Philippines because its is depicted in a different fashion compared to most images under this title which is associated to the iconography of Bartolome Esteban Murillo (the Virgin wears a white and blue ensemble, has loose hair and hands are placed on her breast.)

For this image of Immaculate Conception of Pasig City, she is depicted wearing a golden yellow dress, along blue carved mantle with her hands clasped together, stepping on a serpent and a crescent moon under her feat, head leaning on the right looking downwards. After the image's Canonical Coronation, the image now wears a set of richly embroidered cape and mantle, a crown and doce estrellas.

A painting of the Immaculate Conception
commissioned by Pope St. Pius X for the Golden
Jubilee of the its dogmatic proclamation.
History

 The history of the devotion to La Inmaculada Conception de Pasig begins with the establishment of the parish by the Augustinian missionaries on July 2, 1573 coinciding with the foundation of the town of Pasig. Initially, the parish was consecrated to the Visitation of Our Lady, but in April 25, 1587, was changed to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the patroness of the Augustinian priests during that time.


The parish was administered by the CICM Fathers from 1910 to 1979, after which the Filipino clergy took over the pastoral leadership of the parish. Until 2003, the parish was a part of the Archdiocese of Manila. During the time of Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, the parish belonged to the Ecclesiastical District of Makati until October 2001, when it became part of the newly-created Ecclesiastical District of Pasig. On August 21, 2003, the district was elevated as a separate and independent diocese, with the elevation of the parish into the status of a cathedral. 

La Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig
The present image of La Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig was carved sometime in the 1900'a as a replacement for the original image that was destroyed during the Filipino-American War. The production of the image was initiated by Rev. Fr. Patricio Calderon, the first Filipino-priest of Pasig and was made possible through the confers of the Archbishop of Manila.  The image might have been patterned to a painting of the Immaculate Conception that was commissioned by St. Pius X for the Golden Jubilee of the Dogmatic definition of the Immaculate Conception at the same time period.

The Pasigueños zealously welcomed the Virgin at Barrio Bambang, and through a solemn procession, the image was brought to the Church and was enthroned at it's sanctuary where it is presently enshrined and venerated.

Numerous miracles were recorded over the years. One of the most notable miracle of the Virgin was when the image was being restored for her Canonical Coronation, it is said that there were a choir of angels singing while she is restored and it was only the restorers who were at the room at that time and it is impossible that there were choirs in the area.

The Canonical Coronation of La Inmacaulda Concepcion de Pasig
Church Recognition

The Queen and Patroness of Pasig was Canonically Crowned on December 7, 2008 officiated by Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, then Apostolic Nuncio. The Crown was blessed by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI when the representatives of the Diocese of Pasig attended a Papal Audience in Rome months before the Coronation rites.

Devotion

The devotion to La Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig continues to flourish up to this day with efforts of further propagation of the devotion to the Virgin of Pasig thru parish visitations where a replica of the Virign visits parishes within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Pasig. The feast of the Virgin is celebrated with much pomp and splendor starting with a solemn vesting of the cape and  mantle of the Virgin before the novena commenced and climaxed with a solemn procession on her feast day, December 8.

La Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig wearing her
Canonical Regalia
Mary might seem far from our everyday reality, but she is truly very close to us. She knows what it’s like to grow up in an uncertain time, to accept great responsibility at a young age, to raise a child in a place like Egypt and then return to Nazareth. She knew poverty and danger. She also knew great loss through the death of St. Joseph and then the death of her son, Jesus.

The key to Mary’s perseverance through the uncertain and unclear moments in her life can be found in her trust in the Father. Rather than doubting him when things seemed hard to believe, Mary “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart”

St. Anslem offers some insight into this mystery in a sermon he gave for this solemnity. He preached: “God, then, is the Father of the created world and Mary the mother of the re-created world. God is the Father by whom all things were given life, and Mary the mother through whom all things were given new life.” As we ponder on this great mystery of her Immaculate Conception, may our hearts grow like Mary’s in trust of God the Father, and may we offer thanks to the Father for the gift of Mary our mother, and through her tender maternal intercession may we grow in greater trust to give witness to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.


References:

Delos Reyes, Michael P. "Salve Regina: On Crowning image of the Virgin Mary", Diliman,  Quezon  City, Claret Communications Foundation Inc., 2015.
Rosales, Roy, "The Canonical Coronation of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Pasig", Cathedral-Parish of the Immaculate Conception, Pasig City, 2008.

Interview:
Caruncho, Willie,
Limpoco, Juan Miguel


Special thanks to Mr. Willie Caruncho and Mr. Juan Miguel Limpoco of athedral-Parish of the Immaculate Conception, Pasig City for the information about the history and devotion to La Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig.
+AM+DG+

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