Virgen de la Regla National Shrine, or Neustra Senora dela regla National Shrine, in May 2013, B.M. Dimataga St, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, Philippines.
The City of Lapu Lapu is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. The city occupies most of Mactan Island, one kilometer off of mainland CebuIsland, and also covers the whole of Olango Island five kilometres further to the southeast plus a few other islets. It is part of the larger Cebu Metropolitan Area which is centred on Cebu City. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 292,530 people. The Parish and Shrine of Nuestra Señora Virgen de la Regla in Opon, Lapu-lapu City, Cebu, was raised to the honors of being a National Shrine last May 24, 2007 by His Eminece, Ricardo J. Cardinal vidal, DD, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cebu. It was made because the said shrine is the only shrine dedicated to this particular Marian title in the entire Philippines and was made because of the fervent Catholic devotion to the Black Virgin.
It was in the year 1735, when Father Francisco Avalle, an Augustinian Monk, became the first Parish Priest of Opon, of the historic island of Mactan, opposite of Cebu Island. As a true son of St. Augustine, and having lived for ten years in the Monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Regla, in Chipiona, Andalucia, he showed the people of Opon a small picture of the miraculous Virgen de la Regla, so well known in his native land, Spain. St. Augustine himself had venerated this particular image during his lifetime, and when the great Bishop of Hippo, Africa, died in 430, his spiritual sons continued the devotion until the vandals invaded Africa in 443. They had to flee, taking with them the image of Virgen de la Regla to Spain, where for several centuries, the fame of the Blesed Mother spread under the name of Virgen de la Regla, Virgen Libica, Virgen del Sagrario, Estrella de los Mares, La Virgen Morena or Morenita. Then another invasion took place in spain in the year 711, where the Saracens or Moors persecuted the Church in Andallucia, destroying churches and images. Then the prior of the Augustinians, a certain Simeon, decided to conceal the image in a cave in which he and his monks, after fervent prayers, lighted a small oil lamp, and placed the image in box on an improvised altar
Centuries passed by and the hidden image was almost forgotten until the year 1330. Our Lady appeared to another priest of the same order of St. Augustine, residing in the city of Leon, where King Ferdinand, after re-conquering Spain, had dedicated to the Queen of Kings, Santa Maria de la Regla. The Augustinian saw the Blessed Virgin with black complexion, holding a child in her arms, speaking the following words: “Stand up, and proceed to the east till you reach the Sea of Cadiz. It has been many years since an image of mine has been hidden away in a cave near its shores. Go and get it and place it in my church. I will show you the way by a celestial light.”
With his superior’s permission, the faithful priest set out on the long journey to find the blessed image. Exhausted, on day, he reached a tree where he intended to rest for a while, and soon he fell into a deep slumber. In his sleep, he heard a sweet voice saying: “This is the Place”. He awakened and knew he had come to the end of his sacred quest. He prayed and asked the Blessed Virgin to show him the exact spot. A ball of fire fell from heaven to the place where he was resting. Miraculously, the fire did not burn the tree. He called together the people living nearby and told them what had happened. They willingly assisted him in digging up the soil around the spot, until they came to a big rock. When the heavy stone was lifted, they beheld the opening of a cave. Entering it, they found on an altar with a wooden case on it and a lamp burning in front. The priest found the statue of Our Lady, the very same image that appeared to him while still in Leon. A large church was constructed by the devotees of Mary on the spot where her image was then permanently enshrined.
Virgen de la Regla National Shrine, or Neustra Senora dela regla National Shrine, in May 2013, B.M. Dimataga St, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, Philippines.
The City of Lapu Lapu is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. The city occupies most of Mactan Island, one kilometer off of mainland CebuIsland, and also covers the whole of Olango Island five kilometres further to the southeast plus a few other islets. It is part of the larger Cebu Metropolitan Area which is centred on Cebu City. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 292,530 people. The Parish and Shrine of Nuestra Señora Virgen de la Regla in Opon, Lapu-lapu City, Cebu, was raised to the honors of being a National Shrine last May 24, 2007 by His Eminece, Ricardo J. Cardinal vidal, DD, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cebu. It was made because the said shrine is the only shrine dedicated to this particular Marian title in the entire Philippines and was made because of the fervent Catholic devotion to the Black Virgin.
It was in the year 1735, when Father Francisco Avalle, an Augustinian Monk, became the first Parish Priest of Opon, of the historic island of Mactan, opposite of Cebu Island. As a true son of St. Augustine, and having lived for ten years in the Monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Regla, in Chipiona, Andalucia, he showed the people of Opon a small picture of the miraculous Virgen de la Regla, so well known in his native land, Spain. St. Augustine himself had venerated this particular image during his lifetime, and when the great Bishop of Hippo, Africa, died in 430, his spiritual sons continued the devotion until the vandals invaded Africa in 443. They had to flee, taking with them the image of Virgen de la Regla to Spain, where for several centuries, the fame of the Blesed Mother spread under the name of Virgen de la Regla, Virgen Libica, Virgen del Sagrario, Estrella de los Mares, La Virgen Morena or Morenita. Then another invasion took place in spain in the year 711, where the Saracens or Moors persecuted the Church in Andallucia, destroying churches and images. Then the prior of the Augustinians, a certain Simeon, decided to conceal the image in a cave in which he and his monks, after fervent prayers, lighted a small oil lamp, and placed the image in box on an improvised altar
Centuries passed by and the hidden image was almost forgotten until the year 1330. Our Lady appeared to another priest of the same order of St. Augustine, residing in the city of Leon, where King Ferdinand, after re-conquering Spain, had dedicated to the Queen of Kings, Santa Maria de la Regla. The Augustinian saw the Blessed Virgin with black complexion, holding a child in her arms, speaking the following words: “Stand up, and proceed to the east till you reach the Sea of Cadiz. It has been many years since an image of mine has been hidden away in a cave near its shores. Go and get it and place it in my church. I will show you the way by a celestial light.”
With his superior’s permission, the faithful priest set out on the long journey to find the blessed image. Exhausted, on day, he reached a tree where he intended to rest for a while, and soon he fell into a deep slumber. In his sleep, he heard a sweet voice saying: “This is the Place”. He awakened and knew he had come to the end of his sacred quest. He prayed and asked the Blessed Virgin to show him the exact spot. A ball of fire fell from heaven to the place where he was resting. Miraculously, the fire did not burn the tree. He called together the people living nearby and told them what had happened. They willingly assisted him in digging up the soil around the spot, until they came to a big rock. When the heavy stone was lifted, they beheld the opening of a cave. Entering it, they found on an altar with a wooden case on it and a lamp burning in front. The priest found the statue of Our Lady, the very same image that appeared to him while still in Leon. A large church was constructed by the devotees of Mary on the spot where her image was then permanently enshrined.