Bishop Calls Filipinos to Unity as Devotion to Our Lady of Antipolo Marks 400 Years

As the Catholic Church commemorates the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the image of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in the Philippines, Antipolo Bishop Ruperto C. Santos has called on Filipinos to rediscover unity, goodness, and trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Bishop Santos said Mary continues to serve as a powerful source of hope and unity for the Filipino people amid growing social divisions and self-interest.

“We see a lack of unity today. And the one who brings us together is a mother,” the bishop said. “That is why we must call upon, draw near to, and trust our Blessed Mother so that we Filipinos may once again become united.”

The anniversary celebration featured a commemorative fluvial procession on Laguna de Bay, retracing the historic journey of the revered Marian image, which arrived in the country from Mexico aboard a galleon on June 18, 1626.

The pilgrim image traveled through Calamba City in Laguna and several lakeside communities, including Talim Island, Binangonan, Cardona, and Pasig, before returning to the International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo City.

Bishop Santos said the commemoration is an opportunity for the faithful to deepen their devotion to Our Lady of Antipolo, whom many devotees lovingly regard as the “Mother of the Filipino people.”

“We are doing this to show who our Mother is. We introduce her, we honor her, and we take pride in her,” he said.

The celebration also highlighted the historical connection between the Marian shrine and national hero Dr. José Rizal. According to historical accounts, Rizal’s mother, Teodora Alonso, made a vow to bring her son to Antipolo in thanksgiving for a safe childbirth.

Rizal fulfilled that vow when he made a pilgrimage to Antipolo with his father, Francisco Mercado, at the age of seven.

To commemorate this link, the pilgrim image undertook a three-day visit to Calamba City, including stops at St. John the Baptist Parish, where Rizal was baptized, and the Rizal family home before returning to Antipolo through the fluvial procession.

Reflecting on Rizal’s pilgrimage, Bishop Santos said the national hero exemplified gratitude and recognition of God’s goodness.

“What our national hero did was beautiful. He went to Antipolo. He gave thanks. He acknowledged God’s goodness. And he showed that goodness exists in every person,” the bishop said.

Bishop Santos noted that the country needs to recover the values embodied by both the Blessed Virgin Mary and Rizal, particularly in a time marked by disunity and self-centeredness.

“We not only see disunity today. We also see selfishness. Many people think only of their own welfare and personal interests,” he said.

The bishop encouraged Filipinos to place God above personal interests, pursue lives of holiness and goodness, and imitate Mary’s faithful obedience to God’s will as well as Rizal’s commitment to serving others.

As part of the yearlong observance, the shrine also launched commemorative stamps marking four centuries since the image’s historic voyage across the Pacific. Bishop Santos said the stamps serve as a reminder to Filipino migrants around the world that the Blessed Mother accompanies and protects them wherever they may be.

The jubilee celebration marks both the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the image in the Philippines and the 100th anniversary of its canonical coronation. The observance will conclude on November 28, 2026.