From obscurity to a timely comeback - A look back on the revival of the devotion to Nuestra Señora de la Salud

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Nuestra Señora de la Salud

It's been years since the centuries old image of Nuestra Señora de la Salud made a comeback after decades of obscurity from the confines of the Recollect Museum in Mira Nila Homes, Quezon City  throughout 2016 and 2017. This generation was fortunate enough to see this day coming as one of the celebrated miraculous images of Old Intramuros returns to once again shower graces of healing to the present generation of Marian devotees in the country and other parts of the world.

Nuestra Señora de la Salud
How it all happened?

I've already discussed in one of my early blog entries the history of Nuestra Señora de la Salud based from the surviving accounts from numerous books and resources in the archives of the Order of the Augustinian Recollects and in the available books and articles found in other libraries and public domain. The story of the image began in 1634 when the seventh group of the Augustinian Recollect friars arrived in our country and have the image first enshrined in the old Parish in San Juan de Bagumbayan (now part of Rizal Park in Luneta) then moved to San Nicolas de Tolentino Church in Intramuros on two occasions and stayed there until the Second World War. From the moment the image and the devotion was introduced in the country, numerous miracles were attributed to her intercession - including the pacification of the Second Chinese Revolt of 1640. 

Despite the old popular belief that the Virgin disappeared, the image was spared from the desutrction of old San Nicolas Church in Intramuros and was  kept first in the sacristy of Basilica Minore de San Sebastian since 1945 until she was transferred to their new Monastery in Quezon City and was later donated to their museum in in the same city in 1988 up to the present. Consequently, the devotion came to the oblivion due to her long absence in the public eye.

Nuestra Señora de la Salud during the
Grand Marian Procession
The wait was over 

Year later, there were clamors of some faithful who studied and remembered the glorious history of Old Intramuros and those who recently discovered the almost forgotten devotion to the Black Virgin, to revive the devotion and expose the miraculous image once again for public veneration. In 2006, the Virgin came out to from the Museo for the first time for the International Order of Augustinian Recollects Mission Congress held at San Sebastian Church and the whole Recoleto family saw her for the first time in decades and this ignited the desire to revive the devotion to her. 

A decade later, in 2016, with the help of lay devotees, two events would mark the return of the Virgen de la Salud to the public, A Marian exhibit held at Bulwagang Recoleto in November 2016 and a triumphant comeback to Intramuros where she graced the Grand Marian Procession 2016 that December. The public finally saw her for the first time since her shrine was destroyed during the Second World War almost eighty years ago and were marveled at her presence and she was greeted with the shouts of "Maligayang Pagbabalik!" (Welcome Back!), "¡Viva la Virgen!" among others. From that moment on, the Image of Nuestra Señora de la Salud became one of the regular participants of the Grand Marian Procession in Intramuros, Manila that is held every First Sunday of December.

Making her presence known

Aside from the successful outings of the Virgin, She also made rounds through a national caravan were replicas of La Salud visited several parishes in the country and replicas are also enthroned to her stops as a reminder of her visit. The caravan began in late 2017 with her visits at different Augustinian Recollect and Diocesan Parishes, Chapels, Shrines, Convents and Seminaries in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. 

Nuestra Señora de la Salud during the Grand 
Marian Procession that made in the pages of
Philippine Star

The nationwide caravan was a success and requests for her visits are on demand that the visitation and enthronement of replicas of La Salud continues to visit different parishes, convents, chapels and monasteries as far as Batanes. The faithful flock to see before their eyes the petite image that became an instrument of different prodigies over the years and it is said that miraculous cures took place during her nationwide visitation.

Experiencing Mary's Healing Love - A symposium on Hyperdulia

The Recollect Fathers also held a Marian symposium at Bulwagang Rekoleto, Miranila homes, Quezon City on October 28, 2017. The symposium was held in line of the re-introduction of Nuestra Senora de la Salud to the Filipino faithful. Around 300 Marian devotees gathered at the hall of the Bulwagan who wanted to gain more knowledge about the unique Marian devotion that we Filipinos have and the devotion that the Recollect Fathers introduced to the country. The symposium featured three guests speakers from different expertise from Msgr. Sabino Vengco, noted Mariologist, Rev. Fr. Emil Quilatan, OAR, Church historian and Archivist of the Order and Rev. Fr. Rommel Rubia, OAR, historian of the Order. 

Msgr. Vengco tackled about "Hyperdulia", the unique veneration given to the Blessed Virgin Mary that the faithful are giving to her and some notes on Marian devotion in the Philippines. Rev. Fr. Quilatan on the other hand discussed the Marian devotion that the Recollect Order introduced to the Philippines, notably that of Nuestra Senora del Carmen de San Sebastián (the first image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Philippines), Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Imus, (the Patroness of the Diocese of Imus, Cavite) among others. Rev. Fr. Rubia discussed in his talk about the history of the devotion to Nuestra Senora de la Salud from her arrival, her popularity, her obscurity during the Second World War and the efforts to revive the devotion to La Salud in modern times.

Aside from the talk, the attendees were given the chance to tour around Museo Recoleto, through the guidance of Rev. Fr. Hector Gonzales, OAR, where they viewed some important artifacts from different Recollect Churches in the country and an ongoing Marian Exhibit that showcases different Marian images that are venerated all over the country. 

The Traslacion of Nuestra Señora
de la Salud
The symposium was concluded with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered by Rev. Fr. Dionisio Selma, OAR, Prior Provincial of the Order of the Augustinian Recollects in the Philippines. Before the Sacrifice of the Mass, the original image of Nuestra Senora de la Salud was brought down from her provisional altar in the Museum for the veneration of the attendees. 


La Salud's Traslacion and her first Fiesta in years

The moment has come to formally reintroduce the devotion to Nuestra Senora de la Salud to the Filipino faithful after years of obscurity since the destruction of her sanctuary during the Second World War in 1945. Two significant events took place to mark this important comeback - the Traslacion of the original image and her first Fiesta after almost eighty years since the Second World War.

The Traslacion of the original image of Nuestra Senora de la Salud was held on November 4, 2017 where the image was formally transferred via a motorcade from Museo Recoleto in Miranila Homes, Quezon City to her new home in San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish in Congressional Avenue, Quezon City. The Virgin was accompanied by the Recollect fathers she was welcomed by the San Nicolas Parishioners, Marian devotees and the processional image of St. Nicholas of Tolentino - the Patron of the Parish. The Sacrifice of the Mass followed after the solemn enthronement rites and the faithful were given the chance to venerate up close the miraculous image of Nuestra Senora de la Salud. 

Fr. Dionisio Selma, OAR, Father provincial
of the Augustinian Recollects enthroning
the image of Nuestra Señora de la Salud at
her new home
Days later, on November 17, 2017, the first fiesta of Nuestra Senora de la Salud was celebrated after almost eighty years since the Second World War. The fiesta was well attended with more pilgrims from different parts of the country flocked to San Nicolas Parish to celebrate with her fiesta. After the celebrated Holy Mass offered by the Augustinian Recollects fathers, a Grand procession followed after where the Virgin was accompanied by images of the saints of the Augustinian Recollect Order from St. Augustine, St. Monica, St. Ezekiel Moreno, OAR, St. Magdalena de Nagasaki, OAR, San Nicolas de Tolentino, St. Rita of Cascia, Sta. Clara de Montefalco, San Juan de Sahagun, Sto. Tomas de Villanova and St. Joseph. The procession winded the streets of Congressional Avenue with lighted candles flickering along the way while praying the Holy Rosary and singing of different Marian Hymns in honor of the Black Virgin of Health. The Fiesta was concluded with the public veneration of the image and a thanksgiving feast for pilgrims. 

On November 17, 2019, the new chapel of Nuestra Señora de la Salud was formally blessed and opened where the image is now permanently enshrined up to the present. A confraternity is also planned to be re-organized to further help on the propagation of the devotion to Nuestra Señora de la Salud. 

When graces shone forth once again

It seemed that the revival of the devotion to Nuestra Señora de la Salud is very timely for our present world is afflicted with all kinds of sickness and her maternal intervention is needed more that ever. From the moment the Caravan for the revival of the devotion to the Virgin, there were reports of numerous women who cannot conceive a child became expectant mothers when they asked help to Nuestra Señora de la Salud. From then on, more reported cures were record from recovery from dengue, cures from cancer (disappearance of cancer cells without medications) cures from other illness and most remarkably the cases of a patient who recovered from multiple organ failure and a patient who recovered from the a comatose state.

These numerous graces of healing shows us that she will always be there for us and she is ready to intercede for us to her Son, the Divine Doctor and Healer. While on earth, Our Lady was ever kind to the sick. She has not ceased to help them now that She is in Heaven. But even so, through all the ages of Christianity, She has been the constant nursing-mother at the sick-beds of Her children. Health of body, yes; Mary wants us to have that, as Her Divine Son gave health of body. But most of all, She wants for us health of soul. She who cooperated in the Redemption wants to see us healed of the disease of soul.

Nuestra Señora de la Salud, pray for us! 

References:

Barcelona, Mary Anne, "Ynang Maria: a celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Philippines". Ed. Consuelo B. Estampa, P.D. Pasig City, Anvil Publishing Inc., 2004.

Rubia, Rommel, OAR, "La Salud: the Black Virgin of Health", Recoletos Communications, Order of Augustinian Recollects, Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno, Quezon City, 2016.

"Testimonials to the powerful intercession of Nuestra Señora de la Salud", San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish, Quezon City, 2019.

Photos:

Dacquioag, Michael of Buen Viaje PH

Bernardo, Fritz Rinaldi

Order of the Augustinian Recollects Media Communications

+AM+DG+

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