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EDNA OUANO TORAL once joined a pilgrimage to Manaoag organized by Chito Makalintal. Inside the church, she asked Our Lady of Manaoag for healing because she was very sick at that time. She doesn't remember if she promised Our Lady she would propagate her devotion, but she did.
In 1994, she called Our Lady's shrine in Manaoag to talk to a priest. It was Fr. James Alamillo, O.P., who answered her call. Edna asked permission to enthrone the image of Our Lady in St. Joseph Church in Mandaue City, Cebu, where the Ouano family is from. On Sept. 6, 1996, the image was enthroned at the left side of the church near the front door. The image then was a two-feet statue which she bought in Manaoag. On March 26, 1997, a replacement image made of ivory and wood was enthroned and blessed by Cardinal Vidal, and is now inside the niche dedicated to Our Lady.
To date, there are now 33 churches and chapels in Cebu and Leyte where the image of Our Lady of Manaoag is enthroned. The latest was in the women's section of the Cebu city jail where 200 female inmates are held. The image was enthroned there in the morning of Sept. 7.
Corte, Carmen prayer center
God's plan was fulfilled on Sept. 8, birthday of Mama Mary, when Cardinal Vidal blessed the Rosary Center of Our Lady of Manaoag in barrio Corte in Carmen. The center sits on an 800-sq m area with the five-feet image of the Virgin dressed in gold vestments sewn by Sally Gorayeb enthroned in the middle, with a painting of people below. On the side walls are paintings of the 20 Mysteries of the Rosary, beautifully painted by Gary Carabio and Mar Vidal.
Al Arriesgado, who has his own miracle to tell, made the beautiful statue of the Virgin. Cely Valero of Manila Art Frames did the framing. Architect Antonio Paragsa designed the center, while Al Perez was the contractor. Al Rey did the trucking for the huge paintings from Cebu City to barrio Corte. Gerald Montreal did the interiors.
How did the event come to pass? We have to go back to when the monk of St. Benedict of St. Sylvester were first invited by Cardinal Vidal to come to Cebu and put up a monastery there.
Abbot General Andrea Pantaloni came with Fr. Thomas and two other monks in February 1999 and built the St. Benedict chapel in the hilly barrio of Corte in the town of Carmen, 45 kms. North of Cebu.
At that time, Edna Toral was looking for a place to erect a Rosary Center, which a dream has told her to build. Learning about this, the monks donated the land below the chapel. On December 2001, with only 37,000 pesos, Edna began the arduous task of quarrying the hill to make it flat. She employed at least 50 men living in the area to do the work. Donations slowly came from benefactors who wanted to remain anonymous. With courage and a lot of faith, Edna went on with the work, and on Sept. 8, she met the deadline to hold the blessing of the center on Mama Mary's birthday.
With Fr. Patricio Apa, prior of the Manaoag Shrine of Pangasinan, Abbot General Pantaloni who came from Rome, Fr. James Alamillo and 15 other priests, the center was blessed by Cardinal Vidal with at least 400 people from all walks of life in attendance.
People who want to come to the Rosary Center may text 0917-321-0711 for directions.
In this world and lifetime, a mother is one irreplaceable icon in every home, in every heart. For who is She who cradles you and me closest to Her heart moments before we open our eyes to the word, She who sings the first lullaby, She who stands the night watching over us like precious jewels as dreams vanish with each sunrise.
A mother She is who holds steady our hands as we gingerly dare our step. It is She who wipes away our every tear regardless of reason. She whose laughter is melody watching us frolic in the rain in childlike abandon, she who agonizes with us in every love lost, she who stands by us as many the times we thought life was over so was our very own being.
A most beautiful love affair this world and lifetime will long have and hold long, after, longer beyond this time is that mother and child, a living memento of love.
The Cebuanos are one of the million devotees of Our Lady of Manaoag who deeply treasure this living memento. Thus, an exceptional affair called "Memento" was held in the city of Cebu to venerate Her. This was a one-hour thanksgiving tribute, yet a memorable occasion to behold.
October 23, a day that marked an affair to remember - Memento. Why? Early in the morning, Our Lady was regally enthroned in two places - one at the St. Therese Parish Lahug and in Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish, Capitol, the first ever done in Cebu City. People from all walks of life graced the occasion happily and heartily welcomed and received the Blessed Mother.
Her arrival was warmly anticipated that parishioners packed the two churches, which are centrally located at the residential, commercial, and university areas. Then the Eucharistic celebration followed with Rev. Fr. Patricio A. Apa, OP as the main celebrant and Rev. Fr. Rolando Manayon, and Rev. Fr. Rey Talaugon as co-celebrants. At 6 o'clock in the evening, there was a mini procession and the image of Our Lady of Manaoag made Her grand entrance at the grand ballroom of the Casino Español de Cebu. Then it followed by documentaries of Our Lady of Manaoag - Her historical journeys in the Visayas so to speak.
Then a sumptuous dinner was served at the grand ballroom of the Casino Español de Cebu.
The beautiful icon of Our Lady was made by Algarr of Manila.
Al and Nelly Arriesgado were long-time residents of Arkong Bato. According to them, "In the early times in Arkong Bato, when night began to fall, then you would notice the big difference between the affluent and the poor like us. We did not have electricity back then, so you would see the houses above us well-lighted while down below, our houses would be bathed in light only from candles and 'gaseras' (petroleum gas lamps)."
When GK began in Arkong Bato, Al and Nelly became the beneficiary of a GK house. (They're already members of CFC even before GK came into their place.) Over time, their fortunes changed. Al says, "The Lord was very good to me and my family as He blessed us with another house outside Arkong Bato. However, we felt Arkong Bato had brought us blessings, so leaving the place and our GK house was a struggle. It was an uphill climb convincing my family, but eventually, with the grace of God, they consented."
Jun and Mercy Pastor benefited from the Arriesgado family's generosity. They became the lucky recipients of the Arriesgado's house. "When our house was gutted by fire in October 2002, Jun and I opted to stay in Arkong Bato with our children, building a shack to shelter us. We told ourselves that where we fell, we shall strive to rise again," shared Mercy Pastor.
Jun and Mercy were among the remaining 16 families in Arkong Bato who were yet to be blessed with a decent house. Before being given their new house, they lived atop a cliff together with two other families. Their living, dining area and bedroom were all in one area. The Pastor couple hoped to be given a house from the recent batch of houses that was built out of the Unilab GK fund, but they did not get it. Not disheartened by the delay, the couple continued to serve in the Kapitbahayan, a classic example of the GK spirit "Una sa serbisyo, Huli sa benepisyo" (First in service, last in benefits.) They continued to hope together with the caretaker team and the 15 other families for Tatag (Shelter) funds to come in. They continued to serve in GK and CFC in whatever capacity they could, and it paid off.
The Arriesgado family gave the Pastors not just the house and the water tank but also all the things inside the house including a bed frame, dining table and the cabinets. To me, moments like this will always be the real fulfillment of our work in GK. Witnessing the transformation of Kapitbahayan in a GK Village is God's manifestation that the work is really His. From the beneficiary to benefactor, Al and his family have shown us the end state of our work in GK. That patience, perseverance, hope and faith as shown by the Pastor family is God's work.
The turnover ceremony was witnessed by myself and Edit, Ritchel and Richard, Sibol teacher and fulltime worker, respectively; Raffy Malaza, PM for productivity; Cris Asibal, KB President; Elma dela Isla, Nestor Leron, Nestor Liquenan and other KB officers. As if the event that took place earlier that day was not enough for God, He reiterated His message through the priest at the Edsa Shrine during Mass that Sunday, "And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe." John 14:29.
It was said that the first Christian missionary works in Manaoag were founded by the Augustinian friar in 1595. In 1600, for an unknown reason, the Spanish Dominican friars took over the mission. Manaoag at that time was not called by that name, it was not even a town. It was just a settlement where foreign friars brought their missionary works. The first Dominican friars who arrived there named the place VISITA de STA. MONICA. Today, that settlement is now a town called Manaoag, derived from the word "tawag." The story goes that a few years after the take over of Dominican friars, a farmer, while gathering firewood in the forested hill of the settlement, heard a voice calling his name. Knowing that he was alone, he was surprised and frightened. When he turned around, he saw in a low tree, a light bathed in a misty cloudy white. Atop the tree was a beautiful lady wearing a blue cloak with a gold trimming. On her head was a beautiful crown. Her right hand was holding a big rosary while the left was carrying an infant who was wearing a blue cloak with gold trimmings and a crown on his head. The farmer was uprooted on his feet. He approached the beautiful apparition and knelt before her. The lady said, "I am the blessed mother, queen of the most holy rosary and on this spot I would like to have my church built." Today, a magnificent church stands on the very same spot where the farmer first saw the blessed mother. It is called OUR LADY OF MANAOAG SHRINE, the home of the Blessed Mother, Queen of the Holy Rosary.
Our Lady of Manaoag has been calling us since her first apparition. Those who heed her call experience miracles in their lives. Countless of miracles have been attributed to her and some of which were depicted in a painting inside the church. A fire razed the whole town of Manaoag but the church was spared, a lifeless body of a boy was brought at the foot of the altar and the boy was brought to life, and just recently, a suma cum laude who failed the medical board exam twice not only passed but topped it after the third try when she prayed for the intercession of Manaoag. These are just some of the stories of her miracle.
I, too, experienced her miracle. When I was just starting my business, I heard that the religious store in Manaoag shrine was a good market. So I decided to go there. Several times I had been ignored by the Dominican brother who was in charge of the store. Circumstances changed after I read the story in the Bible about the wedding at Cana where Jesus Christ performed his first miracle - the turning of the water into wine thru the intercession of Mama Mary. That story clearly shows that Jesus Christ cannot refuse her mother. I truly realized that the Blessed Mother can intercede for us... for me and that things that seem impossible are possible with God. So the next time I went there, I attended the mass first then prayed for Blessed Mother's intercession and lighted a candle. After that, I went to the store to meet the in-charge. Upon seeing me on my way there, without any word coming from my mouth, he placed a large order that when I left his office, I felt like I was walking in cloud 9. Another blessing was when my daughter Au took the accountancy board exam. Before the exam, she and her friends went to Manaoag to pray and to participate in the procession of the Blessed Mother. When the result came out, it only had a passing percentage of 16, but it was a 100% for Au and her friends. They all passed the board exam.
A mother has a special place in her child's heart. That is why prayer to the Blessed Mother is powerful. Many faithful devotees were blessed through the intercession of Our Lady of Manaoag, for she is truly miraculous. Matthew 21:22 says "Believe and you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
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