The National Shrine of La Virgen Divina Pastora has formally been declared as the Minor Basilica of La Virgen Divina Pastora during rites led by Papal Nuncio Archbishop Charles John Brown recently.
Considered as the oldest and biggest colonial church in the Diocese of Cabanatuan, the formal declaration took place three months after the Vatican’s announcement of the shrine’s new status on Jan. 23, making the church the first minor basilica in the province of Nueva Ecija and the 22nd in the country.
“Certainly, all of these honors that have been bestowed on this church are intended to increase the pastoral functioning of the church so that people come here and pray and receive these gifts of God blessed grace,” Archbishop Brown said in his homily.
More than 20 bishops and dozens of priests attended the celebration which was also witnessed by more than 2,000 Catholic faithful.
Known canonically as the Three Kings Parish, the historic church, which has become a popular pilgrimage site, dates back to the 16th century after it was established by the Augustinian missionaries.
The revered image of Our Lady of La Virgen Divina Pastora (Divine Shepherdess) was canonically crowned in 1964.
During the mass, Archbishop Brown and Cabanatuan Bishop Sofronio Bancud led the reenactment of the pontifical crowning of the image to mark its 60th anniversary, said a CBCP post.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines declared the church as a national shrine in 1986.
The Papal Nuncio stressed the significance of the church’s elevation into a minor basilica.
“It is a very special and exceptional place. It’s an exceptional honor that is bestowed on certain churches around the world by the Holy Father, by the Supreme Pontiff, to indicate a special link, a special connection with the pope,” he said.