Church of Our Lady of Manaoag

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag
Manaoag, Pangasinan
by lakwatserong tatay

After staying for few days at the Summer Capital of our Country & this place is also be my last trip for the Year of  2010.Yours truly together with two our trippers go down to Our Lady of Manaoag.  This is my 2nd time to visit this church, i just graduated high school when the 1st time i visit this church, there where so many improvements from the past i visited this place. But more important, is there where always so many pilgrims that is visiting this church, to pray for a good & pleasant trip, need some blessings for ex. a new car, or any valuable thing and visit the religious shrine with countless miraculous tales and healing powers that happened in this church. Now that the Holy Week is will be in few months. I’m really sure most you out there are now thinking how to spend a long weekend. Most of the families will be taking this opportunity to go to their favorite summer destination. Although there are still some who wishes to take some time to reflect and repent, most of us would still commit to go to Churches on this season. During lenten season, Our Lady of Manaoag Shrine has been one of the many favorite pilgrimage locations for the Catholics in the Philippines.

Our Church of Lady of Manaoag

Here is a brief history of Our Lady of Manaoag:

From wiki.....The origins of the Our Lady of Manaoag started with the holy Augustinian fathers who were in charge of the spiritual administration of the Manaoag town from the year 1590 to 1613 in accords 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 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 church was built. A town quickly flourished around it and was called "Manaoag". Tradition has it that the town itself was born from the Virgin’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 Crowded Church in Sunday

Some of the Miraculous Accounts of Our Lady of Manaoag:

From wiki....The statue of Our Lady of Manaoag purportedly has a long history of miraculous and pious events that are duplicated in the murals all over the church. This is done so that the events will never be forgotten. Devotees, coming from all over the globe, have various reasons for visiting the place among which are pleas for health restoration, good voyage, or better fate.

The statue of Our Lady of Manaoag is considered to be priceless because of the great identity it brings to the province of Pangasinan, but more interestingly because of its jeweled crown. Many criminal attempts have occurred to burglarize the Manaoag Shrine. Several golden crowns and halos are owned by the Manaoag Shrine, which were donated by both Filipinos and foreigners who have visited it. In addition to this, a great display of perfumes are also displayed in the Manaoag museum, from which donations of devotees from all across the globe are presented as gifts to Our Lady of Manaoag.

Some of the miraculous accounts regarding Our Lady of Manaoag are the barbaric times when early pagans from the mountain tribes used to burn down newly converted Christian villages, by which the town of Manaoag was not spared. The city was set on fire. The church with its thatched roof was the last refuge of the people. But the leader of the pillagers, climbed over the fence and shot lighted arrows to all parts of the church. Not a single flame, however, set it on fire. This miraculous event was famously repeated and nationally reported during World War II. The Japanese army dropped several bombs on the roof of the Manaoag shrine, by which all landed causing no damage to the roof and the shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Because the statue is heavily guarded and secured through bulletproof glass panels within the high altars of the Church, the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan has opened an opportunity for people to have a chance to be able to touch the statue of Our Lady of Manaoag by climbing up to the second floor through a stairs located at the back of the church. The soft velvet gown worn by the Lady of Manaoag has a faded spot from where the devotees streaked their hands. After a devotee makes a quick prayer, touches the back of the Lady of Manaoag, and makes a sign of the cross, they move across a souvenir store and on their way out of the church building.

The hilltop location of the Our Lady of Manaoag's shrine stands up to this day where thousands continue to flock every year. Huge crowds attended the day the image was canonically crowned by his Holiness Pope Pius XI using his papal power of Papal Nuncio on April 21, 1926. She celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of her coronation on January 1, 2000.

Church altar

Our Lady of Manaoag

church center isle

The Bowl of Holy Water

This Church has so many place where you could offer your prayers, also inside church's premises you could found a church musuem and park dedicated to our lady of manaoag.

Other place inside the church where you could offer a prayer

Another chapel inside Church's premises

Prayer to Our Lady of Manaoag:
Virgin Mary, Mother of GOD, Queen of the most Holy Rosary, Thou, who hast chosen to raise thy throne of mercy in Manaoag, to be the beloved protectress and Patroness of the province of Pangasinan, and therefrom to bestow thy graces on us, thy children, banished in this valley of tears, look down with thine eyes of mercy upon me who am beset with so many dangers of body and soul. Despise not my petition, O dearest Mother, intercede for me before thy divine Son now and at the hour of my death, Amen. Virgin of Manaoag, pray for us.(State your petition) Hail Mary, Glory Be

Candles offered by the pilgrimage

Pilgrimage that visiting some of the church artifacts



One of the Religious Shrine

 Schedule of Religious Activities:

Masses
Monday - Friday every hour 5am - 11am
Saturday - every hour 5am - 12nn & 4:30pm
Sunday - every hour 5am - 12nn, 3pm & 4:30pm

Confession
Wednesday and Friday 7am - 8:30am
After every mass at the sacristy
Rosary
Monday to Saturday 5:45pm

Baptism
Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday10am - Registration, 11am - Baptism

Blessing of Religious Articles
Inside the Church after every mass and at the Blessing Area at the back of the church 3pm-4pm

Fiestas
First Sunday of October and Third Wednesday after Easter Sunday

You may visit their website:  http://www.manaoagshrine.org/

Church of Our Lady of Manaoag

Some of the stores stalls where you could buy some of Church souvenirs

Relgious Center of the Church

Lakwatserong Tatay @ Our Lady of Manaoag

How to get to Manaoag in Pangasinan:

Go to bus companies like Victory Liner (Dagupan Destination), Five Star, or Dagupan Bus Line and ask them to drop you at Manaoag Church. The trip takes about 4 hours. If you’re coming from Baguio, you could choose from Victory Liner (old terminal) & GGTEpress van trip to Manaoag is about 2 hours.

Manaoag Town Hall

Church view across the Street

It was a great weekend to end our trip and also to end the trips of my 2010 adventures. I do hope this year will be a blast...visit most of the beautiful places on our country and share it to you.Watch for the last 2 part of this Our Lady of Manaoag Church Trip.