La Naval de Manila during the COVID -19 Pandemic

The Dungaw of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario - La Naval de Manila during the "Dungaw"
rites on her festivity in lieu of the grand procession due to the government's restrictions to curb
cases of COVID-19 virus 

The COVID-19 Pandemic has caused much damage in all aspects in everyday, including religious with the restrictions on Church attendance as part of the government's measures to prevent the spread the pandemic further which the Church hierarchy cooperated since March of 2020. During this time, we see processions and other liturgical and pious activities that involved public gatherings were suspended and later modified in compliance to the current health measures which is understandable and the La Naval festivities were no exemption. For La Naval de Manila festivities for 2020, we saw how the celebrations continued with a unique twist to it with the revival of old traditions that we haven't seen in the modern era since the post war years that made a mark to her devotees and the Filipino Catholic faithful.

The Year 2020

The year 2020 seems to be another great year given that we are all entering a new decade that we though will make us excited. However, it seems that it the enthusiasm slowly faded with the a series of tragic events from deaths of popular figures in popular culture, the relentless political and social turmoil that the nation faced and the unexpected eruption of Taal Volcano in Batangas that rocked the country. 

It was during this time that in January 24 - 25, 2020, as part of the 400th year founding anniversary celebrations of Colegio de San Juan de Letran, the original and Canonically Crowned image of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario - La Naval de Manila returned to Intramuros in a grand celebration which was highlighted with the re-enactment of the image's Canonical Coronation and the much awaited Grand Procession in her former home after several decades. The return of the Santo Rosario gave a glimpse of hope to her devotees and the faithful during those trying times. 

Yet in March 2020, the unthinkable happened, the COVID-19 Pandemic swept the world on its feet with rise on the number of the virus' victims that chooses any victim regardless of race, social strata among others. The world shutdown with lockdowns imposed in all countries as part of its drastic measures to curb the pandemic. On March , 2020, the Bayanihan Act took effect 

The Dungaw of the Virgin

Given with the imposed lockdowns restrictions on public gatherings during in the early months of community quarantine, in April 2020, Rev. Fr. Roger Quirao, OP, Prior of the Convent of Santo Domingo asked the Dominican student-brothers to place the vicaria of the Santo Rosario at the right side of the main facade of Santo Domingo Church with the intention of the faithful to venerate the Virgin at least at the front gate of the Shrine along Quezon Avenue. 

The rite begins at 8:00 in the morning and the hymn "Salve Regina" is sung by the brothers at the front of the Church while the vicaria is being brought out for the veneration of the faithful followed by an antiphon and the "Concede nos". The "Dungaw" lasts throughout the day and devotees would stop at the church to ask for help, protection and consolation to the Virgin in this distressing time and the vicaria is brought back inside the Church while intoning the traditional "Despedida a La Virgen" at 8:00 pm. The whole rite is being streamed online thru the official Facebook page of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary - La Naval de Manila so that the devotees and the faithful at home can witness and pray along given that majority of the people could not go outside due to the pandemic. 

An estampa of Nuestra Señora del
Santisimo Rosario - La Naval de Manila

This particular act of the "Dungaw" seems to be new to the devotees yet as a matter of fact, this practice was already established in Old Intramuros with the first image of the Santo Rosario from Mexico was placed on top of the Old Santo Domingo Church where it is illuminated every night by the incessant offerings of the devotees to ask for her protection of the Walled City and its people. Unfortunately, this image was one of the casualties of the Second World War when Japanese and American forces bombed Manila in the 1940's. 

Interestingly, there were records found, particularly a ceremonial that dates back in 1741 and supporting accounts regarding the "Dungaw" rites of the Santo Rosario. According to these accounts, the Ivory image comes out of her Lady Chapel in times of need and distress, most notably during the departure of galleon ships of the Manila - Acapulco Galleon Trade where the image is placed at the ramparts along the Pasig River "as a consolation to the sailors" given that there were accounts that some of them would not return alive due to the perils of sea travel or sickness that they would get from one of the stops. The ceremonial would also mention that the elders may request for the image to be brought out in procession or be places at the facade of the old Santo Domingo Church along the streets of Intramuros when the city is "suffering from an affliction". One such account is the earthquake of June 3, 1863 when the Santo Rosario was brought down from her chapel together with the images of Santo Cristo del Tesoro and San Francisco de las Lagrimas for veneration of the faithful. 

The 2020 Festivities

The pandemic compromised how festivities were celebrated due to restrictions on public gatherings - and the La Naval de Manila festivities was no exception. Fortunately, a relaxed quarantine measures were imposed in the country when the La Naval de Manila 2020 festivities were announced by September of 2020 which gradually allowed church attendance with the necessary health protocols that needed to the followed. The whole festivities were streamed online thru the Facebook and YouTube so that the devotees who couldn't make it to Santo Domingo Church due to travel restrictions that is still imposed nationwide. 

The festivities were a bit different from the previous years with no baldachino in sight, no carrozzas in the line, except for the Carozza Triunfal of the Virgin that would be her throne for the duration of the festivities and the 27 Dominican Saints are enthroned at the altars of Santo Domingo - a throwback from Old Intramuros where the processional images of the Dominican saints were enthroned at the altar surrounding the Santo Rosario. We would see in the 2020 festivities that some traditions of Old Intramuros and of the Order would be seen for the first time by the public. The festivities formally began on October 1, 2020 - the Feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus - with the motorcade of the Vicaria throughout the jurisdiction of Santo Domingo Church that morning and the enthronement of the original image at her Carozza Triunfal later in that afternoon. The novena went through as the usual and streamed online. 

In lieu of the much awaited besamanto, where devotees would have a chance to see the Virgin up close, the student-brothers distributed pieces of the old vestments of the Santo Rosario to the devotees who attended the novena services - another nod in the past. The family of the current recamadera (caretaker of the image) of the Virgin recounts that "... a handful of devout faithful would usually mill around the Iglesia (Old Sto. Domingo, Intramuros) hoping to chance upon Doña Angelita Leyba (the last camarera before World War 2) who has swatches of cotton rubbed on the image of the Blessed Virgin and Baby Jesus, and any old nagwas or trimming which was removed from her. These Items would be used by the devotees as sacramentals, just like a rosary, medal, and prayer book. Any item rubbed on or worn by the Miraculous image of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario was regarded as milagrosa, sacred and precious. Like a relic, any item from the Virgen was believed to aid in healing the sick, ward off evil, protect from danger, and was one's best companion for the journey from life to death."

On the actual feast day, devotees and pilgrims continued to flock Sto. Domingo Church and for the first time in decades, no grand procession took place, but a Solemn and Grand Dungaw was held with the original image of the Santo Rosario comes out in her beautiful carozza triunfal and she was placed at the main door of the Shrine and stayed there for a few minutes. 

The Virgin of the Rosary - La Naval de Manila during the
Solemn Dungaw rites

The Dominican Friars led the prayer of the Holy Rosary and for the first time, the long yet beautiful Dominican version of the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary was sung and prayed in Latin. The Dominican Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the best kept secrets of the Order for centuries for this particular litany was used in times of peril, distress, plagues and even in exorcism rites. 

The origin of this special litany dates back from the time of Bl. Humbert of Romans during the 13th Century when he was the Master General of the Order when the Dominicans's existence is in danger when  Pope Innocent IV issued the bull, “Etsi animarum” in 1254, which imposed severe restrictions on the Order. Bl. Humbert, greatly troubled and pained over what was happening to his beloved Order knelt before an image of Our Lady with tears asking for her help and intercession. Suddenly, he heard the Virgin and responded: "From this very moment, the Order has been freed."  A few days later, Pope Innocent IV died in Naples, sixteen days after issuing his bull against the Dominicans, which his successor, Pope Alexander IV, quickly annulled with his own bull, “Nec insolitum,” on December 31, 1254. 

The devotees waited and prayed outside Santo Domingo
Church despite the heavy rains for the duration of the Dungaw

Another incident took place when the  Order also suffered persecution from the secular Masters of the University of Paris, led by William of Saint-Amour, who sought to expel the Order in the University and propagated calumnous propaganda against them. Bl. Humbert of Romans, in the General Chapter of 1256, ordered that the Seven Penitential Psalms be prayed, along with the Litany with other prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Dominic.  A few days later, in Rome, as the brethren were praying the Litany, a friar fell into a trance, and had a vision of Our Lord over the altar, with Our Lady at His side, who was asking her Son to heed the petitions of the friars.  A few days later, over the course of ten days, Pope Alexander IV intervened decisively in favor of the friars, and against those who calumnied the Order.

A painting of Nuestra Señora del
Santisimo Rosario La Naval de Manila
at the Main Building of the University of 
Santo Tomas

A historian from that era commented that thanks to these Litanies, not only did the great persecutions against the Order come quickly to a favorable end, but the Order itself increased in honor, leading some rather surprised cardinals to remark, "Cavete a Litaniis Fratum Prædicatorum qui mirabilia faciunt” (“Be careful with the Litanies of the Friars Preachers -- they work wonders”). Since then, the litany is included in the "preces" of the Order and it is being used in times of great danger and distress. 

The fact that this was done in this time of pandemic and the world is in distress, adding the rains that happened that day, shows the Order and the devotees confidence to the powerful intercession of Our Lady to end the pandemic that killed many in all parts of the globe. The "dungaw" ended once the image went back inside the shrine and singing the famed La Naval hymns. 

Post mortem

We see that during this time of pandemic that numerous traditions of old are nicely mingling with the new ones in this digital age which shows how the devotion to the Virgin of the Rosary - La Naval de Manila is very much alive and it's not just a relic of the past that most people would associate with the Old Intramuros. We see how the devotion further spread far and wide and how it not only captivates the modern day faithful from its rich tradition and history but also helped on re-discovering her maternal love and care for this nation, she was after all the "La Gran Señora de Filipinas", by making herself known in times where the nation and the whole world is in darkness, uncertainty and fear and as we look to her beautiful and regal face, she gives us an assurance that she and her Son will never leave us and will always be with us.

Regina Sacratissimi Rosarii, ora pro nobis!

References:

"Beware the Litanies of the Friars Preachers, for they work wonders!", Retrieved from http://dominican-liturgy.blogspot.com/2020/06/beware-litaniies-of-friars-preachers.html on October 20, 2020.

Dagohoy, Herminio, The Saga of La Naval, Triumph of the People's Faith, Dominican Province of the Philippines, Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.,2007. 

Lomague, Mervin, G. Mapagaliw sa mga nagdadalamhati: "The Dungaw of Santo Domingo's La Naval de Manila [Video file], 2020. Retrieved from https://fb.watch/1svCXImDUu/ on October 15, 2020.

Photos:

Daquioag, Michael

Guanlao, Eric Paul for EWTN Asia Pacific

Special thanks to Bro. Mervin Lomague, OP for the lecture that was given years after the La Naval de Manila festivities that sheds light on the old traditions of the Santo Rosario and to Mr. Michael Daquiaog and Mr. Eric Gunlao for the photographs used in this day.

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