Our Lady of the Perpetual Help of Bclaran - The Sanctuary that Never closes

The miraculous icon: from the sky of Crete to Manila

The icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Relief - known in the East as the Virgin of Passion - has its origin on the island of Crete in the 15th century. It represents the Virgin Mary by supporting the Child Jesus, who looks at the instruments of the Passion that an archangel shows him in fear. The Virgin holds the hand of the Child with tenderness, while her gaze, serene but deep, addresses the viewer as inviting him to understand the mystery of the redeeming pain.

The original icon was taken to Rome at the end of the 15th century, where it remained forgotten for centuries until, in 1866, Pope Blessed Pius IX gave it to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists), founded by Saint Alfonso Maria de Ligorio, with the task of "making it known throughout the world." The Pope said to the redeemers, "Make this icon known throughout the orb, and see that there will never be any wonders."

The redemptorists arrived in the Philippines in 1906, bringing with them a copy of the icon. She was first placed in the parish church of Opon, Cebu, and later in Malate, Manila. In 1932 they settled in Bclaran, then a small village of fishermen surrounded by marshes, where they built a humble wooden chapel.

La Novena Perpetua: the largest phenomenon of faith in Asia

On the first Wednesday, June 23, 1948, Redemptorist father Joe English brought together 70 people for the first Nova Perpetua in Bclaran. The next week was already 150. Before the end of the year, the chapel - with capacity for 300 people - had been small and more sessions had to be added. In 1949, there were eight mass sessions every Wednesday.

Today, the National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Perpetual Relief attracts more than 150,000 devotees every Wednesday. The temple, built in 1958 in Neorromanic style with capacity for 2,000 people sitting and over 10,000 standing, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is known as "the Church that never closes."

The devotion to Perpetual Relief has become a Filipino national institution. In all the cities of the country there is a Wednesday Mass dedicated to the Virgin of Perpetual Relief. The Ninth Perpetua - which has been constantly praying every Wednesday since 1948 - is the largest in the world. The walls of the sanctuary are covered with letters of thanks from devotees who have received favors: healing, jobs, family reconciliation, conversions.

Architecture and life of the sanctuary

The Bclaran National Sanctuary, built in 1958 on a three-hectare land donated "to the Blessed Virgin" by a devout called Anastacia, is a Neorromic-style building with a large central ship, two side ships and a large apse where it chairs the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Relief. The facade, sober but imposing, rises on Roxas Boulevard Avenue, opposite Manila Bay.

The interior is a constant kettle of faithful. At any time of day or night there are people praying before the icon. Masses happen without interruption. On Wednesday, the sanctuary reaches its maximum activity with up to 20 masses in different times to welcome the waves of devotees coming from all the megalopolis of Manila and from far-off provinces.

The icon, an exact copy of the original Roman, is framed in a white marble altar with golden ornaments. The image shows Mary in her characteristic red dress (color of love and martyrdom) and dark blue mantle (symbol of her heavenly royalty). The Child Jesus wears green and red robe, and holds his Mother's hands while looking at the future with confidence.

Devotion in Filipino Culture

For Filipinos, Wednesday is "Bclaran Day." Thousands of people adjust their working hours to attend the ninth. The buses and jeepkids throughout Manila carry decals from the Virgin of Perpetual Relief. In Philippine homes, the icon chairs the living rooms next to the Holy Child. Devotion has transcended the borders: wherever there is a Filipino community in the world, there is a Perpetual Relief Mass on Wednesday.

The Philippine redemptorists, heirs of the mission entrusted by Pius IX, have taken the icon to all corners of the archipelago. In 2016, as the icon was given to the Redemptorist Congregation 150 years ago, a Jubilee year was held that brought together millions of faithful in Bclaran. The motto of the congregation, Copious Apud Eum Redemptio (In Him there is abundant redemption), resounds in every ninth as a reminder that divine mercy is poured out without measure through the intercession of the Mother of Perpetual Help.

Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Relief