Today marks the Solemn Declaration of the International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, more popularly known as the Virgin of Antipolo. The shrine is one of the most popular if not the most popular pilgrimage sites in the Philippines. It is certainly among the most visited along with Baclaran (Our Lady of Perpetual Help), Quiapo (Black Nazarene) and Cebu (Sto. Nino).
Last Tuesday, as we were to have dinner at a nearby mall to celebrate the birthday of our daughter, I was surprised to see a Marian exhibit. The exhibit featured replicas of images of the Virgin of Antipolo. Note that the original image is in the shrine like those of other images, often very old (e.g., some more than 100 years old) that are usually kept and preserved in thier 'home' churches. Among the more familiar images are those of Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Guadalupe, the original images of which may be found in France, Portugal and Mexico, respectively. Locally, there is Our Lady of Manaoag (Pangasinan), Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Baclaran), among other images.
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| A replica of the Virgin of Antipolo is at the center of the exhibit. The others, while also replicas, were dressed or adorned differently and perhaps according to what the owner-families preferred other than being faithful to the usual garments worn by the image at the shrine. |
The replicas are mostly owned by various families who have maintained or cared for these sometimes across generations of their families. Many appear to be images used in processions like those in town fiestas or during the Holy Week.
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