God is “a God of encounters,’ says Manila archbishop

The archbishop of Manila described Catholic shrines as sacred places where we encounter God and His people, especially when we “reach out to [Him] in heaven” during Mass.

“A shrine is a place of encounter, for our God is a God of encounters,” said Cardinal Jose Advincula. “Each time people gather in prayer, celebrate as God’s people and the Eucharist is offered, there is encounter… From heaven, God comes to encounter us on earth.”

The archbishop was delivering a reflection during the solemn declaration of the Parish of Our Lady of Loreto in Manila, Philippines as a national shrine on May 31.

Advincula reflected on how God’s desire to encounter humanity reached its climax in Jesus.

“Jesus is the place of our encounter with God,” he said. “If we want to encounter God, we have to go to Jesus.”

The archbishop also emphasized how people encounter each other in shrines, giving them the opportunity to share unity, understanding, and love.

“As we encounter God in this national shrine, let us go on [a] mission to encounter our brothers and sisters and share with them the self-sacrificing love that we experience in and receive from Jesus,” said Cardinal Advincula.

Also graced the event was Pasig Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara, vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

In his homily, Vergara said that a shrine is not just about the physical building but a “moment in the lives of the devotees.”

“In every celebration of the Holy Mass, praying of the rosary and novenas, and other forms of popular piety, it brings joy and smiles to the faces of the people. It causes joy in every heartbeat,” he said.

He reminded the faithful that receiving the blessing of shrine-hood must also empower them to bring joy to other people.

“Outside this shrine, we will see poverty and many issues faced by our society… This is our mission as a national shrine – to become instruments of joy and hope to the least,” said Vergara.

On January 2025, the CBCP approved the petition of the Parish of Our Lady of Loreto in the City of Manila to become a national shrine. It is the only church in the Philippines dedicated to this Marian title.

This 17th-century church, founded by Franciscan missionaries, is home to a venerated image of the Virgin Mary, which received a pontifical coronation in 2024.

Countless miracles have been attributed to the Blessed Mother through this shrine, specifically safety against fires and healing from terminal illnesses.

Furthermore, Our Lady of Loreto was declared the official patroness of Manila’s Sampaloc district in 2023 through an official city resolution.