Regina Caeli: Pontifically Crowned Marian Statues in the Philippines at San Agustin Convent

San Agustin museum and convent became the site of the Marian exhibit entitled “Regina Caeli”.

part of the exhibit also included some Santo Niño de Cebú

The marian exhibit aims to show that the Philippines is “Pueblo Amante de Maria” or a people in love with Mary.

San Agustin church museum and convent

There were 35 pontifically crowned Marian images are on display at the San Agustin Museum in Intramuros, Manila.

Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario- La Naval de Manila- the first canonically crown marian statue in the country in 1907.

list of exhibitors and santo devotees

The exhibit opened last October 10. It is a joint undertaking of the museum and the different Marian shrines, parishes and santo devotees in the country with special partnership with Intramuros administration.

Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia

Nuestra Señora del Rosario

Nuestra Señora de la Vicitacion de Piat

Camarero : Mr. Jeorge Allan R. Tengco

We visited the shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Vicitacion de Piat few months ago in Cagayan province.

Nuestra Señora de la Regla de Opon

Camarero: Mr. Noel B. Abquilan

We were fortunate to visit the exhibit and met some of the Marian devotees and camarero who gave us some devotional pamphlets and leaflets. Saw some familar faces at the site.

Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculata Concepcion de Caysasay

Camarero: Mr. Jake Sylvestre

Regina Caeli Exhibition

 

Nuestra Señora de la Caridad

Virgen de los Remedios de Pampanga

Exhibitor: Cofradia ning Indung Virgen delos Remedios

Camarero: Mr. Jeffrey Popatco

Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Santa Cruz de Manila

Camarero: John Felix Santos

La Virgen Divina Pastora de Gapan

Monsignor Gabriele Viola, secretary of papal nuncio Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, led the opening and blessing of the exhibit with several dignitaries, Marian devotees, and art enthusiasts.

Government officials from the country’s cultural agencies were also present, including Intramuros Administration Director Atty. Guiller Asido.

Nuestra Señora del Santissimo Rosario de Orani 

Camarero: Mr. Roland De Guzman

Nuestra Señora del Pilar

Origin : Spain made of silver 1870

from San Agustin Museum collection

This statue was given by the 87th Spanish Governor General Domingo Moriones y Murillo ( February 1877 – March 1880) to the Augustinian friars of Convento de San Pablo in Intramuros, Manila

Our Lady of Lourdes

Camarero: Mr. Roger Lou Salva

Canonically Crown Marian Images and Statues

Nuestra Señora de la Caridad de Agoo

Camarero: Mr. Carlo Verdadero

There are at least 42 Marian images that have been granted a pontifical coronation and enshrined in shrines and churches across the country: 37 in Luzon, four in the Visayas and one in Mindanao.

La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon

Camarero: Mr. Jun Ortega

Three more will be crowned in 2020: La Purisima Concepcion de Santa Maria in Bulacan on Feb. 1, Nuestra Señora de los Dolores in Quezon on March 25 and Nuestra Señora de Lourdes of Quezon City whose date has yet to be announced.

The ongoing exhibit runs until October 31, 2019.

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A Visit to the National Shrine of La Virgen Divina Pastora

Three Kings Parish, Delos Reyes Street,  3105 Gapan City , Nueva Ecija province -Philippines

The Divina Pastora’s two centuries of existence has given rise to legends on the origin of the image – that it was found floating on a river, or discovered under a tree. The fact is the image did not have a supernatural but rather historical origin.

The exterior of the church is plain while its interior formerly has a central retablo with niches dedicated to the Epiphany of the Lord and to the Virgen La Divina Pastora.

National Shrine of La Virgen de Divina Pastora

Near the end of the 1700s in Gapan, there lived a woman named Doña Juana Valmonte, one of the eight children of Don Bartolome dela Cruz Valmonte, said to be Gapan’s first gobernadorcillo in 1747, and Doña Eulalia Fernandez — the couple from whom all the Valmontes descended.

church marker

The Parish Church of the Three Kings in Gapan is considered the oldest and biggest colonial church in Nueva Ecija. In 1986, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines declared this church as the National Shrine of Virgen La Divina Pastora.

interior

A spinster, Dona Juana was a woman who could be considered much ahead of the ladies of her era. She lived in the family farm, serving as its overseer, in Barrio Callos, named after a tree species that abounds in the place that, at that time, was a part of Gapan but is now within the jurisdiction of the adjacent town of Peñaranda.

This central retablo however was torn down in the 1970s due to infestation of termites. It was replaced with a modern style sanctuary dominated by a huge image of the Crucifixion, arguably the largest in the province of Nueva Ecija. Only the two side retablo are maintained to this day. Prominently displayed on the left retablo is the original miniature image of the Virgen Divina Pastora which was donated by the Valmonte Family in 1986. The right retablo enshrines the Adoration of the Magi.

church ceiling

Described as a stocky woman, she was said to possess such physical prowess that she could wrestle cattle to the ground when it was time to brand them.

While the palitada of the walls was stripped, the grand painting of the Holy Trinity on the church’s dome has been preserved. Local artist, Isidoro Samonte painted this image in the early 1900s.

angels

We were led up to the church belfry and we saw some bats living

ecclesiastical museum

life sized statue

collection of rosaries from different countries

private chapel

Located within the church is an old house which also served as private quarters of the current head of the shrine. We were allowed an exclusive access to the chapel.

Website links:

http://monvalmonte.com/divinapastora/main.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Shrine_of_Virgen_La_Divina_Pastora