Three Manila Marian feasts in May

by: Jia Bote, Julianne Lane Mora, and Carl Daniel Reyes

The month of May is devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Recognized to be a month of festivities – fiestas are held in barangays, churches, and chapels that give everyone a chance to focus solely on a spiritual connection with the Blessed Mother of Christ.

Manila is home to several historical and miraculous images of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and these churches under her patronage are celebrating its feast days every May.

Here are three titles of the Blessed Virgin Mary that are found in Manila and celebrate its feast day during the month of May:

Our Lady of Guidance - Feast day: May 19

Photo from: Morefunwithjuan

The revered image of Our Lady of Guidance is enthroned at the high altar of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Senora de Guia, colloquially known as Ermita Church. The image, made of molave wood, was found on May 19, 1571, at the same spot where the current church is standing today.

Her feast day is celebrated every May 19, the day when the image was found. The feast coincides with the Bota de Flores Festival. The festival is celebrated to pay homage to Our Lady of Guidance by tossing flowers to her statue as a sign of thanksgiving for her guidance.

The statue of the Our Lady of Guidance is considered to be the oldest existing Marian statue in the country and was canonically crowned in December 1955. This title of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Patroness of Manila, Overseas Filipino Workers, and navigators.

Our Lady of Abandoned - Feast day: May 12

Photo from: NSOLASAM FACEBOOK PAGE

Roman Catholics celebrate the feast days of the miraculous Our Lady of the Abandoned or Nuestra Senora de los Desamparados — the patroness of the 6th district of Manila, Santa Ana on Thursday, May 12.

Filipinos' unwavering devotion to Our Lady of the Abandoned has led to the establishment and dedication of a parish in the country as a means of asking for her protection.

Santa Ana Church, formally known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned, exhibits the nation's oldest customs for the homage of the Our Lady of the Abandoned image – the Blessed Virgin Mary in the country along with Markina City.

This festival represents a loving mother who answers the prayers of neglected children and anybody else who asks for guidance, as devotees honor the Blessed Virgin Mary as a mother who takes care of and adopts all individuals, particularly the weakest, most forgotten, and most neglected members of society.

Our Lady of Penafrancia de Manila - Feast day: Third Sunday of May

Photo from: Our Lady of Penafrancia Parish

Meanwhile, Our Lady of Peñafrancia de Manila is located in Paco, Manila, which is also under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Manila.

In 1587, the Dominican friars were on a mission to spread the devotion of the sacred Our Lady of Peñafrancia in the Philippines through several religious expeditions.

During Pope John Paul II’s papacy, the venerated image was canonically crowned by the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin on November 10, 1985, at the Quirino Grandstand.

In 2022, which coincided with the 325th arrival of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia de Manila’s image, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula elevated the status of the parish into an archdiocesan shrine.

On May 14, the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia de Manila celebrated its 326th fiesta, which also coincided with its first shrinehood anniversary as an archdiocesan shrine. A Grand Santacruzan was held on the eve of the feast, and a grand procession of the image was held the following day, its actual feast day.