Sandigan Kasaysayan: NATIONAL SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA – CENTER OF THE FATIMA APOSTOLATE IN THE PHILIPPINES (05.13.24)

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima:
Fatima Devotion and Apostolate Center in the Philippines

May 5th, 1917, in the midst of the First World War, Pope Benedict XV called for a novena to be offered in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace and he added to the Litany of the Blessed Virgin the title “ Queen of Peace”. This was after he had done everything he could to end the war through diplomacy. In a document, he prayed to the Blessed Virgin to hear the pleas of his children, mothers, and wives to achieve peace in the world. Eight days later, the response of the Blessed Virgin took place in the country of Portugal.

In the town of Fatima, on May 13th of that year the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the children Lucia dos Santos and her cousins, the sisters Francisco and Jacinta Marto to call the world to offer sacrifices for the conversion of sinners, pray the rosary for world peace, convert to God who has been much condemned, and establish in the world the vocation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The apparitions took place every 13th of the month until October where in all her apparitions the Blessed Virgin asked for the prayer of the rosary every day and she added the following prayer between the mysteries: "O my Jesus , forgive us our sins. Save us from the fire of hell. Take all souls to heaven especially those who need your mercy the most.”
In the last apparition of the Blessed Virgin on October 13th, her promised sign was fulfilled so that everyone would believe – the great miracle of the day witnessed by more than 70,000 people. She also introduced herself as the "Virgin of the Holy Rosary" and said that the war was about to end.
After the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin, Dom Jose Alves Correia da Silva, Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, announced on October 13, 1930, that the apparitions that took place were worthy of belief. Two years later, the bishops of Portugal consecrated their country to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and on May 13, 1946, the first image of Our Lady of Fatima was granted a Canonical Coronation on behalf of Pope Pio XII.

The Arrival of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin of Fatima in the Philippines
Thirty years after the apparitions, in 1947, the first image of the Blessed Virgin of Fatima arrived in Manila from Portugal courtesy of a family. This is probably the same image in some photos with former First Lady Aurora A. Quezon that were taken to different places from 1947 to 1949. There is also another image of the Blessed Virgin that came from Portugal that came to the country in courtesy of the former Archbishop of Manila, Rufino Cardinal Santos. It is now in the care of the Missionary Catechists of St. Therese of the Infant Jesus in Tayabas, Quezon.

On the other hand, the leading organization in spreading the message of Fatima that the Blessed Virgin asked to be conveyed to the whole world arrived in Mangaldan, Pangasinan in 1958, the Blue Army which is now called the World Apostolate of Fatima or WAF. Two years later, the first chapter of the organization was formally established on May 13, 1960 in the same place. The purpose of WAF is to spread throughout the country the messages of the Blessed Virgin of Fatima, the sanctification of its members, and the obedience to the teachings of the Gospel and the Church.

After one year, on the seventh of March, 1961, the Parish of Our Lady of Fatima in Valenzuela, which used to be part of Bulacan, was established by Cardinal Santos (because at that time Bulacan was still under the Archdiocese of Manila ). This is the second parish in the town apart from the Parish of San Diego de Alcala in Polo which was founded by Franciscan priests in 1623. There is no clear record of how the Blessed Virgin of Fatima was chosen as the patron saint of the parish, but those who were present at the first testified Parish Priest, Msgr. Espiritu D. Izon, when he was asked by Cardinal Santos what would be the patron of the parish, the first thing Msgr. Izon is “Dear Virgin of Fatima”. This is where devotion to him began to grow in Valenzuela and soon spread to Bulacan and the entire country.

The First National Shrine in the Diocese of Malolos

Aside from being the first parish in honor of the Blessed Virgin of Fatima in the Archdiocese of Manila and the Diocese of Malolos, the Parish of the Virgin of Fatima is the first National Shrine in the Diocese, but unlike other national shrines, the appointment took place during construction yet the church that took almost 18 years to be completed.
 
Two years after the first floor of the then-completed church was blessed, on June 12, 1976, the Assembly of Bishops of the Philippines, led by Julio Cardinal Rosales, declared the Parish as the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima . This challenged the people to lead the spread of devotion to the Blessed Virgin of Fatima and her message throughout the country.

From July of the year 1977, the image of the Blessed Virgin of Fatima began to visit different parishes in Bulacan. It was warmly received by the devotees and believers led by their parish priests. Since then, every place visited by the image up to the remotest village is visited by devotees to see his image. The rosary is regularly prayed and in other places a procession is also held. There are also testimonies of healing from their ailments. These visits of the image also became a way to raise additional money that was spent on finishing the church. 

The appointment of the parish as the National Shrine can be considered the beginning of his being the center of devotion to the Blessed Virgin of Fatima in the Philippines where it serves as a light for those walking the dark path and a source of hope for those in need.

Home of Three Important Images of Our Lady of Fatima

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima is the home of three important images of Our Lady of Fatima in the country: the first image worshiped in the church which is currently in its retablo mayor, the image donated by the Sanctuary of Fatima through its former Rector, Msgr. Luciano G. Guerra, and the National Pilgrim Image awarded by Canonical Coronation.

The first image of the Blessed Virgin of Fatima that has been placed in the Parish since its establishment was donated by Father Jose Delos Santos of the Archdiocese of Manila. It was housed in a temporary church in a chapel at Gregorio Araneta Machineries, Inc. (GAMI) on McArthur Highway. The image with a height of more than five feet is made of wood and is considered to be the first image of the Blessed Virgin of Fatima carved in the country because even before Father Delos Santos gave it to the Parish, it had been in his custody for a long time. It bears a resemblance to the first image in the Chapel of the Apparitions at Fatima where the Blessed Virgin is clothed in several layers of white clothing and a veil with golden ornaments on its hems. The image was crowned on March 6, 1977 during the tenure of Bishop Cirilo R. Almario, Jr.

The second image of the Blessed Virgin of Fatima that is in the custody of the National Shrine is from the Sanctuary of Fatima courtesy of Msgr. war For a long time since the church was being built, the Parish and the Sanctuary of Fatima in Portugal have been close to each other. The Portuguese offered their financial assistance for the construction of the church after Bishop Alberto Cosme do Amaral, former Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, visited Valenzuela in October 1977 with Msgr. war On the day of the dedication of the church on December 11, 1982, Msgr. Guerra attended as the representative of Bishop do Amaral and upon his return he brought with him an image of the Blessed Virgin of Fatima that served as the National Traveling Image. It is made of wood and has a height of 43 inches and has the form of the "Peregrina" image of the Virgin of Fatima made in Portugal. From 1999 to 2009, the image was placed on the upper part of the altar of the National Shrine and moved to the parish convent. Nowadays, it also travels to different parts of the country and is enthroned in the chapel on the first floor of the church.


The third featured image in the custody of the National Shrine is the National Traveling Image which was awarded the Canonical Coronation on February 25, 2024 on behalf and with the permission of Pope Francisco. This is the first image of the Blessed Virgin of Fatima in the country to be honored through said coronation after Bishop Dennis C. Villarojo requested it due to the widespread devotion to the Blessed Virgin of Fatima in the Philippines, testimonies and records of miracles and prayers granted, and the role he played in history. As Bishop Villarojo reflected on the coronation day, the image witnessed a miracle – the EDSA People Power Revolution on February 25, 1986 where Filipinos united in praying for a peaceful political transformation in the country. The image was blessed by Pope Paul VI on May 13, 1967 and came to the Philippines in 1984 when it was launched as the National Pilgrim Image. Entrusted to the custody of the National Shrine on October 17, 1999, the image continues to travel to different parts of the country to be an instrument in spreading devotion to the Blessed Virgin of Fatima.

Center of the Apostolate of the Blessed Virgin of Fatima

Since the Blue Army was established in 1960, it has spread to different parts of Luzon. Its first chapter in the Visayas was established in Cebu on August 16, 1980. It reached the Diocese of Malolos at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima on September 8, 1982.

Four years later, the name of the organization was changed and it was called the World Apostolate of Fatima or WAF in accordance with the suggestion of the Pontifical Council of the Laity in Rome and in 1989, it was approved at the national meeting of the organization in Cebu, the transfer of the national office of WAF from Mangaldan, Pangasinan to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Valenzuela City. This further strengthened the integration of the National Shrine and the WAF in the Philippines to be the spreaders of the message and spirituality of Fatima in the country.

In addition, the Philippines is the first country in the world to be granted permission by the management of WAF International to perform in the country, instead of Fatima, Portugal, the blessing and burial of the signed promises of the members or WAF Pledges. In recent times, the promises were still sent to Portugal but it has been done at the National Shrine every year since October 13, 1995.

Currently, the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Fatima continues to serve as the center of devotion and apostolate of Fatima in the country as a place of prayer where devotees and believers can get closer to God through the sacraments and as a people leading in responding to the call of the Blessed Virgin especially in prayer. 

Every day the rosary is prayed in the Shrine before the beginning of the Holy Masses in the morning and in the evening. Every first Saturday of the month, the Five First Saturday Devotion is performed here as requested by the Blessed Virgin of Fatima. It includes the procession while praying the rosary, the fifteen-minute meditation, confession, and Holy Mass with the purpose of reparation for the blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

From May to October every 13th day the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin are commemorated so many visit the shrine to pray and thank God for Mary's help. On the 13th day of other months, the chaplet of the Angel of Peace is prayed while the Blessed Sacrament is presented followed by its blessing, Holy Mass, and procession. This devotion has a great connection to Fatima because when the Angel of Peace appeared to the three children in 1916 he taught them the prayers in honor of God and the Holy Eucharist. It is constantly renewed in the National Shrine to further show the importance of the Holy Trinity and the Eucharist in the message of Fatima.

The message of Fatima that was presented more than a hundred years ago remains significant in our time today, because it contains the essence of the Gospel: the salvation of humanity and the love of God and love of neighbor which is the essence of God's commandments. This message continues to be preserved and disseminated by the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Fatima as the center of the spirituality of Fatima in the Philippines.

Written by: Jilson N. Tio, Guest Researcher, DCSC Research Team

Sources:
Archdiocese of Cebu. (2023). Chapel of Fatima de Cebu.
Duavit, Vilma. (2012). Pueblo Amante de Maria: The Filipinos' Love for Mary. Reyes Publishing, Inc.
Gorny, Grzegorz. (2017). Fatima Mysteries: Mary's Message to the Modern Age. Ignatius Press.
National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. (2012). Grace, Gratitude and Generosity: The History of the Parish of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. 
Photo Courtesy: City Government of Valenzuela and National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima (Valenzuela City)