SAN MATEO, Rizal — The Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu (DSPNSDA) will celebrate its 14th year as a Diocesan Shrine on July 17. The Recamaderos de los Imagenes en la Parroquia dela Virgen de Aranzazu (RIPVA) and the Parish Pastoral Council organized a 14-day mini-exhibit consisting of 14 different images of Our Lady of Aranzazu in the care of private families and individuals including chapels within the town.
Preparations the night before the blessing. (Nico Cruz/ RIPVA)
The mini-exhibit is held inside the church and was formally opened yesterday July 11, after the 6:00 p.m. mass led by the Parochial Vicar, Fr. Edwin Tirado. The exhibit is a substitute event for unveiling of Historical Marker that was supposedly scheduled on July 17th but was moved on August 31st (first day of novena before the fiesta).
The Canonical Creation and Symbolical Coronation to NSDA in 2004. (Jesnar Fernando/ Cofradia)
The Parish was elevated as Diocesan Shrine on the 17th of July 2004 during the time of Msgr. Mariano T. Balbago where the seated image of Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu received a Symbolical Coronation, officiated by His Excellency Bishop Gabriel V. Reyes D.D., and attended by notable personalities and thousands of parishioners.
The exhibit will last until July 24, Tuesday. The RIPVA also plans to organize a larger Aranzazu replica exhibit and procession next year that will include various images of Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu within and outside San Mateo, to show how wide the devotion to Our Lady of Aranzazu is.
Christian Jasper Robles
Senior Writer, Website Team - Media Ministry
Christian is a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Communication at Colegio de San Juan de Letran. He is a member of the writer’s team of Aranzazu Media and Public Information Ministry. A singer, performer, writer, church servant, and a Marian devotee. Currently, he is the secretary of Association of Our Lady of Aranzazu- Cofradia and member of Avant-Garde Singers. Passionate about writing different local religious traditions and Mariology matters; Christian is strongly dedicated in promoting and propagating the devotion to Our Lady of Aranzazu.
