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Jose Rizal family devotion to Birhen ng Antipolo commemorated
Philippines
Metro Manila
Jose Rizal family devotion to Birhen ng Antipolo commemorated
Jose Rizal family devotion to Birhen ng Antipolo commemorated
By Nel Andrade
Published Jun 19, 2026 02:18 pm
The strong devotion of Dr. Jose Rizal’s family to the Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buenviaje, the Virgin of Antipolo, was relived in Antipolo and Calamba City through a multi-day commemoration that intertwined faith, history, and heritage.
This year marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the original image of the Virgin in the Philippines, coinciding with the 158th anniversary of Rizal’s childhood pilgrimage to the shrine.
The International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, together with the local governments of Antipolo and Calamba, organized a series of events retracing the national hero’s first voyage across Laguna de Bay.
The pilgrimage season in Antipolo City is special this year as the diocese of Antipolo commemorates the 400 years of the arrival of the original image of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage and its centennial anniversary of its canonical coronation (Photo Antipolo Cathedral's FB page)
On June 6, 1868, a seven-year-old Rizal journeyed with his father, Don Francisco Mercado, to Antipolo. The trip fulfilled a vow made by his mother, Teodora Alonso, who promised to bring her son to the Virgin’s shrine in thanksgiving for surviving a difficult childbirth.
Historians note this was Rizal’s first journey outside Calamba and his first boat ride, an experience that left a lasting imprint on his spiritual and literary life.
Rizal later honored the Virgin in his writings, including the ode “A la Virgen de Antipolo” and references in his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, underscoring his lifelong devotion.
The recent commemoration of his journey began on June 16, when the pilgrim image of the brown Madonna visited Calamba. It was brought to the Rizal Shrine and later welcomed at the Saint John the Baptist Parish Church with a Mass led by Monsignor Mario Rafael M. Castillo.
The image of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage is seen from the window of the Rizal Shrine in Calamba on June 17 (Photo from Antipolo Cathedral's Facebook page)
The visit of the image of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage at the Rizal Shrine in Calamba was part of the activities to commemorate the pilgrimage of Jose Rizal to Antipolo (Photo from NHCP-Museo ni Jose Rizal's FB page)
A Holy Mass is celebrated at the Calamba City Hall in Laguna as part of the visit of the pilgrim image of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (Photo by Antipolo Cathedral)
A fluvial parade in Laguna Lake culminates the visit of the pilgrim image of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage of Antipolo (Photo from Antipolo Cathedral's Facebook page)
The Virgin of Antipolo arrives at the Pasig Port following hours of boat travel from Calamba in Laguna on June 18 (Photo from Diocese of Antipolo's FB page)
The following day, city officials joined a special Holy Mass at Calamba City Hall.
The highlight was a fluvial procession retracing Rizal’s route.
After a concelebrated Mass, the image was ferried from Calamba Port across Laguna Lake to Pasig, stopping briefly at Talim Island where residents gathered to pay homage.
The four-hour voyage echoed Rizal’s historic crossing. From Pasig, the image traveled by motorcade, pausing at Taytay Municipal Hall and the Rizal Provincial Capitol, where Governor Nina Ricci Ynares Chiongbian welcomed the faithful.
The journey concluded on June 18 with the Virgin’s solemn return to Antipolo Cathedral, where Bishop Ruperto Santos presided over the arrival Mass.
There, Bishop Santos and the participants were warmly received by Rizal Governor Nina Ricci Ynares Chiongbian and capitol officials.
Rizal Governor Nina Ricci Ynares and provincial officials welcome the image of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage during a brief stop at the Rizal Provincial Building on June 18 (Photo from Gov. Ynares' Facebook page)
First brought from Mexico aboard the Manila Galleon El Almirante in 1626, the Virgin of Antipolo survived perilous storms at sea and became one of the Philippines’ most venerated icons.
Her shrine continues to draw pilgrims, especially during the season that lasts until the first week of July.