Filipino Church leaders have called on shrine ministers and promoters to ensure that shrines across the country become homes of faith and genuine encounter, rather than venues for competition, commercialization, or spectacle.
Speaking during the Opening Mass of the 29th National Assembly of Shrines in the Philippines on February 4, Bishop Dennis Villarojo of the Diocese of Malolos reminded participants that shrines are meant to be “places of encounter, not competition.”
“Shrines are sanctuaries of faith and hope, not pomp and pageantry,” the bishop said, stressing that churches entrusted with the title of a shrine should avoid being marketed as venues where miracles are promised. “Let us not append the term ‘miraculous’ to any title of the principal patron or divinity,” he added. “Shrines are not places where miracles happen. Rather, they are invitations to faith—to receive faith, to deepen faith, to recover faith.”
The prelate emphasized that the honor of being designated a shrine should never overshadow its mission. “If your shrine already has a title, maintain it and improve it—not for status, but for the mission of making it a place of encounter with the Lord,” he said. He also cautioned against rivalry among shrines, urging ministers to focus instead on sustaining their own churches as welcoming spaces for prayer and conversion.
Bishop Villarojo further encouraged shrine communities to strengthen pastoral services, particularly by making the Sacrament of Confession readily accessible, and transforming shrines into centers of synodality and evangelization. Acknowledging the complex needs of today’s faithful, he proposed that shrines consider offering mental health support, alongside spaces for physical care such as feeding, clothing, and bathing the poor, as well as ecological areas where creation can flourish.
The three-day national assembly, organized by the Association of Shrines and Pilgrimages of the Philippines (ACSP) and hosted by the Diocese of Malolos, concluded on February 7 with a Closing Mass at the Minor Basilica and Parish of La Purisima Concepcion in Santa Maria, Bulacan.
In his homily, Father Reynante Tolentino, ACSP President, echoed the call to hospitality, urging shrine ministers to shape their churches into “homes for every devotee.”
“Every shrine is a home for us all,” he said. “Wherever we go, we first look for the shrine—because it is your home and God’s home. When you visit a church, you must feel joyful.”
The priest underscored the importance of ensuring easy access to Holy Mass and confession, noting that “the true food of a devotee visiting a shrine is the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He described the mission of shrine promoters as a pilgrimage itself—“a journey that leads to heaven.”
“Our shrines only offer a foretaste of heaven,” Father Tolentino said. “Each one of us is a pilgrim journeying toward the heavenly kingdom.”
Before the assembly concluded, the association held its election of officers, with Father Tolentino reelected as ACSP President for another two-year term. The next national assembly of shrines will be hosted by the Diocese of Tagbilaran in Bohol in 2028.
