Our Lady

Of the most
“The
HOLYSleep of
ROSARY
OFReason
MANAOAG
Producers
Monsters”

1
 At dusk, a farmer was walking home and passing through a
hill. His mind is filled with anxiety as he fears that he’ll lose
his home and crops once the raiders attack again. Then he
remembered what the priest told him - trust and have faith in
the goodness and mercy of God and the protection offered
by the Heavenly Mother. This thought gave him peace and he
signed resignedly to the Holy Mother. As he continued down
his path, he noticed a strange light. He turned to the west to
make sure that the sun has set as it is already deep at dusk,
and sure it was. Then he turned to the other side and was
surprised to see the light coming from a familiar woman
with a radiant face holding an infant and a rosary atop a
tree. He was filled with fear but the lady spoke with a sweet
voice saying, “Son, I want a church built here in my honor.
My children shall receive many favors in this place”.

The story of the farmer spread far and wide, and people with
visit the church where the apparition happened. When the
come home and asked where they went, they would say,
“Diad lugar ya caolaan ya Apo ya Mantataoag” (To the
plaace where the Mysterious Lady calls). Soon the place was
named as “Manaoag” which means “to call”.
 MUSEUM
FIELD NOTES
Note:
Due to the ongoing pandemic, a lot of museums which
are accessible in terms of location is either not yet back
in operation or is in need of approval from the proper
authorities (requires a letter of request) before granting
a certain schedule for visitation and documentation. The
student had the letters prepared and sent but there were
no replies, maybe due to lack of personnel during this
pandemic. The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary
of Manaoag also has a small dedicated museum for the
Holy Image of Our Lady of Manaoag but it also required
proper authorization. Thus, the student decided to
document artifacts around the Minor Basilica which are
accessible to the public and that he deems is important in
relation to the church and the holy image’s culture and
history. For this activity, the whole of the Minor Basilica
of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag will assume the
role of the museum while the figures, paintings, and
relics inside the basilica will assume the role of a
museum’s displays and artifacts.

Schedule of Field Visits:

October 23, 2022 (From 10 AM – 12 NN)
Student’s first attempt to document the Museum
inside the Minor Basilica. However, it was closed
until further notice and is currently only for the use
of the church (such as pictorials and video
recordings). Scheduling a visit to the museum
requires the approval of proper authorities.

November 5, 2022 (From 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM)

The student has decided to document the relics and
artifacts available inside the Minor Basilica while
treating the totality of the church as a museum of
itself.

November 8, 2022 (From 11:30 AM – 1:45 PM)

Final documentation.

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag 3

 The Minor Basilica
of Our Lady of the
Rosary Of Manaoag
The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of
the Rosary of Manaoag houses the
Nuestra Senora del Santisimo
Rosario de Manaoag (Our Lady of
the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag),
one of the most important and
venerated images in the Roman
Catholic Religion. The Minor
Basilica of Manaoag is located on
the top of a hill in the municipality
of Manaoag, Pangasinan where it
was believed that the Holy Mother
of God had an apparition.

With the church housing The Lady

of Manaoag who was canonically
crowned in 1926, and was chosen
by the Holy Mother himself
according to old accounts, it was
granted a special bond of Spiritual
Affinity with the Basilica of St. Mary Figure 1: The Minor Basilica of Our
Major in Rome in 2011. Finally, in Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag,
2015, the shrine was elevated into a also called as “Manaoag Church”
Minor Basilica – an event attended
by more than 100 archbishops and bishops, leaders of the church
and state, and thousands of devotees who wants to witness the
special event.

Aside from the image of Our Lady of Manaoag, the church also
boasts some paintings, displays, and images that show the history
of the holy image of Manaoag and the church itself, and the
divine mysteries and miracles affiliated with the image and the
church.

Since it has been frequently visited by devotees and tourists alike,

the church has also provided a rosary garden, a candle gallery, a
museum of the artifacts of the Holy Image of Manaoag, a
veneration room, and souvenir shops.

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag 4

 The Minor Basilica
of Our Lady of the
Rosary Of Manaoag

Figure 2: Location of the Minor Basilica

in reference to the student’s residence

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag is

approximately fifteen (15) kilometers away from our residence in
San Fabian, Pangasinan – with two municipalities, namely
Mangaldan and San Jacinto, to traverse if one is to commute.
There are roads that are less in length as compared to the usual
route but it would require a private vehicle since no commuting
vehicles pass along those shortcuts.

It isn’t that difficult to commute to the place since it is a known

tourist attraction, meaning a lot of vehicles pass through the
municipality. The most common means of commute is via jeepney
followed by UV express, but there are also provincial buses that
pass through the church.

During the student’s field visits, three (3) to be exact, he took the
usual route (as seen through Figure 2) via two (2) jeepneys (San
Fabian – Mangaldan and Mangaldan – Manaoag) twice, while he
rode a motorcycle via the shorter route on his latest visit.

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag 5

 NOTABLE
DISPLAYS
The Image of Nuestra Senora del
Santisimo Rosario de Manaoag
The most important piece of artifact
that is being displayed in the Minor
Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of
Manaoag is of course the (believed to
be) miraculous image of the Nuestra
Senora del Santisimo Rosario de
Manaoag (Our Lady of the Most Holy
Rosary of Manaoag), more commonly
know as “Our Lady of Manaoag”. In
fact, the entirety of the church was
built solely to house her image, as it
was her request (according to old
accounts).

The canonized image is made of ivory

and silver and dates back to the 17th
century. It was brought to the
Philippines from Spain via the Manila
Galleon Trade.

Documented accounts of the image’s

miraculous acts can be dated back to
1610 when a farmer attested of the
Virgin Mary’s apparition on top a tree
in a hill where he told the farmer that
she wants her church to be built in
that place.
Figure 3: The canonized image of
Nuestra Senora del Santisimo
Rasario de Manaoag Being one of the most important
images in the Catholic Religion, the
image is adorned with goldimage
and jewels – made or sewn into her
dress, placed in her crown, scepter, halos, rosary, and marshal’s
baton. She is also anointed with expensive oils and perfumes.

For protection, the image is enclosed in a bulletproof glass casing

and placed in an elevated pedestal made of narra which is adorned
with bas relief depicting some of the historic events that is related
to the Lady of Manaoag.

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag 6

 NOTABLE
DISPLAYS

Wall Paintings of the Image’s History,

Divine, Mysteries and Miracles

Figure 4: From left to right: (a) The Apparition of Our Lady to the Local Farmer, (b) The
Miracle of the Deliverance from the Fire, (c) The Miracle of the Resurrected Child, and (d)
The 1926 Canonical Coronization

On both sides of the Minor Basilica’s transepts are four large wall
paintings that depict some of the most important events that is
related to the image – its documented miracles and the
recognition bestowed upon her through her canonical
coronization.

These images celebrates, places importance, and highlights the

“image” of the Lady of Manaoag by presenting to its devotees the
numerous divine mysteries associated to her and the invaluable
recognition that it got through her canonization. It reminds its
devotees, church-goers, and even mere tourists that the image is
not just an ordinary image of the Virgin Mary, but a very special
one.

These paintings were made by Francisco Zarate from 1951 to 1960,

and was retouched in 1976, just a year before his death

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag 7

 NOTABLE
DISPLAYS
A diorama of the Virgin Mary’s
Apparition in the Hill
In 1610, a farmer was traversing a hill
at dusk in order to get home. His
mind was troubled with anxiety of the
raiders attacking and losing his home
and crops. But then he remembered
what the Padre said about trusting in
the mercy of God and the protection
of the Virgin Mary. He then made a
sign of the cross while thinking of the
Holy Mother. After this, he noticed a
source of light, coming from a tree on
the hill. Atop the tree is the familiar
face of a beautiful lady, her left hand
holding the infant Jesus and her right
hand holding a rosary. She said in a
beautiful and calm voice that she
wants her church to be built in that
place. The story of the apparition of
the Virgin Mary to the farmer spread
far and wide, and her miracles blessed
the town and its devotees.

Perhaps this is the most important

Figure 5: A diorama of the Virgin
Mar’s Apparition on the Hill
enclosed in glass
event in the history of the veneration
to the Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of
Manaoag. It was the beginning of the
image’s divine mysteries and
miracles, her introduction of herself
to the town that she has continued to
bless and protect through the years.

Thus, a diorama of this holy and historic event was made and
placed in the veneration room of the minor basilica (a place where
devotees can touch the mantle of the holy image), This display
immortalizes the beginning of the history of the image in her
chosen town of Manaoag

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag 8

 NOTABLE
DISPLAYS

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the

Rosary of Manaoag’s Umbraculum
On February of 2015, the then “Shrine
of Our Lady of the Rosary of
Manaoag” was elevated to become a
Minor Basilica, which then became
the “Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the
Rosary of Manaoag”. During its
declaration, the church was only the
thirteenth (13th) church in the
Philippines, and one of the few ones
around the globe, to be awarded with
such a prestigious title.

A Minor Basilica is a church that is of

historical value and/or architectural
value. They are considered to be the
Pope’s church in some places around
the world - something that is
considered to be of great honor in
Roman Catholicism.

In the Minor Basilica of Manaoag, a

Figure 6: The Umbraculum of the
Minor Basilica of Manaoag located
at the right part of the altar
sharp triangular umbrella of yellow
and red silk can be found in the altar
stage. This umbrella is called an
“umbraculum”, a part of the papal
regalia and insiginia which
symbolizes the Catholic Church and
the pope’s authority over it. It is
placed on the right of the main altar.

The umbraculum found in the Minor Basilica of Manaoag was

given by the Pope to symbolize the elevation of the Manaoag
Church’s status to a minor basilica

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag 9

 NOTABLE
DISPLAYS

Our Lady of Manaoag’s Wishing Well in

the Candle Gallery
Just like the other Roman Catholic
Churches, the Minor Basilica of
Manaoag has a Candle Gallery where
devotees, worshippers, and church-
goers alike can light a candle as a
prayer offering for personal petitions.
People who go to the Candle Gallery
to offer candles have different motives
– ranging from small petitions such as
guidance for a subject test, asking for
safe travels, or a higher salary raise
to heavy petitions such as healing
from diseases or finding a lost loved
one. The Candle Gallery symbolizes
hope for every small and large
intentions and petitions.

On the center of the Candle Gallery, a

Figure 7: The Wishing Well of Our
Lady of Manaoag located in the
Minor Basilica’s Candle Gallery
wishing well with the replica of the
Lady of Manaoag on top was built.
People can throw coins and other
offerings to the well in exchange for a
wish dedicated to the miraculous
image. The wishing well of the Lady
of Manaoag compliments and
amplifies the intention of the Candle
Gallery to serve as a symbol of hope
with the mercy and guidance of the
Lord and His Holy Mother for those
who desperately need it.

It also reflects the beliefs of the devotees to the miracles and divine
mysteries of the Lady of Manaoag, hoping as well to experience
those same miracles that were given to others.

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag 10

 Observations,
Reactions, &
Reflections
My first field visit was on the 23rd of October, which was a Sunday,
thus the amount of people attending church that day is already a
given. My family and I weren’t even able to enter inside the church
due to the massive number of people that day, so we had to settle
on the chairs provided outside the church.

However, on my next two visits which were on the 5th and 8th of
November, a Saturday and a Tuesday respectively, the number of
people attending the mass on the Minor Basilica is almost as many
as it is on the usual Sundays, with people still crowding the doors
of the church since they are, again, not able to go inside due to the
large crowd of attendees.

The ambience of the crowd is solemn during the mass – as if in

deep prayer. People are respective of the activities during the
mass. However, after the mass ends, almost everyone gets into a
frenzy in order to get a photo of/with the church, the holy image,
and other display and artifacts around the Minor Basilica. The
church, being a place of prayer just moments ago, has now felt
like a tourist destination. In addition to these photos, which serves
as a proof of their presence in the Minor Basilica, majority of
attendees go directly to souvenir shops inside and outside the
church to purchase amulets, bracelets and necklaces, statues and
crucifixes, and ,of course, replicas of the Holy Image of the Lady of
Manaoag.

These acts, being a devotee and being a tourist, as different as

they may be, is embodied both by the churchgoers as an
unconscious form of providing importance to the church and the
Holy Image. They believe the miracles and divine mysteries of the
image, and so they send their petitions in hopes of experiencing
the miracle, but they also know that being in a minor basilica and
with the miraculous image is a privilege that not all devotees can
experience, and so they take photos and souvenirs as a form of
documentation.

However, a lot of people who go to the Minor Basilica, though

aware of the importance of the Holy Image, is quite uninformed of
the reasons – the core – of why the Holy Image is considered to be

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag 11

miraculous. A cousin of mine, though she considers herself as a
devotee of the Holy Image, is unaware of the miracle of the Lady
of Manaoag bringing life back to a child, or to the story of the
image protecting the church during a fire, or from bombs during
the World War. These miracles and divine mysteries are presented
all along the church but they could’ve been highlighted more
through proper placements of displays, or proper lighting of the
four paintings in the church’s transepts. Currently, some people
are devoted to the image and to the church only because they
know that it is miraculous, and that the church being a minor
basilica solidifies its importance in the Catholic faith. The rich
history of the miraculous image that led to its canonization and its
church to being elevated to a minor basilica is as important as
those facts. This is not to say that those accounts were true, but
only to highlight the importance of its culture and history as it
played an integral part to turning the image and the Church to
what it is known today.

Going to the topic of aesthetics, I have always been fascinated with

the art and camp of religious images and objects. And I blame my
obsession to such topic with my affinity to the image of Our Lady
of the Rosary of Manaoag. I was born on the 8th of September,
which was the Feast of the Virgin Mary as it was believed to be her
day of birth. As such, I grew up celebrating my birth with a
religious icon, in the church of Manaoag, as we’d always go to the
church (which was still a Shrine back then) to give thanks for
another year. Thus, I grew up with a certain connection to the
image, instilled with a belief that we shared the same day of birth.
During those visits, I would appreciate the excessiveness of
aesthetic of the Holy Image, with a large bellowing dress adorned
with gold and jewels on top of finely detailed stitches, a huge
crown of gold accentuated with shining crystals, and so on. This
standard was the one that I had set while going around the other
religious displays and articles of the church. And as expected, they
were as campy and excessive as the Holy Image – something that
is to be expected of with items that are of religious iconography
and importance.

To sum up, the main function of the Minor Basilica of Manaoag is

to house the Holy Image and be a place of prayer and devotion.
However, with its status owing to the history of the miraculous
image herself, it would be befitting to celebrate more of its history
by highlighting more the events, stories, and accounts related to
the image in order for the church-goers, may they be devotees,
tourists or both, to learn of its rich history that led to the religious
culture inside the Minor Basilica that they are celebrating today.

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag 12

Evidence of Field
Visit

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag 13

 References

• Carpenter, John. “Our Lady of Manaoag, Manaoag, Philippines,

1610.” Divine Mysteries and Miracles, 18 July 2016,
http://www.divinemysteries.info/our-lady-of-manaoag-
manaoag-philippines-1610/.
• “Manaoag, Phillipines (1610).” The Miracle Hunter : Marian
Apparitions:: Manaoag, Phillipines (1610),
http://www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/approved_a
pparitions/manaoag/index.html.
• “The Minor Basilica of Manaoag.” ManaoagMinorBasilica,
https://www.manaoagminorbasilica.org/the-minor-basilica-of-
manaoag.
• “Pangasinan Celebrates Declaration of Manaoag Church as
Minor Basilica.” The Official Website of the Province of
Pangasinan, 24 May 2018,
https://www.pangasinan.gov.ph/thousands-join-manaoag-
minor-basilica-proclamation/.
• “Umbraculum.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Aug. 2022,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbraculum.
• “What Is a Minor Basilica?” The Minor Basilica of the Immaculate
Conception, http://www.minorbasilica.org/what-is-a-minor-
basilica#:~:text=A%20Minor%20Basilica%20is%20a,some%20plac
e%20around%20the%20world.

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag 14