by Joel V. Ocampo
On January 25, 2025, Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) announced the elevation into national shrines of three diocesan shrines dedicated to Our Lady. The said churches are the following:
Archdiocesan Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA (EDSA Shrine);
Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu, San Mateo, Rizal; and
Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto, Sampaloc, Manila.
The announcement was made during the 129th CBCP Plenary Assembly held in the Archdiocese of Lipa.
Upon receiving the good news, Rev. Fr. Jerome R. Secillano, Rector of the EDSA Shrine expressed his gratitude saying, “I extend my deep gratitude to the Bishops of the Philippines for voting unanimously to grant NATIONAL SHRINE Status to EDSA SHRINE.”
On the other hand, the Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Loreto welcomed the good news through the ringing of its bells, a sign of great joy and thanksgiving for the grace received.
As for the Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu, the community expressed their gratitude saying, “[This is] a blessing not only for the faithful of San Mateo and the devotees of Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu, but also for all Filipino Catholics. The elevation will surely amplify the devotion to our Blessed Mother Mary, deepen the faith of the faithful, inspire miraculous healings, and motivate our pilgrims to care for the environment. All these are made possible through the intercession of Our Lady of Aranzazu.”
Shrines, According to Code of Canon Law
“The term shrine is understood as a church or other sacred place to which numerous members of the faithful make pilgrimage for a special reason of piety, with the approval of the local ordinary” (Can. 1230). For a shrine to be called a diocesan or archdiocesan shrine the local ordinary (bishop/archbishop) must give its approval (Can. 1232 §1).
Can. 1233 also states “Certain privileges can be granted to shrines whenever local circumstances, the large number of pilgrims, and especially the good of the faithful seem to suggest it.” The Code of Canon Law continues, “At shrines the means of salvation are to be supplied more abundantly to the faithful by the diligent proclamation of the word of God, the suitable promotion of liturgical life especially through the celebration of the Eucharist and of penance, and the cultivation of approved forms of popular piety” (Can. 1234 §1).
A Place of Historical Significance
In addition to the above requirements, the place of worship must be a place of historical significance, for it to be declared as a shrine, whether diocesan, national, or international.
Archdiocesan Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace
The Archdiocesan Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, commonly known as “EDSA Shrine” is very significant in the lives of the Filipino people. According to the records of the EDSA Shrine website,
“It is dedicated to Our Lady who has miraculously interceded to oust the dictatorship in a peaceful and bloodless uprising that is now world renowned as the People Power Revolution of 1986. On December 15, 1989, the EDSA Shrine was established with then Rev. Fr. Socrates B. Villegas as Rector. Since then, the Church has grown with the help of volunteers who now have formally organized themselves into the EDSA Shrine Community. His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin described the EDSA Shrine as Holy Ground when another miracle, the second peaceful People Power took place in January 2001. With the help of the Blessed Mother and Santo Niño, the people’s prayer for a moral leadership was answered. A Holy Ground marker was inaugurated at the EDSA Shrine on February 25, 2001, during the 15th anniversary of the first EDSA People Power.”
In this Jubilee of 2025, the EDSA Shrine was chosen to be the Jubilee Church for Government Workers and Officials, Armed Forces, Police and Security Forces.
Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu, San Mateo, Rizal
The Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu started in 1596, when the Augustinians friars built the first settlements in the place. On August 29, 1659, the first parish was built under and in honor of the patron St. Matthew (San Mateo), Apostle and Evangelist. However, on December 6, 1696, the Jesuits came and gained control of the town; and in 1705, a Jesuit priest, Fr. Juan Echazabal, started the devotion to Our Lady of Aranzazu from Spain and changed the patron of the town from St. Matthew to Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu.
The first concrete church was built in 1715. It was destroyed and rebuilt, damaged and repaired from time to time due to devastating earthquakes, Philippine-American War in 1899-1903, and World War II in 1942 during the Japanese occupation. On July 17, 2004, the church was elevated to a diocesan shrine, the only church in the Philippines under the title of Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu and only sister-parish of the Basilica of Aranzazu in Spain.
The image of the Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu received a Canonical Coronation on May 31, 2017. H.E Orlando B. Cardinal Quevedo, OMI, the Archbishop of Cotabato, crowned the image of Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu. Then in 2022, during the 5th Canonical Coronation Anniversary of Our Lady of Aranzazu, H.E. Most Rev. Charles John Brown, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, celebrated a Mass.
In his homily, Archbishop Brown said, “We try to imitate Mary in her obedience to God and in her faith. Blessed are we here in San Mateo, Rizal who believe how great is the gift of faith. Faith makes all things possible. Faith makes everything possible. We see that in Mary. We see that again and again in the Catholic Church. We see how God chooses the small and makes them great.”
Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto
The history of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto, also known as “Sampaloc Church” or “Loreto Church” started in 1613, when Father Blas de la Madre de Dios, the Provincial Father of the Philippine Franciscan mission, built the first church. In 1639, the church was burned during the Chinese revolt, and in 1645, it was damaged by an earthquake. In 1945, during the Liberation of Manila during World War II, the original church was destroyed, but rebuilt and rededicated in 1958.
The church was elevated to the status of archdiocesan shrine by the Archdiocese of Manila in December 2002. On March 23, 2023, the City Government of Manila, through its 12th Legislative Council, passed a resolution declaring Nuestra Señora de Loreto de Sampaloc (Our Lady of Loreto) as the Patroness of the District of Sampaloc.
On December 10, 2024, the image of Our Lady of Loreto in Sampaloc received the Pontifical Coronation, led by Archbishop Brown. At the end of Mass, the Declaration of the Bond of Spiritual Affinity between Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto with the Basilica in Rome called Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore) was announced.
In his homily, Archbishop Brown said, “You become the House of God when you live in God's grace, when God's grace is in you through the Holy Sacraments of Baptism, then the Eucharist, God's presence is in you as well. Not in the same way as Mary, it is different, but His presence is in you. You become the house of God when Jesus dwells in you through the power of the Sacraments.”
Pueblo Amante De Maria
Finally, as we celebrate in this good news about the elevation of three Marian Shrines into National Shrines, let us reflect on the words of Archbishop Brown in his homilies at the Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu and in Loreto Church,
“Let us rejoice in Mary. Let us love Mary. Let us be worthy of the title of the Filipino people, Pueblo Amante De Maria. Let us love her because she is the one who has brought God into the world by her obedience; and she is the one who constantly intercedes for us, before Jesus, her son in heaven.”
“All of us are devotees of Our Lady. So, let us ask Our Lady to continue to bless us, to shower her blessings, which she, through her intercession, obtains from Jesus and gives to us, all of those things that each of us have in our hearts.”
Sub Tuum Praesidium
We fly to Thy protection, O Holy Mother of God.
Do not despise our petitions in our necessities,
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O Glorious and Blessed Virgin.
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