The faithful are invited to visit the Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Manila Parish, more popularly known as the Camba Church, as it begins its novenario (novena) in celebration of its 14th founding anniversary.
Camba Church (Facebook)
Parish priest Fr. Douglas Badong said this year’s celebration will highlight the origin of the growing devotion to Nuestra Señora de la Soledad which he said is part of the country’s history.
The first day of the novena will be on Friday, July 7, inside Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila where the marker of the ‘Postigo de Nuestra Señora de Soledad’ may be found.
“There is a marker of the Nuestra Senora dela Soledad inside Fort Santiago where there used to be a passage, a port, and transportation,” said Fr. Badong over Radio Veritas.
The historic centuries-old image and devotion to the Blessed Mother helped strengthen the spiritual life of the faithful who sought the intercession of the miraculous icon.
The revered image of the Virgen dela Soledad is garbed with the ‘Vestida de Luto,’ which was commonly worn by Spanish women in mourning to signify Mary’s sorrow on the death of her Son, Jesus Christ,
The image was brought to the Acapulco Galleon Trade in 1884 while a chapel in her honor was built in Barrio Soledad in 1887. The land where her church was erected was formally turned over to the Archdiocese of Manila on April 30, 1911. In 1928, holy masses were held every Sunday at the church by Monsignor Jose Jovellenos of the Santo Nino de Tondo Parish.
On July 16, 2009, then Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales designated the church as a parish with its Canonical Erection held on Aug. 31, 2009.
In 2016, the parish was formally consecrated by then Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle. On July 4, 2017, the image of the Nuestra Senora de la Soledad was granted episcopal coronation to mark its 130th year.
Fr. Badong said, a procession or traslacion of the Blessed Mother from Fort Santiago to Camba will be held after the novena and holy mass.