Manila Archdiocese Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick S. Pabillo will celebrate a "Misa Mayor" (High Mass) at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 19, at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Senora de Guia (Our Lady of Guidance) in Ermita, Manila in solemn commemoration of the 450th Feast of Our Lady of Guidance.
Our Lady of Guidance is the revered patron saint of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), navigators, and travelers.
The faithful are invited to join the holy mass celebration online through the Facebook pages of the parish, the Archdiocese of Manila 500 Years of Christianity, Manila Cathedral, and TV Maria. At the church, about 150 persons will be allowed.
Also known as the Ermita Church, the parish church is considered as one of the foremost Marian shrines in the country. It was erected right on the site where the image of the wooden Black Madonna was found on May 19, 1571, making it the oldest among all those venerated in the Philippines.
In 1578, the king of Spain, in a royal decree, declared Our Lady of Guidance, which is depicted as the Immaculate Conception, as the “sworn patroness” of the city of Manila.
On December 30, 1955, Pope Pius XII granted the image a canonical coronation.
During the papal visit in January 2015, the 16th century image of Our Lady of Guidance was temporarily transferred to the Apostolic Nuncio on Taft Avenue, Manila, where Pope Francis stayed. The image was also brought to the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta for Pope Francis’ concluding mass.