The first international shrine in Asia dedicated to the Virgin Mary received stone bricks from Saint Mary Major, the Marian basilica of the pope in Rome.
The cathedral of the Diocese of Antipolo in the Philippines announced that their request to be granted sacred bricks has been approved by the Holy See.
They received a total of sixteen sacred bricks, or mattoni, which they described as “a profound sign of divine favor and communion with the universal Church.”
“These bricks are not ordinary stones; they are a powerful spiritual link to one of the oldest Marian basilicas in Christendom and a tangible reminder that we are part of the living and enduring tradition of the Catholic Church,” wrote Antipolo Bishop Ruperto Santos in a Facebook post.
The bishop said that these sacred bricks are bestowed exclusively during this Jubilee Year of 2025.
Moreover, Bishop Santos said that these gifts signify their deeper spiritual affiliation with the late Pope Francis, who had a particular love for the St. Mary Major Basilica, which later became his burial site.
“In receiving these mattoni, we are drawn even closer to the heart of the Church and the Shepherd who led it with such humility and grace,” said the prelate"
Bishop Santos urged the faithful to prepare themselves spiritually to welcome these sacred bricks.
“Let us remain open to [God’s] wonders and steadfast in faith as we journey through this Jubilee Year—with Mary, under her mantle, and always in communion with the Church,” he said.
The bricks from Rome will be displayed for public veneration, with the date and details of the formal installation to be announced in the coming days.
Founded in 1591, the International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in the Province of Rizal is a popular pilgrimage site in the Philippines, particularly during its peak season in the summer.
In 1925, the revered image housed in the church, locally known as Our Lady of Antipolo, was granted a canonical coronation by Pope Pius XI.
The church was also the first to acquire national shrinehood status in 1954 from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
In January 2024, the church was officially elevated to the rank of international shrine.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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