Procession during the Fiesta

Thousands of devotees of the Virgin of Manaoag, renowned among Catholic faithful for her many miracles, will convene in the Pangasinan town named after her for one its biggest annual celebrations on April 25.

This year, said Fr. Patricio Apa, OP, prior of the shrine, “we pray for clean and peaceful elections and that voters be guided and inspired by the Blessed Mother of Manaoag.”

Special communal novenas have been held every hour from April 16 to 24 in the shrine, the Our Lady of the Rosary Church of Manaoag, culminating in a big procession at 5 p.m. on the 25th -- the day of the Manaoag town fiesta.

The 400-year-old ivory statue, adorned with precious antique stones donated by devotees over many generations, continues to attract thousands of devotees every weekday and hundreds of thousands on weekends.

History of Our Lady of Manaoag

BRIEF HISTORY

The church of Our Lady of Manaoag was established 400 years ago. Ten years after which, The ivory image was brought to the Philippines by Padre Juan de San Jacinto from Spain via Acapulco. Folk tradition has it that the Blessed Mother mary Herself designated the place where the church would be built. The church and Our Lady passed through unnumbered historical events, and remain unmoved by them.

1605–administered by the Dominican Friars
1720 – inauguration of the new church made of stones
1832-1833 – four earthquakes weakened the church structures
1896 – when the winds of revolution were blowing, the image of Our Lady took shelter in Dagupan Church.
1898 – during the insurrection, insurgents ransacked the church including the silver throne of Our Lady and burned it down.
1909 – when the church was again fit to be home of the Blessed Mother, her image was brought home and enthroned in her own shrine.
1911-1920 – all major works on the church were completed except the belfry and the wings of the transepts

On September 1925, the Papal Rescript granting approval for the canonical coronation of Our Lady was received in Manaoag.

April 21, 1926 marked the Canonical Coronation of Our Lady of Manaoag.

1937 – the sanctuary of Manaoag was awarded the Merit Recognition by the Philippine Historical Research and Markers Committee. World War II – for a time the church was closed. When fighting stopped, the church was opened once more.

Liberation Period – again the church suffered damages. A plane dropped 4 bombs, 3 landed on the patio and damaged the façade. One bomb fell through the roof but did not explode. After the war, the church was repaired. Pilgrims returned in even greater number.

1952 – work started on a new convent and belfry. In 1954 – the new convent and the belfry was inaugurated. Came 1960 – an elevated platform was built on the head nave, the altar was brought closer to the people. Since 1972, the Sanctuary-Church has been under the administration and care of Filipino Dominicans.

At present, Rev. Fr. Patricio A. Apa, OP serves as the Prior and Parish Priest at the same time ably being assisted by 10 Dominican priests.

The Shrine stands on the hilltop at the center Of the town proper of the Municipality of Manaoag In the Province of Pangasinan. The town shares a common boundary with Pozorrubio in the North; Urdaneta & Mapandan in the South; Binalonan in The East, and San Jacinto in the West.

Galicayo: ART MILES MURAL PHILIPPINES

Artwork courtesy of ART MILES MURAL PHILIPPINES

What is Galicayo Festival?

In the Pangasinan dialect, galicayo means "come here" while manaoag means "to call." Both words were derived from stories on the Virgin Mary’s apparition in Manaoag where she called on the people to come and build a church.

The apparitions and subsequent miraculous events, which occurred in the late 1500s, inspired the Dominicans to build the church of Our Lady of Manaoag in 1913.

Since then, the town was named "Manaoag" as pilgrims from all over the country and even abroad visit the place for prayer and thanksgiving.

Thus, the weeklong Galicayo Festival, which began last Sunday, is a unique celebration of faith, culture and the arts in honor of Our Lady of Manaoag.

Now on its fourth year, the Galicayo Festival has come to be known as Pangasinan’s answer to other folk-religious fiestas in other parts of the country, with a host of interesting activities celebrating the province’s culture and traditions.

Fittingly, it also serves to usher in the Yuletide season as highlighted by the simultaneous lighting of the provincial Christmas tree and other displays.

Other highlights include street-dancing competitions, praise fests by different religious groups, a festival of Pangasinan cuisine, lantern parades, street rave parties, and the Bayanihan Dancers’ Handog Sayaw kay Inay Maria.

Capping the festival is the launching of the Manaoag Virgin Textcard of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., with PLDT chairman Manuel Pangilinan leading visitors in a Mass