The first thing I learned about Mama Mary was that she is the mother of God. I was four years old then, and was actually clueless what that meant. All I knew was that I could pray to her for something I needed or wanted.

Soon, my little knowledge about Mama Mary turned to confusion, as I learned about different “versions” of her. I couldn’t understand why she took different names, different countenances, different dates to commemorate, different places where she is enshrined or was known to appear.

We have the Spanish influence to blame or to thank for this. But we, Filipinos, adapted to the multiple facets of the Blessed Mother quite well. We have many needs, wishes, problems, troubles in this sometimes difficult life. It is comforting for us to know there is a Lady Mary to turn to for almost every one of these needs.

Today, September 8 is an important milestone for Virgin Mary and all her devotees. It is the feast of her nativity. December 8, on the other hand is the feast of the Immaculate Conception as she is believed to be the only human being conceived without original sin. August 16 marks her assumption to heaven while March 25 celebrates the annunciation when the angel Gabriel appeared before her to tell her she had been chosen among all women to give birth to the Infant Jesus.

I personally believe in Mama Mary and all the wonders she has done. And if you do too, here is an easy list of some places where you can visit and pray to the Blessed Virgin Mother in her various names and wish-granting powers.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Church: Baclaran Church

Feast: June 27

The story of Our Lady of Perpetual Help started with a merchant who was sailing home with the image, when a horrible storm came. The sailors prayed to the image for the storm to end and for their lives to be spared. Fortunately (or miraculously), they were able to reach home, but the merchant fell sick. He then passed the icon to a fellow merchant, and as a dying wish, asked him to bring it to a church, where it can serve as a visual reminder of Mother Mary. But the latter merchant’s wife, after seeing how beautiful the image was, refused to give it away and instead kept it in their house. Until one day, Mother Mary herself appeared to the couple’s child and told her to bring the image to the basilicas of St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran.

My own mother is a devotee of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. She claims that whatever she wished for is always granted, for as long as she strictly complies with nine novenas for nine consecutive weeks. Though going to the church could be quite challenging because there is a huge crowd every Wednesday, all the effort is worth it for my Mom and other believers like her.

Our Lady of Manaoag (or Nuestra Señora del Santissimo Rosario de Manaoag)

Church: Our Lady of Manaoag Shrine, Manaoag, Pangasinan

Feast: 2^nd week of April

If, indeed, there are religious miracles that took place here in the Philippines, those attributed to Our Lady of Manaoag belong to the top of the list.

The history of this Lady is not much different from that of other sacred apparitions. It has been told and retold that a man happened to walk by a tree when he saw a beautiful lady hovering above it, with a rosary in one hand, and a child in the other. Soon after, a church was built on the spot of the apparition, and a town was established around the church.

My personal experience with the Lady of Manaoag is extraordinary. I visited it only once, made a wish, and it came true! The church is also possibly one of the safest places around, especially after it survived the second world war (its façade was damaged, but the interiors were spared when a bomb thrown on the roof failed to explode) as well as tribal attacks when the townspeople of Manaoag who sought refuge in the church were protected from dangerous flaming arrows.

Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje)

Church: Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Church, Antipolo City

Feast: May

For those who travel and love travelling, she is the patroness for you. Enshrined in the church in the mountains of Antipolo, Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage is among the most visited by pilgrims, especially during the Lenten season.

The story goes that in the 17^th century, a Hispanic diplomat from Mexico arrived here carrying an image of the Virgin Mother, which became much celebrated among Filipinos. When the then incumbent Spanish Governor died, the image was passed on to the Jesuit priests, who then kept it inside a church of Antipolo. From then on the image manifested a reluctance to be located anywhere else. No matter how many times it was moved to other places, it always ended up on the trunk of the same tree called “tipulo.”

For this reason, as if to honor its historical preference, the Antipolo church has become its permanent home.

Why the icon is dedicated to peace and good voyage is beyond me. But it is possible that it has something to do with the journey it took during the galleon trade between Mexico and Manila, in which the image was present in one of the ships.

Our Lady of Piat

Church: Basilica Minore de Piat, Piat, Cagayan Valley

Feast: July 2

While doing research for this article, I stumbled upon another popular patroness -- and shame on me for not knowing her -- in the Philippines. The image of Our Lady of Piat holds a brief and simple history, which told of how it was brought to the Philippines by Dominican priests. But in terms of miraculous events, it is reputed to have answered prayers from people who asked for help, such as healing from a grave illness, saving a child buried alive, delivering life-saving rains in times of drought, and many others.

Our Lady of Caysasay

Church: Our Lady of Caysaysay Church, Taal, Batangas City

Feast: December 8

Our Lady of Caysaysay’s image was said to be discovered by a fisherman, who fished out her icon from a river. Like the Lady of Antipolo, the Lady refused to be placed anywhere but by the river where it was found. It would vanish and reappear in the same place, when moved.

At one point in her history, she got lost and was found again, but not until eight years had passed by a local servant, who soon experienced the Lady’s apparition and miracles. Not too long after, a church was built on the spot where the image was found and insisted on staying. This is the Our Lady of Caysaysay Church.

Our Lady of Penafrancia

Church: Naga Basilica, Naga City

Feast: September 8

The devotion to Our Lady of Penafrancia, otherwise known as "Ina," was originated by Spanish priest Miguel Robles de Covarrubias whose family hailed from Penafrancia, Spain. As a student seminarian at the Universidad de Santo Tomas, Covarubias fell seriously ill but was said to have been healed after praying to Our Lady of Penafrancia whose picture he was clutching to his breast. In gratitude, he promised to construct a chapel by the bank of the Pasig River to honor the Marian Image. However, when he was transferred to Ciudad de Caceres (now known as Naga City), it was here that he fulfilled his promise. While a chapel was being built by the natives along the slopes of Mount Isarog, he ordered an artisan to carve an image based on the picture of the Our Lady of Penafrancia.

The first celebration of the Penafrancia feast was held in 1710. From then on, various miracles credited to the devotion to the Ina have been recorded.

Mary has many other appellations. The Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, the Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Heaven, Cause of our Joy. She has been named after places where she appeared or is enshrined: Lady of Loreto, Lady of Guadalupe, Lady of Lourdes and, of course, our very own Lady of Manaoag and Lady of Penafrancia.

The story of each revered Marian image is not uncommon as stories of religious images go, but is always wonderful.

If you have faith, the impossible takes credibility and the stories will never be less than beautiful.

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Jess is a curious young Pinay who likes to read a good story and to write one. She also loves cooking, collecting ballpens and notebooks, and drawing illustrations. She believes in the saying: "an intelligent person knows that he/she knows nothing," therefore gives herself at least two hours every day to explore unfamiliar things.

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