Nuestra Señora de la Santisima Trinidad de Manila - The Mother of Balic-Balic, Manila

-
Nuestra Señora de la Santisima Trinidad de Manila
In the remote yet peaceful area of Balic-Balic in Sampaloc, Manila, where the Holy Trinity Parish is located - the center of the Holy Trinity devotion in the CIty of Manila, there is a budding devotion to Our Blessed Mother that was recently introduced in our modern times which focuses on her role as the Daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son and Spouse of the Holy Spirit which is making rounds in the area and being develop. The promising devotion to Nuestra Señora de la Santisima Trinidad de Manila (Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity) is not taking its root in the Balic-Balic community

The Image

The image of Nuestra Señora de la Santisima Trinidad of Balic-Balic, Sampaloc, Manila is a Filipinized version of the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary under this particular title. In this image, the Virgin is presented wearing a typlical Filipina garb: baro't saya, a tapis on her waist, long wavy hair, a veil with the diagnostic doce estrellas on he head. the Virgin stands on a half globe holding a sunburst flames with the insignia of the Holy Trinity namely the hand (God the Father), the cross (God the Son), and the dove (God the Holy Spirit).
Notre Dame de la Trinite in France
The origin of the devotion

The devotion to Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity began in  1890 when Rev. Fr. Jean-Baptiste de Chémery, Capuchin of the convent of Blois, France, becomes the ardent apostle of popular devotion to the "Three Hail Marys" by his preaching, then by leaflets written in multiple languages ​​which are widely distributed. These leaflets became known as the "Novena to Our Lady of the Three Hail Marys" He was succeeded by father Clovis, who studied and got to know the theological basis for Marian devotion to the Three Hail Marys, which found its expression in the title 'Our Lady of the Trinity'. On June 30, 1921, Pope Benedict XV approved the Archconfraternity of the the Three Hail Marys for further promotion of the devotion to the world.

The Minor Basilica of de la Trinité Basilica was established in 1932 as a center of the devotion to Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. The church was consecrated in 1949. Father Grégoire completed the sanctuary and gained its promotion to a Minor Basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1956.

The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity was founded in 1958 by Father James H. Flanagan, a priest from the United States. Its members strive to live to the fullest their distinctive vocations in the Church: priests living in the image of Christ the Good Shepherd and the Head of his Mystical Body, brothers living and serving in fraternal communion, sisters living as consecrated spouses of Christ, and lay faithful living as members of Christ's Body striving to sanctify the temporal order.  Each of the vocations has its source and identity in the Most Holy Trinity.  In their distinctiveness, the members of the various vocations complement one another on ecclesial family teams and in this way express in a profound way the nature of the Church and the grace of the Most Holy Trinity which sustains it.

The older image of Nuestra Señora de la
Santisima Trinidad de Manila
The beginnings of the devotion in Balic-Balic

The devotion to Nuestra Señora de la Santisima Trinidad de Manila began on August 15,  2006 - Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Fr. Enrico Martin Adoviso  when the parish garden was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under this particular title that soon became the catalyst of this particular devotion to Mary. A decade later, on August 15, 2018, a new altar image of Nuestra Señora de la Santisima Trinidad was unveiled and enthroned to her own altar in the same parish. The new altar image was carved by Willy Layug and interestingly, the image of the Virgin of Balic-Balic was similar to the famed Our Lady of Hope of Palo which he carved for the Papal Mass in Tacloban, Leyte in 2015.

 The devotion at present

The devotion to Nustra Señora de la Santisima Trinidad de Manila is gaining much momentum and gradual devotional following in the Parish of the Holy Trinity in Balic-Balic, Sampaloc, Manila. The Feast of the Virgin of the Most Holy Trinity is celebrated every August 15, the day the devotion was introduced to the people of Balic-Balic and coincides with the Solemnity of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

What can we learn on this unique title of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. In the visions of St. Gertrude the Great, she recounts that she suddenly saw spring out of the Heart of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, three bright flames which penetrated the Heart of the Holy Virgin. In this revelation, we then can see the source of the iconography of “Our Lady of the Blessed Trinity” especially in terms of the Trinity flame. By Honoring Our Blessed Mother, we also giving honor to the Most August Trinity for the graces they bestow to the Mary as the Immaculate Daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son and Inviolate Spouse of the Holy Spirit.

Nuestra Señora de la Santisima Trinidad
de Manila
As we conclude this blogpost, here is a prayer to Nuestra Señora de la Santisima Trinidad which is also known as the Prayer to Our Lady of the Three Hail Marys:

With all my heart I praise you most Holy Virgin above all angels and saints in paradise, Daughter of the Eternal Father, and I consecrate to you my soul with all its faculties, and I beg you to obtain for me all of the graces necessary for salvation. 

 Hail Mary, full of grace… 

 With all my heart I praise you most Holy Virgin above all angels and saints in paradise, Mother of the Son of God, and I consecrate to you my body with all its senses, and I beg you to obtain for me all of the graces necessary for salvation.

 Hail Mary, full of grace… 

 With all my heart I praise you most Holy Virgin above all angels and saints in paradise, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, and I consecrate to you my heart with all its affections, and I beg you to obtain for me all of the graces necessary for salvation.

 Hail Mary, full of grace… 

 Nuestra Señora de la Santisima Trinidad, pray for us!

References:

Notre Dame de la Trinite, Retrieved from http://imagessaintes.canalblog.com/archives/2008/11/03/11214912.html on August 1, 2020.
Our Lady of the Blessed Trinity, Retrieved from https://curatormuseo.wordpress.com/2006/08/17/our-lady-of-the-blessed-trinity/ on August 1, 2020.

Interview:

Simpelo, Reggie

Special thanks to the owners of the photographs used for this blogpost, and to Mr. Reggie Simpleo for the interview regarding the Nuestra Señora de la Santisima Trinidad de Manila.
+AM+DG+

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Mga Imaheng Relihiyoso sa Buhay Pagsamba ng mga Katoliko by Rev. Fr. Tim Ofrasio, SJ

-
Image
The icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help that was set to return to her altar in 2019 A talk from Rev. Fr. Tim Ofrasio, SJ for "Visitacion III: Halina sa Marikina" of Esculturas Religiosas en las Filipinas  Transcribed by Mr. Sherwyn Aban Blogger's photo of +Rev. Fr. Tim Ofrasio, SJ during the said event Blogger's note: The night of December 1, 2020 was rocked with a sad news of the passing of Rev. Fr. Timoteo "Tim" Ofrasio, SJ due to COVID-19. Fr. Tim is known as  one of the pillars on Philippine Liturgical Music, a scholar and advocate of celebration of Ad Orientem worship for the Mass (The priest facing the altar at the direction of the east) and Traditional Latin Mass, The Filipino Catholic faithful from different sectors mourned on his passing. I then remembered the talk that he gave to one of the events I attended years ago which it's message is still important and relevant today, especially in the social media age where some non-Catholic extremists...
Read more

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Cebu - The Patroness of the City and the province of Cebu

-
Image
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Cebu Cebu, the cradle of the Catholic faith in the Philippines and center of the devotion to the Child Jesus in the country. The city and its province also have a plethora of devotions, sacred traditions and patrons and their shrines are frequently visited by pilgrims from the province and other parts of the country. One of the most visited shrines in Cebu is the Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Guadalupe, Cebu where the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of the City and the province of Cebu is enshrined. The image The brown skinned image of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Cebu is a de tallado image of the Blessed Virgin Mary carved in a folksy manner. The images sports a crown, a rostrillo around the face,a set of jewelry from necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, etc., carried a scepter and at times, a  rafaga surrounds the image. The image also wears a set of vestments patterned from of the fame...
Read more

Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia de Naga - The Ina of Bicolandia

-
Image
Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia de Naga The Image of the Mother of the Bicolanos - Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia (Complete title: Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Penafrancia de Naga)- is arguably one of the most popular and most venerated image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the country. The image is a wooden statue of the patterned after the image of Virgen del Santo Rosario de Peña de Francia in Salamanca, Spain and Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia de Manila of Paco. With several miracles that would fill many volumes to its history and the affection that Bicolanos showered to her earned her the title the Principal Patroness and Queen of Bicol Region or simply "Ina" to her devotees, Bicolanos and non Bicolanos alike. It is currently enshrined at the Basilica Minore de Nuestra Senora de Penafrancia in Naga City, Camarines Sur and millions of pilgrims and devotees arrive in Naga City every September for the nine-day  novanario and Fiesta festivities in honor of Our Lad...
Read more

The Resilient devotion and Tradition of the Holy Cross of Wawa

-
Image
The Holy Cross of Wawa In the town of Bocaue, south of Bulacan, famous for its firecracker industry and its iconic festival next to Obando fertility rites, the famous Pagoda (Fluvial Procession) of the Holy Cross of Wawa. Long before the tragedy of 1993, the Pagoda gained throng of devotees for centuries and it is proven to be a resilient devotion when it was revived in 2015. Bocaue's Tree of Life The Holy Cross of Wawa was wooden crucifix without the Corpus that is intricately decorated with silver accesories from rayos (rays at the four corners), three decorative ends of the Cross, a sun, a skull. the Sacred Heart of Jesus and draped with an intricately embroidered cloth. Flonking the flat cross are the images of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist and the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mater Dolorosa which is reminicent of the moment where the Blessed Mother and St. John at the foot of the Cross. Detail of the Holy Cross of Wawa The origin and the miracles  The actua...
Read more

Nuestra Señora de la Regla: Cebu's Gracious Lady

-
Image
Nuestra Señora de la Regla de Cebu Aside to the famed Santo Niño de Cebu, there is another devotion that flourished in the island that pilgrims visit through the centuries succor in times of great need - the felicitous Nuestra Señora De la Regla. The miraculous image is venerated widely by the Cebuanos who believe that the prosperity they enjoy is a blessing achieved through the strength of her maternal intercession. The image is currently venerated at The National Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Regla in Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan Island, Cebu. Features of the image The image of the Virgin is patterned to the original located in Chipiona, Spain. The Our Lady of the Rule image carved from the trunk of dark Philippine hardwood, was installed at the her own altar of Our Lady of the Rule Church in Lapu-Lapu City. The Brown Madonna holds the Infant Jesus in a form of offering and showing - as if she is presenting the Child Jesus to the people and telling them to worship his Son - ...
Read more