Antipolo Church Is Phl’s First International Shrine

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo City is now the first international Marian shrine in Asia, Antipolo Bishop Francisco de Leon announced over the weekend.

“We received a letter from Rome saying that on June 18 our National Shrine would be recognized as an international shrine,” De Leon said during holy mass on Saturday, June 25, in celebration of the 39th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Antipolo.

Last year, the diocese announced its intention to file a petition for the Vatican to declare the country’s first national shrine as an international shrine, after it received an endorsement from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

De Leon said the pilgrim church not only bears the distinction as the country’s first international shrine, but is now also the first international Marian shrine in all of Asia.

“We are the third international shrine in Asia… We are the first Marian Shrine in Asia,” he said.

The first two international shrines in Asia are the St. Thomas Church Malayattoor in India, and the Haemi Martyrdom Holy Ground and Seoul Pilgrimage Routes in South Korea.

“By being a center of the Catholic faith in the region, this would be an honor that will be claimed as a beacon for Filipinos across the world and those inspired by the cause of peace and good voyage attest their fervor in the faith to the love of Christ and to the maternal care of the Blessed Mother,” the diocese said in a previous statement.

In its recommendation letter, the CBCP described the cathedral as the country’s “prime pilgrim Church because of the countless devotees and pilgrims who have come and experienced the special presence of the Blessed Mother in their life through the pastoral care of pilgrims in this shrine.”

The Antipolo Church is home to the 17th century image of the brown-skinned Madonna, known to devotees around the world as “Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje.”

The image, which arrived in the country on July 18, 1626, was granted pontifical coronation on Nov. 28, 1926.

On Jan. 14, 1954, the church was granted the status of a national shrine by Philippine bishops, the first not just in the country but also in Southeast Asia.

It was further given the honor of becoming the cathedral of the Antipolo Diocese on June 25, 1983, with the installation of its first bishop, Protacio Gungon.

The church was also included in the 2001 Directory of Popular Piety and Liturgy and was among the 30 shrines around the world that were part of a global marathon of prayer initiated by Pope Francis last May for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his homily, De Leon reminded parishioners of three important qualities of service, as stewards or servants of God.

“First, our service is not to serve ourselves, but to serve others entrusted to us by the Lord and the Church. Second, when we obey the will of the Lord, our service becomes good as wine – a good wine, more fruitful and more pleasing service to the Lord. Third, Mary is with us in our service. She is the one urging us to do what her Son tells us to do,” he said.

“And remember, the most important commandment of Jesus is love one another as I have loved you,” he added.