Before the Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe begins its journey across the Philippines this June, the story of that pilgrimage will begin in a room filled with cameras, the press, and quiet anticipation.
On Wednesday, March 25th—the Feast of the Annunciation—Church leaders and media representatives will gather in Manila for a press conference introducing the 2026 Philippine visit of the Pilgrim Image, a Marian pilgrimage expected to draw Catholics from across the archipelago.
The briefing will take place from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the RM Hall of the Ramon Magsaysay Center, 1680 Roxas Boulevard in Malate, Manila. Organized by the Guadalupe Pilgrimage Committee in coordination with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and partner Church institutions, the gathering will present the vision and national program for the pilgrimage.
At the center of the announcement is a journey centuries in the making.
The visit forms part of the Novena Intercontinental Guadalupana (2025–2031), a worldwide initiative preparing for the 500th anniversary of the Marian apparitions at Tepeyac in 1531. Nearly five centuries ago, according to Church tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico, leaving an enduring image that would become one of the most recognized Marian devotions in the Catholic world.
Now, that devotion is set to travel across the Philippine islands.
The Pilgrim Image is scheduled to arrive in Manila on June 13, 2026. From there, it will embark on a nationwide journey to more than 40 cathedrals and shrines, bringing the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe to dioceses and communities across the country.
The pilgrimage will also include a visit to the 132nd CBCP Plenary Assembly in Ozamiz City before concluding with the image’s permanent installation at the Manila Cathedral.
During the March 25th press conference, organizers will outline the pilgrimage’s spiritual and historical significance, the full national itinerary, and pastoral initiatives to encourage participation among dioceses, Marian organizations, and lay communities.
The event will also provide an opportunity for journalists to understand the broader meaning of the pilgrimage—not simply as a ceremonial visit, but as a moment of unity for the Filipino Church.
Ernest L. Escaler, chair of the Guadalupe Pilgrimage Committee, together with Most Rev. Jose Colin M. Bagaforo, D.D., bishop of Kidapawan and the committee’s spiritual director, will help present the pilgrimage’s mission and preparations.
For Jesuit Communications (JesCom), assisting the Committee in sharing the special announcement with the public reflects a broader commitment: harnessing media to tell stories that illuminate faith and reach more hearts and homes.
As the Church prepares to mark five centuries since the events at Tepeyac, the upcoming press conference offers a first glimpse of what many hope will become a nationwide moment of prayer and encounter.
In June, the pilgrimage begins.
And on March 25th, this heartfelt invitation to the faithful begins to unfold.
AMDG
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