Malate Church in Manila, a parish run by the Columbans, was officially declared an “important cultural property” by the National Museum of the Philippines on 22 April 2023 in recognition of its historical and cultural role.
The 435-year-old church is officially known as Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (Our Lady of the Remedies) but more popularly is referred to as ‘Malate Catholic Church’.
“A panel of experts was convened on 5 December 2018 by the director general of the National Museum of the Philippines” to decide which cultural properties should “be designated as National Cultural Treasures and Important Cultural Properties,” according to a citation by the National Museum.
An “Important Cultural Property” is known for its outstanding “historical, cultural, artistic and/or scientific value” which is highly significant and important to the country, the citation added.
The Cultural Properties Preservation and Protection Act, the National Museum Act of 1998, and the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 mandates the government to declare and recognise such properties.
Columban missionary, Fr Leo Distor, who is parish priest of Malate church, thanked devotees saying the greatest miracle has been the growing number that visit the church each day.
“Our mission is not only to protect the church’s structure but to protect the faith of the Filipino people. Our work in the parish is not only focused on taking care of the cultural aspect of the church but also in honing the spirituality and faith of every Filipino,” Fr Distor said during a speech on 22nd April.
Among those who attended the honour was Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan.
The Columban-run church played a key role in the Philippine liberation and in 1898 Augustinian friars secretly allowed revolutionaries to take refuge in its belfry.
“For a time, it became a hideout for the revolutionaries because it was very near the Intramuros, the walled city that was the seat of power of colonial Spain” in the Philippines, historian Rafael Murillo told UCA News.
As the oldest church, built in 1588 in the archipelago, it survived the Chinese invasion in 1662, the British occupation in 1762, and a devastating earthquake in 1863, Murillo added.
The church contains the centuries-old image of Our Lady of Remedies, which was shipped to the Philippines in 1538 from Spain by the Augustinian missionaries.
Columbans in Manila gathered to mark the honour bestowed on Malate Church.
Mothers with sick children and those experiencing diseases visit the church, seeking its intercession.
“In 1995, I was diagnosed with a lump in my uterus. It was growing fast. So, I prayed to Our Lady and attended the daily Mass. A year later, the doctor informed me that the lump had stopped growing and that it was benign,” Marian devotee Cathy Maristela, 43, told UCA News.
Since then, I photocopied novenas and left hundreds of copies in the church pews, Maristela recalled.
“Many women are seeking the help of Our Lady to cure their illness,” Maristela added.
Another mother claimed her second son had pneumonia when she asked the parish priest in 2009 if she could place her son at the altar table while she and her husband prayed to the image.
“We were desperate. We were on our way to the Philippine General Hospital and we passed by the Malate church. I offered my son to Our Lady to make him well. A week later, we were discharged from the hospital,” Manila parishioner Anna Liza Logrono, 47, told UCA News.
Source: UCA News
Support the work and ministry of Columban Missionaries by sending a donation to the Far East Office, Dalgan Park, Navan, Co Meath C15 AY2Y. Alternatively, you can donate online at www.columbans.ie or call 00353 46 909 8275.
Thank you for generously loving and caring for others and for working in collaboration with the Columbans to build the Kingdom of God.
The Missionary Society of St Columban is a registered charity in Ireland. CRA Registration No 20001841. Trustees: Rev R. Husband, Rev P. O’Donovan, Rev T. O’Reilly, Rev G. Neylon, Rev D. Kenneally. It has been granted exemption by the Revenue Commissioners in Ireland and has a charitable tax exemption number: CHY 1152.