Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Amaya - The Lady of the Rosary of Amaya, Tanza, Cavite

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Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Amaya

In the quiet and productive barangay of Amaya in Tanza, Cavite, there we can find a parish that is one of the key centers of the Rosary devotion in the province of Cavite - the Parish of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Amaya in Tanza, Cavite. It is in this parish where a beautiful painting of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Amaya is venerated. 

Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Amaya
The image

The unique painting of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Amaya is a round painting of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary sitting on a cloud with putti (little angels) with St. Dominic de Guzman on her left facing the Child Jesus and St. Augustine of Hippo on her right facing the Virgin. The Virgin wears a red robe and green tunic and a crown on top of her long wavy hair while the Child Jesus wearing a whitish-blue robe also wearing a crown.  The Mother and Child are both handing their rosaries to the to saints. The painting is surrounded by the medals of the then fifteen mysteries of the Rosary (The Luminous Mysteries were only added in 2003). The painting is placed on an ornate frame and enthroned at the main altar of the parish.

What makes this painting unique is the presence of St. Augustine in a painting of Our Lady of the Rosary that are usually depicted with St. Dominic de Guzman (The founder of the Dominican Order who propagated the devotion of the Holy Rosary to the world) and often accompanied by a Dominican Saint like St. Catherine of Siena (in most artworks) or St. Francis of Assisi (St. Dominic's friend and Founder of the Franciscan Order). 

The presence of St. Augustine in the painting points out three things in the history of the town and of the Church in general. First is that Amaya was then a visita under the jurisdiction of the Holy Cross Parish in Tanza town proper where the famed miraculous image of St. Augustine ("Tata Usteng" for the locals and devotees) is enshrined and the devotion is widely popular throughout Tanza and other parts of Cavite. Second is that Tanza, where Amaya is located, was a former hacienda of the Augustinians while the spiritual administration of the town was given to the Dominicans and later to the secular clergy.  Third is that St. Dominic de Guzman was then a former member of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine before he founded the Order of Preachers in 1216. It is interesting to note that the the Dominicans also followed the Rule of St. Augustine and wears a modified version of the Augustinian chord in their habits.

Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario
de Amaya
The origin

The exact origins of the paintings is unknown due to the lack of written records available regarding the arrival or creation of the image. However, there were oral accounts that says that the image was commissioned by a pious woman who is a devotee of St. Augustine (probably that of San Agustin of Tanza) to have him painted with that of Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Dominic. Aside from this oral tradition, a theory was arose that the painting was commissioned sometime in the 18th century and it is said that there were inscriptions at the back of the painting stating the year and the name of the painter yet the back of the painting was covered for protection and a later a velvet cloth was added at the back of the painting to add decor on it.

The visita or chapel dedicated to the Virgin in 1930 and have the painting and a small Holy Cross was enshrined. The devotion to the Virgin grew and the visita became an important place of worship in the town and the devotion to the Holy Rosary became an integral part of the life of the people of Amaya. 

On June 12, 1960, the Parish of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Amaya was formally established that helped foster the faith of the community.

The Episcopal Coronation of Nuestra Señora del 
Santisimo Rosario de Amaya
Church Recognition

In line with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the parish, the painting of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Amaya was granted the honor of Episcopal Coronation in 2020 by His Excellency, Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista DD, Bishop of the Diocese of Imus. The Episcopal Coronation Rites took place on October 1, 2020.

The devotion at present

The devotion to Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Amaya continues to develop and grow up to this day. The feast of the Virgin is celebrated every October 7, the Liturgical Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (The feast was then celebrated every Last Sunday of October) and it is celebrated with much solemnity and devotion. We see here once again how the rosary became an instrument on fostering the faith of a community that led to its present state. The people in turn grew their love and devotion to their patroness as a way of thanksgiving to the Virgin for all the graces and protection she granted to the people of Amaya and it will continue in generations to come.

References:

50th Parish Anniversary Coffee Tablebook, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish, Amaya, Tanza, Cavite, 2010.

"St. Dominic - Order of preachers", Retrieved from www.op.org. Ordo Praedicatorum. 2015 on September 25, 2020.

Photos:

Daquiaog, Michael of Buen Viaje PH

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish of Amaya Facebook page

Special thanks to a devotee of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Amaya for the vital information of the image and devotion to Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Amaya.

+AM+DG+ 

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Comments

  1. HarveySeptember 29, 2020 at 7:25 AM

    Very informative. Your blog is really amazing. Stay well and safe. May our Blessed Mother protect and guide us. Keep up the good work. My prayers...

    ReplyDelete

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