PARISHIONERS GATHERED at La Purísima Catholic School hall May 10 to celebrate Our Lady of Manaoag, a Marian apparition significant to the Filipino community.
Festivities included Mass, floral offerings, praying the Rosary, a reception and entertainment.
LILIA BAUTISTA, LEFT, REACHES OUT TO OUR LADY OF MANAOAG DURING A FLOWER OFFERING & ROSARY AT LA PURÍSIMA CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN ORANGE. PHOTO BY STEVEN GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
The event, held in the parish school’s hall, was organized by La Purísima’s Filipino (Kababayan) Association in conjunction with the feast day for Our Lady of Manaoag.
The Family of Delia Empalmado donated the Image of Our Lady of Manaoag installed inside the La Purísima Church and another statue that is used for gatherings outside the church. Delia Empalmado is from the province of Pangasinan in the Philippines where the Blessed Mother appeared to a farmer named Pedro.
“Today we honor the Our Lady of Manaoag, and this is the title of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who has become a powerful source of comfort and hope for countless Filipinos,” said Fr. Ian Bustonera. “We all know that her image was enshrined in Manaoag, Pangasinan, and has been a sign of faith for over 400 years.”
Our Lady of Manaoag dates to the 1600s, when a farmer saw a beautiful lady surrounded in light, holding a Rosary and the child Jesus. She was standing on a cloud near a tree, Fr. Ian said. The Blessed Mother said she wanted a shrine built in her honor on that very spot for followers to come in the future and ask for her maternal protection, according to the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan in the Philippines.
“From that moment,” Fr. Ian added, “the devotion spread very quickly, and over centuries the Our Lady of Manaoag became known as the patroness of the sick. She was a patroness of the poor and the helpless. And many testified to miraculous healings and protection from disasters and wars.”
The shrine to Our Lady of Manaoag where the apparition was said to occur today is located in the small town of Manaoag, in the Filipino province of Pangasinan. There, the shrine is prominently located in the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag. It contains an image of Our Lady holding Baby Jesus; both are vested with ornate imperial regalia. Pope Pius XI canonically crowned the image in 1926. Pope Francis later elevated the shrine to the status of a minor basilica in 2014.
In the Philippines, Our Lady of Manaoag is celebrated each May by people from all over the country who make a pilgrimage to the basilica. They come with the belief that if you visit and fervently pray, you will be healed of any sickness, said parishioner May Rabina, who grew up in the Philippines.
Rabina has been celebrating Our Lady of Manaoag’s feast day her entire life. Although she didn’t live in Pangasinan, her family’s custom was to visit the basilica for outings or special occasions, like having visitors.
“I think for all of us Filipinos, because our country is over 7,000 miles away from Los Angeles, we are so blessed we are celebrating the feast of Manaoag here, and we’re all happy that we are all gathered here,” Rabina said.
Elvie Hawk also attended the celebration. She agreed that the day was a time of camaraderie.
“It’s fun because on days like this, we gather together and renew our friendships and have fun,” Hawk said. “We give our thanks and prayers to the Lord and to Mother Mary.”
Michele Martinez took the day off work to attend the feast day for the first time. It was a chance to honor Our Lady of Manaoag and foster unity among the Filipino parishioners, she said. Her relatives back in the Philippines are also celebrating, Martinez added.
“We’re away from home,” Martinez said, tearing up. “Our families are in the Philippines and then seeing Filipinos here makes me a little less homesick. Mama Mary unites us.”
Manaoag means “to call” in Tagalog. Our Lady of Manaoag is still significant today as a mother who gently calls to us.
“Mary calls us, Fr. Ian said. “She calls us to come closer to her son, Jesus Christ. And in times of pain, in times of our worry, in times of doubt, Mary doesn’t promise to remove all of our problems, but she promises to walk with us and to bring our prayers to Jesus with a mother’s love.”
Devotion to Our Lady of Manaoag in day-to-day life should always be prayerful, said Fr. Ian. It means being brave in the face of trials and difficulties, being a light to others and living with purpose, he added.
“So again, sisters and brothers in Christ, as we honor Our Lady of Manaoag today, maybe not just admire her, but imitate her and let her motherly presence remind us that no matter what we face, we are never alone,” Fr. Ian said. “Because she calls us today and every day to return to her side, to trust Him, and to live as faithful disciples in this world.”
To learn more about the Filipino Community at La Purísima, call the parish office at (714) 633-5800.