OUR LADY ... OF MANAOAG !

INDULGENCES FOR MANAOAG VISITORS

Our Lady of Manaoag (formally: Nuestra Señora del Santissimo Rosario de Manaoag, literal translation: Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag) is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary, associated with a statue in Manaoag, Pangasinan said to be from the 16th century. She is the patroness of the sick, the helpless and the needy.

The church is one of the Philippines' most widely visited Roman Catholic Pilgrimage sites. Many people from across the Philippine archipelagocome and visit the town of Manaoag, where the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary is enshrined in a church dedicated to this name. The church is administered by the Dominican Order in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, located in Manaoag, Pangasinan, about 200 kilometers north of Manila.

The original image of the Our Lady of Manaoag was brought by the Augustinian friars who were in charge of the spiritual administration of the Manaoag town from the year 1590 to 1613 in accordance to the sanctified decree of Spain. In 1614, the spiritual leadership was transferred to the Dominicans, under the patronage of Santa Monica.

In the early 17th century, the ivory image was brought to the Philippines by Padre Juan de San Jacinto from Spain via Acapulco.

According to documented accounts dating back to 1610, a native man who was walking home heard a Lady's mysterious voice. He looked around and with great awe he saw the radiant Lady with a Rosary on her right hand and a Child on her left as she stood on a cloud veiling a treetop. The man fell on his knees. He told the people of the apparition. And soon right on the spot where the Lady appeared a chapel was built. A town quickly flourished around it and was called "Manaoag".

Tradition has it that the town itself was born from the Virgin Mary’s call, thus the term, "taoag" meaning "to call" was used to name the town. This is where the name Manaoag was derived from, which means "She Calls".

During World War II, the Church suffered moderate damage. 4 bombs were released on top of the church. 3 bombs landed on the plaza and the facade, destroying them both. One bomb landed in the sanctuary, but failed to explode. The church was rebuilt, and today, it is an active parish serving Manaoag and the surrounding area.

The statue of Our Lady of Manaoag purportedly has a long history of miraculous and pious events that are replicated in the murals within the church. These were done so that the events will never be forgotten. Devotees, from all over the globe, have varied persuasions for visiting the shrine or imploring the vital and peculiar intercession of Our Lady of Manaoag among which are pleas pertaining to good health, cure for diseases or afflictions, good voyage, posterity, the family, career, business, academic or professional examinations, surmounting challenges or trials, or any personal petition or thanksgiving.

The original icon of Our Lady of Manaoag is considered priceless with its bejeweled crown. There has been several attempts to burglarize the Manaoag Shrine. Several golden crowns and halos are reposited at the Manaoag Shrine, which were donated by both Filipinos and foreigners who have visited it. A large array of lavishly elegant perfumes showcased at the Manaoag Shrine Museum, were donated by devotees and pilgrims from all across the globe as presents or tokens of gratitude to Our Lady of Manaoag.

The magnanimously miraculous Our Lady of Manaoag has brought distinctive honor and fame to the eponymous town in particular and to province of Pangasinan in general.

One of the miraculous accounts regarding Our Lady of Manaoag dates back to the times when early pagans from the mountain tribes burn down newly converted Christian villages. The town of Manaoag was not spared from this. It was set on fire. The church with its thatched roof was the last refuge of the people. The leader of the pillagers climbed over its fence and shot flaming arrows to all parts of the church but all in vain. It was not set afire.

Another miraculous event was nationally reported during World War II. The Japanese army dropped several bombs on the roof of the Manaoag Shrine but inflicted no damage to the roof and the shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Nota : Texte above from Wikipedia. 

Devotees who visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan province will now be entitled to plenary indulgence, a full pardon of temporal punishment because of sins.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas over the weekend said the Cardinal Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome authorized the special indulgence.

“The Manaoag pilgrims are assured by the Sacred Penitentiary of a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions of the Church when they visit the Shrine Our Lady of Manaoag," Villegas said in a circular dated June 13.

Thousands of pilgrims visit Manaoag Shrine everyday because of the many miracles attributed to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.

Villegas said Cardinal Bernard Francis Law has granted the Manaoag Shrine “a special bond of spiritual affinity through which the pilgrims who visit [there] are assured of the blessings of the Lord as if they actually visit the said major basilica in Rome.
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Pilgrims receive the indulgence by going to confession near the time of their pilgrimage, receiving the Eucharist, and praying for the intentions of the Pope, each done in a spirit of detachment from the attraction of sin.

Villegas will celebrate a Mass at the Manaoag Shrine on July 22 to commemorate the “honor" granted to a sanctuary within his archdiocese.

“During [the mass] the appropriate documents from the Holy See will be formally announced to the Catholic faithful," he said.