Our Lady of Good Success
Encyclopedia
Our Lady of Good Success, also called as Our Lady of Good Events ' onMouseout='HidePop("52861")' href="/topics/Filipino_language">Filipino
: Ina ng Mabubuting Pangyayari) is one of the titles of Blessed Virgin Mary. This title is shared among numerous images around the world — a number of images in Spain
, one in Quito
, Ecuador
, and one in Parañaque, Philippines
. It is claimed that Quito's image had produced an apparition - to Mother Mariana de Jésus Torres.
Two Spanish
friars, Brothers Gabriel de Fontaned and Guillermo de Rigosa traveled to Rome
to meet the Pope
for the approval of their order (The Order of Minims
for the Service of the Sick or The Order of Saint Francis of Paola
). As they were passing through the town of Traigueras (under the jurisdiction of Tortosa
in the Principate of Cataluña), a furious storm descended upon them. The brothers prayed for God's guidance and help. Immediately they saw a mysterious light coming from a cave in a cliff. Climbing up, they entered and found a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary holding the Baby Jesus in her arms. They reported being surrounded by shimmering lights and fragrant scents. As no one claimed the statue, the two carried it with them, hoping that the Blessed Mother would help in getting approval for their order.
On arriving in Rome, the brothers were worried that they might not obtain papal consent. However, Pope Paul V on hearing the story of their journey, knelt before the statue and placed his pectoral cross
around the its neck. As he embraced and kissed the statue, he said:
He then blessed it and christened her Our Lady of Good Success. The image was placed in the Royal Hospital of Madrid. Here, the image became famous "for the numerous favors granted by Heaven through her". In 1641??, Philip III
ordered the construction of the Sanctuary of the Puerta del Sol
. This enshrines the image renowned among the churches of Madrid. Soon, as its popularity and devotion spread, the image is replicated and placed in different places in Spain: Orduña
, La Puebla de Gordon, Tudela
, Abla
, and among others.
Five religious sisters traveled from Spain to Quito, Ecuador to start the first convent. Mariana de Jésus Torres, one of the young nuns, saw the Blessed Mother herself. She asked her if she would be willing to offer her life for the sins of the Twentieth century. She was also given the choice to stay in heaven or earth. Mariana decided to stay.
On February 2, 1610, as Mariana was praying to the Blessed Mother, she appeared to her and stated:
Mary told Mother Mariana some prophecies which will happen in the Twentieth Century, particularly about the corruption, oppression and unavailability of the sacraments and also crisis in the clergy.
Our Lady of Good Success commanded a statue to be made to her likeness stating:
Our Lady of Good Success also told Mother Mariana that this statue was to be made, for these reasons:
Over the course of ten years Mother Mariana struggled with the issue of completing the statue. Many obstacles prevented its sculpting. One obstacle was a fear of idolatry on the part of the native people in Quito. Another was Mother Mariana’s personal fear of not being believed and thus putting the convent in jeopardy. There was already an upheaval in the convent caused by an unfaithful and rebellious sister who incited other sisters against Mother Mariana and the sisters who were faithful to the rules of their order. This sister was known as “La Capitana” (the Captain). Mother Mariana was mystically informed of the horrible state of this sister's soul. She desired to save her from eternal damnation; however, the only solution given to Mother Mariana was that she, herself, would have to take on the sufferings and punishments of hell that this sister would have to endure in hell had Mother Mariana not interceded for her. This she was to bear for five long years. Mother Mariana agreed to this sentence. She was the picture of virtue during this time and no one but her confessor knew of the tormented life she led at this time. As a result of Mother Mariana’s years of suffering “La Capitana” finally repented. For the remainder of her life she did penance for the sins she had committed.
In the year 1610, she asked the permission of the Bishop to create the statue. He agreed for he'd dreamt that his life depended on it. The sculpting of the statue of Our Lady of Good Success was given to Francisco del Castillo. Castillo was chosen as he was a talented sculptor and a devotee of the Blessed Mother. As he was adding the finishing touches, Castillo went out to purchase some paints for the faces of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus.
While Castillo was away, Mother Mariana and the other sisters went to the choir loft to beseech Our Lady to keep her promise. Afterwards, Mother Mariana was alone praying in the choir loft. Suddenly, Our Lady of Good Success appeared with the Archangel
s Michael
, Gabriel
and Raphael
along with St. Francis of Assisi. The archangels bowed down to Mary and sang a prayer:
With this, the statue of Our Lady was completed. The statue became animated as Mary walked into the statue itself. Our Lady of Good Success began to sing the “Magnificat
”. This occurred on the morning of January 16, 1611 at 3:00 AM. A choir
of heavenly spirits began to sing “Salve Sancta Parens” which awakened the rest of the convent. The sisters rushed to the choir loft and found the statue transformed and surrounded by a heavenly light.
The statue of Our Lady of Good Success was blessed on February 2, 1611. On that day, she was placed above the seat of the Abbess chair at her own specific request as a sign to all that she was the one who governed and watched over the convent. Her official title being that of “Mary of Good Success of the Purification”.
On February 2, 1634, 23 years after the first apparition, Our Lady of Good Success appeared again to Mother Mariana. As Mother Mariana was praying in the upper choir loft before the Blessed Sacrament
, the Sanctuary lamp
went out. Mother Mariana was left in complete darkness. This apparition concerned terrible things that would happen during these latter times.
Our Lady of Good Success told Mother Mariana that a time of great evil would fall upon the Catholic Church. The general theme concerned a lax and perverse clergy. Many members of the Catholic clergy would "become as thieves", stealing the tabernacle light of Faith, which belongs to every Catholic by virtue of their baptism in the Church. Furthermore,she was told, they would rob Catholics of: Doctrine
, Dogma
and Tradition. Ransacking the Church as it were and leaving Catholics in darkness, without even the light from the Sanctuary lamp. Our Lady of Good Success explained in detail that there were five reasons for this extinguishing of the light:
After seeing the visions, Mother Mariana fainted and remained unconscious. The doctor declared that her death was imminent but she woke up within a few days and regained her health.
The history of Our Lady of Good Success in Parañaque was based on the writings of Father Nicolas de San Pedro, OSA
, the vicar of St. Andrew's Parish (today Cathedral Parish of St. Andrew).
The Augustinian fathers brought the image from Spain as a gift from the King to the Filipinos
converts. The Augustinians stayed in Palanyag (Parañaque) and built St. Andrew's Parish in 1580, the same year the image was delivered. Her image was left untouched and covered with dust. Catig, a poor native from Don Galo, saw this and asked the sacristan if he could take the statue home. This was granted and Catiq took the statue to his house, lighting votive candles to honor the Virgin.
As Catig lay dying on his bed, his neighbors called Fr. Juan de Guevarra to deliver last rites. Upon blessing Catig, Fr. Guevarra saw the statue standing near the bed. He asked Catig for the her in exchange of PHP
24 (Note that peso was costly during the Spanish era in the Philippines.) At first, Catiq refused but then changed his mind knowing that she should be revered by the people. Father Guevarra took the statue and placed it in his room after Catiq had died.
In the room, according to Fr. Guevarra, a miracle happened: a mysterious light emanated from her image, and he heard glorious hymns. Fr. Guevarra concluded that the image was miraculous.
The people of Palanyag assembled and voted to give the icon a name. Each suggested a title on a piece of paper and dropped it into a box held by an eight-year-old boy. The title "Our Lady of Good Events" (Buen Suceso) was chosen by six people and the image thus obtained its name.
Archbishop Miguel Garcia Serrano and some of the officials of Manila
joined to venerate the Lady's image. It was said that Archbishop Serrano is the first one to create the novena
and reconstructed the altar. After the reconstruction, another feast was celebrated on February 22, 1626. Many went to the celebration, not only the ones who live in Parañaque, but also the neighboring provinces.
. Many joined in the celebration: parishioners, local government officials, and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
, before she became president. After the Lady was crowned, people shouted, "Viva la Virgen!" (Long live the Virgin!) After the mass, a procession was held with the statue of Our Lady. Our Lady of Good Success serves as the patroness of the Diocese of Parañaque; followed by St. Andrew the Apostle, the patron of the Cathedral.
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
: Ina ng Mabubuting Pangyayari) is one of the titles of Blessed Virgin Mary. This title is shared among numerous images around the world — a number of images in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, one in Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, and one in Parañaque, 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...
. It is claimed that Quito's image had produced an apparition - to Mother Mariana de Jésus Torres.
Spain
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
friars, Brothers Gabriel de Fontaned and Guillermo de Rigosa traveled to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
to meet the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
for the approval of their order (The Order of Minims
Minim (religious order)
The Minims are members of a Roman Catholic religious order of friars founded by Saint Francis of Paola in fifteenth-century Italy...
for the Service of the Sick or The Order of Saint Francis of Paola
Francis of Paola
Saint Francis of Paola was an Italian mendicant friar and the founder of the Roman Catholic Order of the Minims.-Biography:...
). As they were passing through the town of Traigueras (under the jurisdiction of Tortosa
Tortosa
-External links:* *** * * *...
in the Principate of Cataluña), a furious storm descended upon them. The brothers prayed for God's guidance and help. Immediately they saw a mysterious light coming from a cave in a cliff. Climbing up, they entered and found a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary holding the Baby Jesus in her arms. They reported being surrounded by shimmering lights and fragrant scents. As no one claimed the statue, the two carried it with them, hoping that the Blessed Mother would help in getting approval for their order.
On arriving in Rome, the brothers were worried that they might not obtain papal consent. However, Pope Paul V on hearing the story of their journey, knelt before the statue and placed his pectoral cross
Pectoral cross
A pectoral cross or pectorale is a cross, usually relatively large, suspended from the neck by a cord or chain that reaches well down the chest. It is worn by the clergy as an indication of their position, and is different from the small crosses worn on necklaces by many Christians, which have no...
around the its neck. As he embraced and kissed the statue, he said:
He then blessed it and christened her Our Lady of Good Success. The image was placed in the Royal Hospital of Madrid. Here, the image became famous "for the numerous favors granted by Heaven through her". In 1641??, Philip III
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
ordered the construction of the Sanctuary of the Puerta del Sol
Puerta del Sol
The Puerta del Sol is one of the best known and busiest places in Madrid. This is the centre of the radial network of Spanish roads. The square also contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a new year...
. This enshrines the image renowned among the churches of Madrid. Soon, as its popularity and devotion spread, the image is replicated and placed in different places in Spain: Orduña
Orduña
Orduña is a town and municipality of 4,057 inhabitants located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the North of Spain....
, La Puebla de Gordon, Tudela
Tudela, Navarre
Tudela is a municipality in Spain, the second city of the autonomous community of Navarre. Its population is around 35,000. Tudela is sited in the Ebro valley. Fast trains running on two-track electrified railways serve the city and two freeways join close to it...
, Abla
Abla
-External links: - Diputación Provincial de Almería...
, and among others.
Quito, Ecuador
On February 2, 1610, as Mariana was praying to the Blessed Mother, she appeared to her and stated:
- “I am Mary of Good Success, whom you have invoked with such tender affection. Your prayer has pleased me very much. Your faith has brought me here. Your love has invited me to visit you.…."
Mary told Mother Mariana some prophecies which will happen in the Twentieth Century, particularly about the corruption, oppression and unavailability of the sacraments and also crisis in the clergy.
Our Lady of Good Success commanded a statue to be made to her likeness stating:
- “…now I ask and command you to have a statue to be made for the consolation and preservation of my convent and for those faithful souls of that epoch during which there will be a great devotion to me, for I am the Queen of Heaven under many invocations…With the making of this statue I will favor not only my convent, but also the people of Quito—and all the people throughout the centuries.”
- “First so that men in the future might realize how powerful I am in placating Divine Justice and obtaining mercy and pardon for every sinner who comes to me with a contrite heart. For I am the Mother of Mercy and in me there is only goodness and love.”
- “And second …when tribulations of spirit and sufferings of the body oppress them and they seem to be drowning in this bottomless sea let them gaze at my holy image and I will always be there ready to listen to their cries and soothe their pain. Tell them that they should always run to their Mother with confidence and love...”
Over the course of ten years Mother Mariana struggled with the issue of completing the statue. Many obstacles prevented its sculpting. One obstacle was a fear of idolatry on the part of the native people in Quito. Another was Mother Mariana’s personal fear of not being believed and thus putting the convent in jeopardy. There was already an upheaval in the convent caused by an unfaithful and rebellious sister who incited other sisters against Mother Mariana and the sisters who were faithful to the rules of their order. This sister was known as “La Capitana” (the Captain). Mother Mariana was mystically informed of the horrible state of this sister's soul. She desired to save her from eternal damnation; however, the only solution given to Mother Mariana was that she, herself, would have to take on the sufferings and punishments of hell that this sister would have to endure in hell had Mother Mariana not interceded for her. This she was to bear for five long years. Mother Mariana agreed to this sentence. She was the picture of virtue during this time and no one but her confessor knew of the tormented life she led at this time. As a result of Mother Mariana’s years of suffering “La Capitana” finally repented. For the remainder of her life she did penance for the sins she had committed.
In the year 1610, she asked the permission of the Bishop to create the statue. He agreed for he'd dreamt that his life depended on it. The sculpting of the statue of Our Lady of Good Success was given to Francisco del Castillo. Castillo was chosen as he was a talented sculptor and a devotee of the Blessed Mother. As he was adding the finishing touches, Castillo went out to purchase some paints for the faces of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus.
Miraculous completion of the statue
Archangel
An archangel is an angel of high rank. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Michael and Gabriel are recognized as archangels in Judaism and by most Christians. Michael is the only archangel specifically named in the Protestant Bible...
s Michael
Michael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
, Gabriel
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an Archangel who typically serves as a messenger to humans from God.He first appears in the Book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. In the Gospel of Luke Gabriel foretells the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus...
and Raphael
Raphael (archangel)
Raphael is an archangel of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, who in the Judeo-Christian tradition performs all manners of healing....
along with St. Francis of Assisi. The archangels bowed down to Mary and sang a prayer:
- "Hail to Thee, Mary Most Holy Daughter of God the Father” (St. Michael)
- "Hail to Thee, Mary Most Holy Mother of God the Son” (St. Gabriel)
- ”Hail to Thee, Mary Most Holy, Most Pure Spouse of the Holy Ghost” (St. Raphael)
- “Hail to Thee, Mary Most Holy Temple and Sacrarium of the Most Holy Trinity” (All three Archangels)
With this, the statue of Our Lady was completed. The statue became animated as Mary walked into the statue itself. Our Lady of Good Success began to sing the “Magnificat
Magnificat
The Magnificat — also known as the Song of Mary or the Canticle of Mary — is a canticle frequently sung liturgically in Christian church services. It is one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns and perhaps the earliest Marian hymn...
”. This occurred on the morning of January 16, 1611 at 3:00 AM. A choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
of heavenly spirits began to sing “Salve Sancta Parens” which awakened the rest of the convent. The sisters rushed to the choir loft and found the statue transformed and surrounded by a heavenly light.
The statue of Our Lady of Good Success was blessed on February 2, 1611. On that day, she was placed above the seat of the Abbess chair at her own specific request as a sign to all that she was the one who governed and watched over the convent. Her official title being that of “Mary of Good Success of the Purification”.
Burning out of Sanctuary Light
Blessed Sacrament
The Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, to refer to the Host after it has been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
, the Sanctuary lamp
Sanctuary lamp
A sanctuary lamp, altar lamp, everlasting light or eternal flame is a light that shines before the altar of sanctuaries in many denominations of Jewish and Christian places of worship. Prescribed in ] 27:20-21] of the Hebrew Bible, this icon has taken on different meanings in each of the religions...
went out. Mother Mariana was left in complete darkness. This apparition concerned terrible things that would happen during these latter times.
Our Lady of Good Success told Mother Mariana that a time of great evil would fall upon the Catholic Church. The general theme concerned a lax and perverse clergy. Many members of the Catholic clergy would "become as thieves", stealing the tabernacle light of Faith, which belongs to every Catholic by virtue of their baptism in the Church. Furthermore,she was told, they would rob Catholics of: Doctrine
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
, Dogma
Dogma
Dogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, or a particular group or organization. It is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from, by the practitioners or believers...
and Tradition. Ransacking the Church as it were and leaving Catholics in darkness, without even the light from the Sanctuary lamp. Our Lady of Good Success explained in detail that there were five reasons for this extinguishing of the light:
- The first reason was that towards the end of the 19th Century and through the 20th Century, heresies would prevail - not only in Ecuador but universally: “As these heresies spread out and become dominant, the precious light of FaithFaithFaith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
will be extinguished in souls by the almost total corruption of customs.”
- The second reason was that in the days to come the Conceptionist community itself would shrink and become infected with bad attitudes and false charity as a result of the pervading situation in the Church. Many vocations would be lost as a direct result: “The faithful souls will suffer a continuous and slow martyrdom - weeping in secret and imploring that those dire times be shortened.”
- The third reason the lamp failed was because during the prophesied century, the 20th, a worldwide campaign against the virtues of chastityChastityChastity refers to the sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the moral standards and guidelines of a culture, civilization, or religion....
, and purity would succeed in corrupting the youth. Our Lady of Good Success stated, “There will be few virgin souls left in the world”
- The fourth reason the lamp was put out was to demonstrate how the MasonsFreemasonryFreemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
and other secret sects would have so much influence on society and even within the Church. “During these unfortunate times,” she foretold, “evil will invade childhood innocence. In this way, vocations to the priesthood will be lost, resulting in a true calamity.” Our Lady of Good Success foresaw that there would still be some good, faithful religious who would be willing to suffer for the salvation of souls and life of the Holy Catholic Church. However, “The clergy will leave much to be desired because priests will become careless in their sacred duties. Lacking the divine compass, they will stray from the road traced by God for the priestly ministry, and they will become attached to wealth and riches, which they will unduly strive to attain. How the Church will suffer during this dark night! Lacking a prelate and a father to guide them, many priests will lose their spirit, placing their souls in great danger.”
Our Lady affirmed that the remaining faithful priests upholding the Faith in the times ahead would suffer greatly. “Against them the impious will wage a cruel war, overwhelming them with vituperations, calumnies and vexationsVexationsVexations is a noted musical work by Erik Satie. Apparently conceived for keyboard , it consists of a short theme in the bass whose four presentations are alternatively heard unaccompanied and played with chords above...
in order to stop them from fulfilling their ministry. But they, like firm columns, will remain unswerving and will confront everything with a spirit of humility and sacrifice with which they will be vested, by virtue of the infinite merits of my most Holy Son, Who will love them in the innermost fibers of His Most Holy and Tender Heart. Our Lady of Good Success implored that the people of this time should “clamor insistently” to the Heavenly Father for an end to ‘these ominous times’ sending to the Church a prelate and father who would restore the spirit to the priests”.
- The fifth reason for lamp going out is the uncharitability of those who have the financial means to help the Church but who do nothing. Their miserly attitude toward God and His Church will allow evil to seemingly triumph.
After seeing the visions, Mother Mariana fainted and remained unconscious. The doctor declared that her death was imminent but she woke up within a few days and regained her health.
Parañaque, Philippines
The history of Our Lady of Good Success in Parañaque was based on the writings of Father Nicolas de San Pedro, OSA
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
, the vicar of St. Andrew's Parish (today Cathedral Parish of St. Andrew).
The Augustinian fathers brought the image from Spain as a gift from the King to the Filipinos
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
converts. The Augustinians stayed in Palanyag (Parañaque) and built St. Andrew's Parish in 1580, the same year the image was delivered. Her image was left untouched and covered with dust. Catig, a poor native from Don Galo, saw this and asked the sacristan if he could take the statue home. This was granted and Catiq took the statue to his house, lighting votive candles to honor the Virgin.
As Catig lay dying on his bed, his neighbors called Fr. Juan de Guevarra to deliver last rites. Upon blessing Catig, Fr. Guevarra saw the statue standing near the bed. He asked Catig for the her in exchange of PHP
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
24 (Note that peso was costly during the Spanish era in the Philippines.) At first, Catiq refused but then changed his mind knowing that she should be revered by the people. Father Guevarra took the statue and placed it in his room after Catiq had died.
In the room, according to Fr. Guevarra, a miracle happened: a mysterious light emanated from her image, and he heard glorious hymns. Fr. Guevarra concluded that the image was miraculous.
Enthronement to the altar
Father Guevarra reported the miracle immediately to the superior of the Augustinians, Father Alonzo de Mentrida. Upon hearing the words of the friar, he ordered that the icon be transported to St. Andrew's Church. On August 10, 1625, a great procession was held, and the image was mounted over the altar.The people of Palanyag assembled and voted to give the icon a name. Each suggested a title on a piece of paper and dropped it into a box held by an eight-year-old boy. The title "Our Lady of Good Events" (Buen Suceso) was chosen by six people and the image thus obtained its name.
Archbishop Miguel Garcia Serrano and some of the officials of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
joined to venerate the Lady's image. It was said that Archbishop Serrano is the first one to create the 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...
and reconstructed the altar. After the reconstruction, another feast was celebrated on February 22, 1626. Many went to the celebration, not only the ones who live in Parañaque, but also the neighboring provinces.
Canonical coronation
The image of Our Lady of Good Success was canonically crowned as "The Patroness of the City of Parañaque" on September 8, 2000, the same day as the feast of the Virgin Mary's birthNativity of Mary
The Nativity of Mary, or Birth of the Virgin and various permutations, is celebrated as a liturgical feast in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and in most Anglican liturgical calendars on 8 September, nine months after the solemnity of her Immaculate Conception, celebrated on 8 December...
. Many joined in the celebration: parishioners, local government officials, and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
, before she became president. After the Lady was crowned, people shouted, "Viva la Virgen!" (Long live the Virgin!) After the mass, a procession was held with the statue of Our Lady. Our Lady of Good Success serves as the patroness of the Diocese of Parañaque; followed by St. Andrew the Apostle, the patron of the Cathedral.