On December 9-12, 1531, a glowing young woman appeared to Juan Diego in the present-day Mexico City, identifying herself as Our Lady of Guadalupe. This historic Marian apparition was confirmed by Pope Benedict XIV through the Sacred Congregation of Rites in 1754, which granted permission to celebrate the Mass and Office for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12. Since then, she has become known throughout the world, especially in the Hispanic Empire, as the “Empress of the Americas,” to which the Philippines belonged for 333 years.
In the Philippines, Pope Pius XI officially declared Our Lady of Guadalupe as the “Celestial Patroness of the Philippines” on July 16, 1935. Furthermore, in 2001, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) declared December 12 an obligatory memorial and in 2002 recognized her as the “Pro-Life Patroness of the Philippines” in response to the global movement to dedicate the plight of unborn children to her miraculous intercession.
In the spirit of our fraternal bond with the bishops of Mexico, the CBCP has expressed its commitment to the Conferencia Episcopado Mexicano in participating in the Novena Intercontinental Guadalupana. This nine-year preparation for the 500th anniversary of the Guadalupe apparitions in 2031 was inaugurated by the late Pope Francis on December 12, 2022.
Its objective is to promote a renewed encounter with God through Our Lady of Guadalupe, seeking new paths to revive faith in order to celebrate 500 years of the Guadalupan Event. In 2025, we received a cordial invitation from the Mexican Bishops to participate in this global novena, for which we committed to various forms of participation, coordinated by the shrines of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Philippines under the guidance of the Association of Catholic Shrines and Pilgrimages of the Philippines until 2031.
From June 13, 2026, Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to December 12, 2026, Memorial of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a replica image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and an image of St. Juan Diego would be brought to the Philippines from Mexico as part of this global endeavor to propagate the devotion. The Philippine Pilgrimage of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a collaboration of the Insigne y Nacional Basilica de Santa María de Guadalupe in Mexico with the Association of Catholic Shrines and Pilgrimages of the Philippines, the Escaler Group of Companies, Jesuit Communications Foundation, Inc., other mandated organizations, and private partners devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe. These images shall visit different cathedrals, shrines, and parish churches across the country and shall also be present during the CBCP 132nd Plenary Assembly on July 3-10, 2026.
His Eminence, José F. Cardinal Advincula, Archbishop of Manila, lovingly gave this image the title Madre Peregrina de Guadalupe, emphasizing the Virgin Mary’s role as a visiting Mother as she visited her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-56). During her visit to churches across our nation, we are called by Our Lady of Guadalupe to consecrate ourselves to her as our Blessed Mother. Hence, during this pilgrimage, the Act of Consecration and Entrustment to Our Lady of Guadalupe shall be recited in all Masses in the churches to be visited. This visit aims to bring us, Filipinos, closer to Our Lord Jesus Christ and our Blessed Mother.
Let us remember her message to St. Juan Diego and to us:
“Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?”
For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines:
✠ GILBERT A. GARCERA, D.D.
Archbishop of Lipa
CBCP President
03 June 2026
