National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Encyclopedia
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The church houses one of the most venerated and celebrated Marian images in the country, called an icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Our Lady of Perpetual Help or "Sancta Mater de Perpetuo Succursu" Holy Mother of Perpetual Help is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary by Pope Pius IX, associated with a Byzantine icon of the same name dating from the 15th century...
, to which miraculous powers and events are ascribed. Religious devotees flock to this sanctuary every Wednesday in what has become popularly known as "Baclaran Day", and participate in a popular Marian
Marian
Marian may refer to:* Marian , people with the given name Marian* Maid Marian, companion of Robin Hood* Marian, an adjective for things relating to Gaius Marius...
novena
Novena
In the Catholic Church, a novena is a devotion consisting of a prayer repeated on nine successive days, asking to obtain special graces. The prayers may come from prayer books, or consist of the recitation of the Rosary , or of short prayers through the day...
offered for the Blessed Virgin Mary's reputed miraculous aid and intercession. The icon is one of the two Roman Catholic Novena devotions quite popular in Manila, along with the Black Nazarene
Black Nazarene
The Black Nazarene, known to devotees as in English, is a life-sized, dark-coloured, wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ, believed to be miraculous by many Filipino devotees...
in Quiapo
Quiapo
Quiapo may refer to:*Quiapo, Chile a location in Arauco Province*Quiapo, Manila in the Philippines...
.
The original icon suspended in the altar came from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, but was transported to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
then brought to the Philippines in 1906. It bears a Papal seal in the back paneling. Many Filipino Roman Catholics attribute the overwhelming attendance and devotion to the Marian icon as Baclaran Phenomenon. The parish celebrates its annual feast day on June 27, the liturgical feast day of the Marian title. Currently, the Church also serves as the main headquarters for Redemptorist priests residing in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
The current rector is Rev. Fr. Victorino "Ino" Cueto, CSSR.
Details
The shrine is a Roman CatholicRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
parish church under the vicariate of the parish of Santa Rita de Cascia in the Diocese of Parañaque. It is situated along Roxas Boulevard
Roxas Boulevard
Roxas Boulevard is a boulevard in Metro Manila, and an eight-lane arterial road that connects the center of Manila with Pasay City, Parañaque City. It is one of the major arteries in the city's metropolitan network, designated as Radial Road 1...
in the barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
of Baclaran
Baclaran
Baclaran is a barangay located on the border of Parañaque and Pasay in Metro Manila, Philippines.The area is well-known for the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help also known as the Redemptorist Church or Baclaran Church, dedicated to Our Mother of Perpetual Help. There is also a...
in Parañaque City
Parañaque City
The City of Parañaque , or simply Parañaque , is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines....
, Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
. The present rector of the shrine is Rev. Fr. Victorino A. Cueto, C.Ss.R.
Due to the overwhelming participation of the laity each Wednesday, Novena
Novena
In the Catholic Church, a novena is a devotion consisting of a prayer repeated on nine successive days, asking to obtain special graces. The prayers may come from prayer books, or consist of the recitation of the Rosary , or of short prayers through the day...
prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary are shown on large flat-screen television screens placed all-around the perimeter of the church, making it accessible for the Roman Catholic faithful to participate in the novena service by both pamphlet and TV screen. The parish is greatly financed by many charitable social programs offered by the parish for the poor and destitute, along with extraordinary donations and mass intentions received by Filipinos both local and abroad. Because of this, the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
has canonically authorized the church to open for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in service to the Marian devotees.
The modern-Romanesque
Romanesque
Romanesque may refer to:*Romanesque art, the art of Western Europe from approximately AD 1000 to the 13th century or later*Romanesque architecture, architecture of Europe which emerged in the late 10th century and lasted to the 13th century...
styled building has a full-seating capacity of 2,000, but as many as 11,000 people including standing can be inside during Masses. An estimated 120,000 devotees are currently affiliated with the shrine. Another focus point of attraction in the shrine is the Candelarium featuring an overly-lifesized mosaic of the Blessed Virgin Mary where votive candles are offered by the laity. Many Filipinos enjoy the favor of the Perpetual Help Novena was which initially introduced by the Redemptorist priests from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Blessed Pope John Paul II visited the shrine in his Apostolic Papal Visit in 1981.
History
The Redemptorist priests brought the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help to Baclaran in 1906. Wednesday has been known as Baclaran day since the first BaclaranBaclaran
Baclaran is a barangay located on the border of Parañaque and Pasay in Metro Manila, Philippines.The area is well-known for the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help also known as the Redemptorist Church or Baclaran Church, dedicated to Our Mother of Perpetual Help. There is also a...
Novena
Novena
In the Catholic Church, a novena is a devotion consisting of a prayer repeated on nine successive days, asking to obtain special graces. The prayers may come from prayer books, or consist of the recitation of the Rosary , or of short prayers through the day...
was conducted on June 23, 1948, a Wednesday. Contrary to popular belief, the Perpetual Novena did not start in Baclaran but in the province of Iloilo
Iloilo
Iloilo is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Iloilo occupies the southeast portion of Panay Island and is bordered by Antique Province to the west and Capiz Province and the Jintotolo Channel to the north. Just off Iloilo's southeast coast is Guimaras Province,...
at the Redemptorist Church of San Clemente. After witnessing the devotion of the Ilonggos (Iloilo natives) to the Mother of Perpetual Help Novena, the Irish Redemptorist Father Gerard O'Donnell introduced the novena to Baclaran. Father Leo English
Leo James English
Father Leo James English, C.Ss.R. was the Australian compiler and editor of two of among the first most widely used bilingual dictionaries in the Philippines. He was the author of the two companion dictionaries namely, the English–Tagalog Dictionary and the Tagalog–English Dictionary...
conducted the first Baclaran Novena with 70 participants.
The icon and the church have undergone changes over time. In 1932, the Redemptorist priests replaced the Mother of Perpetual Help icon with a larger version to accommodate the growing number of devotees. The present church building of Modern Romanesque style is the third to be built on the same site. In December 1952, the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help was completed.