I just returned from an extended vacation in the Philippines, where I not only had the pleasure of spending time with relatives I hadn't seen in decades, but I was also able to visit three special places of prayer. All three are in the province of Batangas and my experiences at each place will stick with me for the rest of my life!
+ LIPA: Carmel Monastery & Church of Mary the Mediatrix of All Grace
The magnificent Carmel Church of Lipa
in Batangas.
Here, at this Carmelite monastery complex, the Blessed Virgin appeared at least 15 times in 1948 to a then-postulant named, Sr. Teresita Castillo - Mary called herself the Mediatrix of All Grace.
Me, in the side-chapel of the Mediatrix of All
Grace in the church. The statue pictured was
seen to move during the time of these
visitations in 1948.
Our Lady came as a woman of incomparable beauty; garbed in a simple white robe and veil; holding a golden rosary; emitting a floral fragrance and standing on a small pillow-like cloud. The bulk of the apparitions occurred near a vine in the monastery's garden where the main message of Lipa was received by Sr. Teresita on September 16th, 1948:
"Pray, my child. The people do not heed
my words. Tell my daughters (the other nuns)
that there will be persecutions, unrest, and
bloodshed in your country. The enemy of
the Church will try to destroy the faith which
Jesus established and died for. The Church
will suffer much.
Pray for the conversion of sinners
throughout the world. Pray for those who
rejected me and those who do not believe
and trust me. Spread the meaning of the
Rosary, because this will be the instrument
for peace throughout the world. Tell the
people that the Rosary must be said with
devotion.
Propagate the devotion of my Immaculate
Heart. Do penance for priests and nuns.
But be not afraid, for the love of my Son will
soften the hardest of hearts and my
motherly love will be their strength to
crush the enemies of God.
What I ask here is the same I asked
at Fatima."
At the shrine complex, one is able to look
down from a 2nd floor chapel balcony into
the cloistered monastery's garden where
most of the apparitions took place.
At the time of the apparitions many signs were witnessed by the nuns and countless pilgrims to the monastery: the sun danced; the statue carved to represent the apparition came to life; cures occurred; and rose petals - many imprinted with holy images - materialized out of thin air to "rain" down upon the people.
Top: Rose petals from Lipa, gifted to me by
an Aunt from the Philippines; she said they "fell
from the sky". The larger petal still bears a
faint image of Our Lady of Lourdes and
St. Bernadette kneeling.
Bottom-Left: A closer view of the miraculous
statue in Lipa and a 28" replica of it I treated
myself to from the shrine gift shop.
I left this sacred place imbued with its holiness and spiritual power; a major highlight of my vacation!
"Do not fear my daughter. He who loves
above all things has sent me."
above all things has sent me."
~ Words of Our Lady to Sr. Teresita, 1948
+ MONTE MARIA: Shrine & Monument to Our Lady, the "Mother of All Asia"
Our Lady's statue towers above Monte
Maria and the Church of the Santo Nino
on the same mountain.
Approximately an hour's drive away from Lipa is the Shrine of the Mother of All Asia, which features a 322 feet high statue of Our Lady. It's supposed to be the tallest statue of the Holy Mother, to-date, in the world... and it stands atop a mountain-side called Monte Maria ("Mary's Mountain"), facing a breathtaking view of Batangas Bay.
Scenes from Monte Maria and a great
panoramic view of Batangas Bay...
Although the exterior of the Marian tower appears completed, the interior is still under construction so I wasn't able to climb to the top of the monument. However, a finished chapel exists within the base of the statue where Mass is regularly offered (see below).
+ The "MOUNTAIN OF SALVATION": Prayer Garden & Hermitage of the Mother of Love, Peace, & Joy
Scenes from the Shrine of the Mother of
Love, Peace, & Joy at Monte Maria.
On Monte Maria but a short walking distance away is another site of alleged heavenly visitations - a place of prayer connected to the purported Filipina visionary/stigmatic, Emma de Guzman, from New Jersey, USA. Emma co-founded the La Pieta International Prayer Group and has the tacit support of several bishops in the USA and Philippines. In fact, the hermitage complex was constructed under the approval and oversight of the local bishop of Lipa.
"I desire this place where I visit my
children to be a Garden of Prayer. This
place will bring you peace in your heart,
because I am with you in prayer as well
as the saints and angels."
~ Words of Our Lady to Emma, 12/2018
Although Emma claimed experiencing mystical charism since 1991, she only first saw the Blessed Virgin on Monte Maria in December 2015. Our Lady supposedly appears to Emma under the title of Mother of Love, Peace, and Joy; dressed in a white gown with a gold-colored sash and veil.
From the prayer garden one can see the
Mother of All Asia statue in the distance,
higher up Monte Maria.
More apparitions of Mary and various saints occurred on Monte Maria each time Emma visited the site on September 8th (Feast of Mary's Nativity) and December 8th (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) during subsequent years. As a result of these events, a pilgrimage developed at the site with the primary focus being a large Pieta monument and a fenced-in shrine marking the exact spot where the Virgin appears.
This is where the Madonna allegedly
appears to Emma. The Saints who often
accompany her are represented by statues:
the Little Flower, St. Teresa of Avila, St.
Maddalena dei Pazzi, St. John the Apostle,
St. Peregrine Laziosi, & St. Faustina.
My overall personal impression of the Mountain of Salvation shrine was positive - I felt deep peace while praying there, and because of the local church's support for Emma, I left the site with an attitude of cautious openness to the events allegedly taking place there.
“You are my garden, dear children.
I want you all to make my garden
beautiful. Pray and have peace in your
hearts. Chaos is everywhere. The Church
is being attacked and priests are being
persecuted; some because of their own
mistakes. Please pray for them.”
~ Words of Our Lady to Emma, 12/2018
For those interested in learning more about Emma de Guzman, the La Pieta Prayer Group, and this beautiful place of pilgrimage, click here.
A prayer composed by the seer, Emma.
If you ever find yourself in the Philippines, I highly recommend visits to these special places of prayer and devotion in Batangas. From Manila to Lipa, it's only about a 2-hour drive but it'll be well-worth your time. You will be blessed.
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