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.
The Vatican elevated the Antipolo Cathedral to the status of an international shrine on January 26, 2024, making it the first of its kind in the nation and Southeast Asia after more than 400 years as a Catholic church.
The Antipolo Cathedral on Friday, January 28, will be declared an international shrine, a sacred place, which will be attended by more than 80 bishops from across the country, according to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference Philippines.
