Our Lady of La Naval Manila

The origin of the image: a Chinese artist and a unique size

In 1593, the Governor General of the Philippines, Don Luis Pérez Dasmariñas, commissioned an image of Our Lady of the Rosary to commemorate his father, the late Governor Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas. The size was entrusted to a Chinese artist living in Manila, who converted to Christianity during the creation process. This conversion - and the Asian features that the artist printed to the image - are considered a prophetic sign of the mixed identity of Filipino Catholicism.

The image, carved in ivory and wood, represents the crowned Virgin Mary, with the Child Jesus on her left arm and a rosary on her right hand. It's 1.37 meters high. The Virgin saw a red mantle embroidered in gold and a large nursery, according to the Spanish fashion of the 16th century. His face, with soft Asian features, looks with serenity and majesty, inspiring the appeal of The Great Lady. The Child Jesus, also dressed in rich fabrics, holds the world in his left hand as he blesses with the right.

The battles of La Naval: the miracle that saved the Philippines

In 1646, during the Eighty Years War between Spain and the United Provinces of the Netherlands, a powerful Dutch fleet of 18 ships - 15 of them war galleons - came off the coast of the Philippines with the mission of conquering the archipelago. The Spanish had only two old galleons: the Incarnation (capitana) y el Rosary (Almiranta), who had arrived from Acapulco. The situation was desperate.

Before leaving, Governor Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera ordered both galleons to be placed under the protection of Our Lady of the Rosary. The whole crew kneeled, prayed the Rosary in alternate choirs and made a vow to lead a Christian life if they obtained victory. Between February and October 1646, five naval battles were held:

• First battle: February 1, 1646, opposite Ilocos and Pangasinan. The galleon Rosary He fled to the Dutch fleet after an intense canyon.
• 2nd battle: March 15, 1646, in the Strait of San Bernardino. The two Spanish galleons, outnumbered, resisted the combined attack of the Dutch squadron.
• Third battle: 18 April 1646, off the island of Marinduque. The Incarnation He fought five enemy ships alone.
• 4th battle: July 29, 1646, Manila Bay. Heroic resistance to the Dutch combined fleet.
• 5th battle: Septibre-October 1646, opposite the armour of Manila Bay. Spanish final victory with the final withdrawal of the Dutch.

Miraculously, only 15 soldiers of the Spanish-Filipino side died during all the battles. The two old galleons, despite the countless cannon impacts, were kept afloat. The Dutch lost several ships and withdrew forever. They never tried to conquer the Philippines again.

The declaration of miracle and perpetual devotion

In fulfilment of the vote made before the battle, the survivors pilgrimaged barefoot to the shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary. On April 9, 1652, following a thorough canonical investigation, the Cabildo Catedral of Manila officially declared the naval victories as a miracle work of the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary. Since then, the Virgin is venerated under the title of Our Lady of La Naval Manila.

The holiday is held every second Sunday of October with one of the greatest processions in Asia. The image of La Naval runs through the streets of Manila on a golden cart, accompanied by thousands of faithful who pray the Rosary. The procession commemorates the fulfillment of the 1646 vote and is one of the oldest Catholic traditions in the Philippines.

The image and its conservation

The original image is preserved in the National Sanctuary of La Naval, in the Church of Santo Domingo, Ciudad Quezón. It has survived earthquakes, wars (including the Japanese occupation and the bombing of World War II) and the passage of centuries. Its shrimp is a work of art in itself, with revered silver panels and a rotating throne that allows the image to be venerated from all angles.

In 1906, Pope Pius X authorized the canonical coronation of the image, which took place on 5 October 1907, organized by Apostolic Delegate Ambrose Agius. The crown, of solid gold with precious stones, was donated by the Filipino faithful. In 2007, the centenary of the canonical coronation was celebrated with a procession that brought together more than a million people.

The Naval today: identity of a people

Our Lady of La Naval Manila is much more than a Marian advocation: it is the symbol of the Philippine Catholic identity. Every year, on the October holiday, the image runs through the streets of Manila in a procession that lasts hours. The process cart, thrown by hundreds of devotees, advances among petals of flowers, songs of the Rosary and live to the Virgin.

The devotion to La Naval has transcended the borders of the Philippines. Filipino communities around the world celebrate their party with masses and processions. In Rome, the Philippine National Church is dedicated to Our Lady of the Naval. The image has travelled to Spain on several occasions to chair world meetings of the Dominican family - the order that has kept the sanctuary since the 16th century.

Prayer to Our Lady of La Naval Manila