Thousands of devotees coming from Muntinlupa and other areas walked for kilometers on Maundy Thursday (April 6) and Good Friday (April 7) to the Diocesan Shrine of Jesus in the Holy Sepulchre in Barangay Landayan, San Pedro, Laguna.
From mothers with babies in strollers, teenagers and elderly, the devotees filled the National Road from Muntinlupa to parts of Laguna to see Lolo Uweng, or the “miraculous image of Jesus in the Holy Sepulchre.”
Lolo Uweng (Photo from Lolo Uweng Shrine)
The Lolo Uweng Shrine (Photos from Lolo Uweng Shrine)
According to the Lolo Uweng Shrine website, “the image of a dead Jesus was found by local fishermen on the shore of Landayan, San Pedro, Laguna. On the belief that the image is miraculous, they brought it up from the lake water, and placed it in a camarin inside a visita for veneration. This incident gave way to the devotion to Jesus in Holy Sepulchre, accompanied by miracle stories attributed to the image that were authenticated by local parishioners and devotees from neighboring provinces.”
One of them was Amelia Brosas, a Muntinlupa resident, who went to the shrine at about 2 a.m. on April 7 with her family.
Brosas said since she was young, she would go to the Lolo Uweng Shrine to give thanks for all the blessings and seek forgiveness for sins.
She believes that the water from a well in the church is miraculous and can heal illnesses.
Amelia Brosas and family at the Lolo Uweng Shrine on April 7 (Photo courtesy of Amelia Brosas)
“Dalaga p ko nag pupunta kmi ng mga kapitbahay ko pag holy Friday kasama ko mga kapatid ko at nanay ko mula sa bahay nmin nun lakad lang kmi hanggang makarating kami dun kay lolo uweng (Since I was a girl, I, together with neighbors, siblings and my mom walk there every Holy Friday from our house until we reach Lolo Uweng),” she said.
She added, “Naniniwala kasi kmi n ung tubig ni lolo uweng dun sa balon ay nakaka galing, plus nandun n rin ung pasa salamat sa lahat ng biyaya natatanggap nmin araw araw, pa hingi ng kapatawaran sa mga nagagawang kasalanan. (We believe that the water of Lolo Uweng from the well heals, plus we give thanks for the blessings we receive every day and seek forgiveness for the sins committed).
Brosas said they line up to touch Lolo Uweng and tell him what they want to say.
Even when it is not Holy Week, thousands of people go to the shrine to pray and seek blessings.
