MANILA, Philippines - The Filipinos have never lost sight of the tradition of going on a pilgrimage. Every October and Lent, thousands of pilgrims descend on the famous shrines throughout the country.

One thing very noticeable is that many of these holy places are dedicated to Mary. There is one to Our Lady of the Rosary in Manaoag; another, to Our Lady of Piat, is in Cagayan; and in Bicol, there is the shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

In Zamboanga, Our Lady of the Pillar is venerated by both Muslims and Christians. Countless minor shrines can also be found in all the provinces. This is true not just in the Philippines, but in many parts of the Catholic world, as in Lourdes, Fatima and Medjugorje.

Revival

Non-Catholics are especially perplexed by this devotion which they see as somehow detracting from the worship of God.

One insight on the phenomenon is given by the English convert and theologian, Sarah Boss. She says that far from removing people from God, the veneration of Mary, in fact, helps faith to grow.

Writing about the reason why contemporary Europeans go on pilgrimages to Marian shrines (a practice which is enjoying an astonishing revival in the largely secularized continent), she says: ?For she is the dwelling place of God incarnate―the Lord?s living home, made up of flesh and blood, as the Temple was His house made of stone and timber.?

Being material, people seek the material in order to come into contact with the Divine. Thus, they go to churches where the icons, the smell of incense, the measured prayers, the music and the concentrated atmosphere of silence and awe remind them of things spiritual.

They go to people who have consecrated themselves to God in their hopes of attaining holiness, a quest which is often hindered by mundane concerns.

And so they go to Mary who is human like them; to one who, despite her humanity, was able to attain a degree of spiritual perfection to which other humans could likewise aspire.

They go to her shrines so that the veil that hides the divine may partly be lifted, and they can see a more complete, a more perfect picture of who they are. A pilgrimage to Mary is a journey toward the possibility of humanity once again becoming the dwelling place of God.

One of the most well-known of pilgrimage sites in the Philippines is that of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, La Naval de Manila, in Sto. Domingo Church, Quezon City.

Miraculous victories

Her reputation comes from the miraculous victories of Spanish and Filipino forces against the invading Dutch back in the 17th century.

Armed with nothing but faith and two decrepit galleons, 200 Filipinos and Spaniards fought a series of naval battles against 800 Dutch invaders aboard a flotilla of eight warships.

Faced with the overwhelming odds, the Filipinos and Spaniards vowed to the Virgin of the Rosary in her shrine at the old Sto. Domingo in Intramuros that if they won, they would go on pilgrimage to her, walking barefoot.

With the rosary in one hand and weapon in the other, invoking Mary and her Child, they went to battle. And the miracle happened, not just once, but five times, in the battles which raged from March-October 1646―with a minimal loss of life on the part of the defenders, while the enemies of the faith lost two ships and fled under cover of darkness after each fight.

Since then, the vow has always been fulfilled.

Sea of candles

This Oct. 12, the pilgrimage to her shrine and the procession commemorating the vow will again take place.

The image of Our Lady of the Rosary, La Naval de Manila, carrying the Infant Jesus, will once more wind its way from Sto. Domingo Church through Quezon Avenue. She will be accompanied by the images of the Dominican saints and blesseds, flanked by thousands of devotees.

As the evening falls, a sea of candles will light the way, and the murmur of prayers will be heard. The sight will be a fitting symbol of a people who, in their journey as individuals and as a nation, have never forgotten that they do not journey alone: Mary and the saints―human beings like them―are their companions; that they are viatores, wayfarers on the way God, and to a more perfect and lasting home.

The celebrations for La Naval 2008 begun last Thursday with the solemn enthronement of the image of Our Lady of the Rosary, La Naval de Manila, in Santo Domingo Church.

Solemn novena masses are now being celebrated up to Oct. 11, also at 6 p.m. Her feast will be celebrated on Oct. 12, with a High Mass at 8 a.m., officiated by Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco. And to fulfill the vow made three centuries ago, the Grand Procession of La Naval de Manila will be held at 4 p.m. on Oct. 12. The theme expresses well the continuity of our people?s journey: ?Ang Layag ng La Naval: Tuloy ang Pahayag.? Everyone is invited to this pilgrimage of thanksgiving and faith.

Call 7126271-74 for schedules.