In 1626, the galleon El Almirante from Acapulco, Mexico arrived in the Spanish-colonized Philippine islands. Aside from countless produce and products from the other side of the world, this ship brought an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary that would become a beacon of hope for many Filipinos for centuries to come.
Venerated today at the cathedral of the Diocese of Antipolo in the Province of Rizal, the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage has attracted millions of devotees to seek spiritual comfort from her maternal embrace. This year marks 400 years since the arrival of the miraculous image in the Philippines, as well as the centennial year of her canonical coronation in 1926.
To mark this historic milestone, 2026 was declared a jubilee year in the Diocese of Antipolo.
A celebration and a mission
The jubilee year was formally inaugurated on January 14 with a Holy Mass at the Antipolo Cathedral, led by Bishop Ruperto Santos and attended by the clergy, religious men and women, and hundreds of devotees. During the Mass, the official decrees of the jubilee were presented and the Holy Door was opened.
In his homily, Bishop Santos urged the faithful to go on a journey and spread the devotion to Mary to all corners of the world.
“Life itself is a journey,” he said. “Like every true pilgrim path, it is marked by moments of calm and moments of storm. Yet in all this, Jesus sees us. Jesus is watching us. We are always under the watchful eyes of the Lord.”
Bishop Santos also emphasized how this momentous celebration is a call to become pilgrims of the Catholic faith.
“A pilgrim who does not speak to the Lord walks only on a tired trip. But a pilgrim who prays walks with a strengthened heart and with a renewed spirit,” said the prelate.
Embarking on a blessed voyage
To encourage the faithful to go on a pilgrimage across the Diocese of Antipolo during the jubilee year, four pilgrimage roads were set in its northern, southern, eastern, and western districts. Six jubilee churches were designated along these paths, all converging at Antipolo Cathedral, which serves as the seventh and final stop.
“These churches represent the diverse faces of our diocesan family,” said Bishop Santos. “[These] communities [are] strengthened by the generations of devotion, families who have carried the faith through trials and triumphs, and witnesses to the quiet miracles of everyday life.”
The seven churches along each pilgrimage route are a nod to the seven voyages accompanied by Our Lady of Antipolo between Manila and Acapulco, spanning from 1641 to 1746.
The plenary indulgence will be bestowed on every pilgrim visiting these jubilee churches as long as they fulfill the requirements decreed by the Catholic Church. Pilgrim’s passports will also be distributed for stamp collection.
“When pilgrims from the north meet pilgrims from the south, when families from the east pray beside families from the west, we rediscover that we are one body in Christ,” said Bishop Santos. “The Blessed Mother gathers us, not as a scattered family or groups or communities, but as one discerned family walking together towards peace, healing, and renewal.”
Giving back to Mary
To further cement this jubilee year for posterity’s sake, the Diocese of Antipolo offers three “material gifts” to Our Lady of Antipolo.
Last December, a stained glass window on the left wing of the Antipolo Cathedral was constructed. Consisting of nine colorful panels, it traces the history of the Virgin Mary in Antipolo, from the arrival of the Franciscan missionaries in their province in 1578 to the enshrinement of the miraculous image in the cathedral in 1945.
The diocese will also begin reconstruction of Our Lady’s camarin, the area where the original image is kept, on February 11. It is expected to be completed by May, at the start of Antipolo’s pilgrimage season.
Furthermore, the rebuilding of the museum of Our Lady of Antipolo is set to begin in July. “Its blessing will take place on November 28 – a fitting and solemn closing to our diocesan jubilee,” the diocesan statement said.
