Bishop Ruperto Santos formally opened Antipolo’s annual pilgrimage season Monday, inviting Catholics nationwide to ascend the hilltop Marian shrine and receive a plenary indulgence.
Marking the traditional “pag-ahon” on the feast of Our Lady of Antipolo, Santos launched the three-month pilgrimage with a call to renewed devotion.
“Come to Antipolo, let us pray together, attend Mass, and honor our Blessed Mother,” Santos told Radyo Veritas.
Pilgrims who take part in devotions and Eucharistic celebrations at the International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage may obtain indulgences under the Church’s usual conditions.
The pilgrimage season runs from the first Tuesday of May until the first Tuesday of July, featuring novena Masses, processions and liturgies.
Bishops from across the Philippines will preside over major observances, underscoring the national importance of one of the country’s oldest and most enduring Marian devotions.
Among those scheduled to lead celebrations are Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, and papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown, who will preside over closing rites.
This year’s pilgrimage carries added significance as the local Church marks the 400th anniversary of the Marian image’s arrival and the centennial of its canonical coronation.
Commemorative stamps honoring both milestones are scheduled for release July 7.
In his opening homily, Santos stressed Marian devotion must always direct the faithful toward a deeper relationship with Christ.
“The Blessed Virgin Mary did everything not for herself but to bring us closer to God,” he said.
The bishop highlighted humility, fidelity and goodness as Mary’s defining virtues, urging pilgrims to embody those values in daily Christian life.
“Everything we have is entrusted to us by God; we are only stewards,” Santos said.
As thousands prepare to ascend the hilltop shrine, Santos described the pilgrimage as a profound opportunity for spiritual renewal.
“Our pilgrimage should lead us to know Jesus more deeply, to love Him more, and to serve Him more,” he said.