As the Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe continues her six-month journey across the Philippines, the Mother long cherished by Filipino Catholics arrives in Mindanao at a moment of particular significance for the Church. The Blessed Virgin’s visit coincides with the 132nd Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), bringing together two journeys—one of pilgrimage and another of prayer and discernment.
From July 3 to 10, bishops from across the country will reunite in the Archdiocese of Ozamis for the CBCP retreat and plenary assembly, a historic occasion that comes as the local Church celebrates its 75th Diamond Jubilee. It is only the second time a local Church in Mindanao has hosted the gathering, which serves as the highest decision-making body of the Philippine bishops and a forum for reflection on the life and mission of the Church.
At the same time, the Madre Peregrina de Guadalupe continues to draw the faithful to prayer and hope. This Mindanao leg of the pilgrimage includes visits to Dipolog, Clarin, Cagayan de Oro, and Ozamiz, with Jesuit Communications (JesCom), the official communications partner of the Guadalupe Pilgrimage Committee, documenting the journey. Among the highlights is the July 6 welcoming Mass at Holy Child Parish in Clarin, Misamis Occidental, where local communities will receive the sacred image that began its nationwide pilgrimage at the iconic Manila Cathedral last June 13.
During the landmark opening Mass, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula reminded the faithful that devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe is inseparable from love for the poor and forgotten. “Kung tinanggap natin si Maria bilang ina, tanggapin din natin ang misyon na maging Simbahan para sa dukha,” he said, calling Catholics to become a Church that reflects God’s compassion through concrete acts of service.
The convergence of these events carries a special Marian character. On July 8, the Archdiocese of Ozamis will celebrate another historic occasion with the Episcopal Coronation of the revered image of Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción y del Triunfo de la Cruz de Migpangi, more affectionately known as the Birhen sa Cotta. Solemnly conferred by Archbishop Martin S. Jumoad, D.D., the coronation stands as a testament to the deep devotion that has long marked the faith of the people of Misamis Occidental.
Though separated by centuries and continents, the Birhen sa Cotta and the Madre Peregrina de Guadalupe ultimately bear the same maternal message that has sustained generations of believers.
As our bishops deliberate, local Churches celebrate, and pilgrims continue to welcome La Morenita de Tepeyac into their communities, the same motherly assurance continues to echo in hearts across the country:
“Am I not here who am your Mother?”
In a world often marked by uncertainty and division, the answer is being heard anew—from cathedral to parish, from Luzon to Mindanao—as the Philippine Church journeys together in faith, under the loving mantle of Mary.
AMDG
