Anything under the sun
The world of Mother Rosario (5)
ILOILO is blessed with many reported miracles since Spanish time and even up to the present. Here are some:
In Fort San Pedro which we have already known when the image of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary saved the defenders from the Dutch attack in 15___.
The image of Our Lady of the Candles in Jaro Cathedral. The image got lost mysteriously for several times only to be found elsewhere. During the periods of its disappearances, especially during World War 11, a very beautiful lady was seen bathing a small child at a spring at Jaro plaza.
Once a vine grew on the image and a scramble for its parts – leaves, branches, roots – ensued because the people believed them to be miraculous.
The image of Anto Nino in Arevalo. During the Spanish time, the Muslims attacked Arevalo many times. At one time, upon seeing the Muslims vintas approaching the sea, the natives placed the image on the shore and prayed for its protection. The Muslims were not able to land because they were prevented by “a small boy in red cloak” walking to and fro on the shores telling the raiders to go back.
During the war, the Japanese from Oton went to Arevalo to retaliate a previous ambush on them where many were killed. On their way, they were stopped and turned back “by a boy who stood right on the middle of the intersection of Jocson and Rizal Streets”.
In Guimbal, there are three reported stories. The first relates that when the Muslim raiders landed at what is now Rizal Street, they saw a very tall man in black robe with long legs and strong arms. His legs extended across the street blocking the raiders. In dialect: Nagabarakang sa karsada.
On his head was a very bright halo blinding the raiders who fled to their vintas. The place is now called Barakang. The mysterious man was believed to be San Nicolas de Tolentino, patron saint of Guimbal.
The second story runs: One night, the Muslim raiders landed at Barrio Nanga. They followed a trail inland. Along the way, they saw a mysterious very tall man in the robe of a priest walking along the trail. In fear, the raiders returned to the shores back to their vintas and sailed away. This mysterious apparition was believed to be that of San Nicolas de Tolentino.
The third story is this: The Muslim raiders while still at sea, saw a lady on the shore holding a child. The lights from their halos looked like cannon flashes from afar. Seeing these, the raiders left. The image was believed to be that of La Señora de la Consolacion holding the Child Jesus which has a statue in the church..
In Nueva Valencia. One night, during a lull in a storm, a woman living near the church of Nueva Valencia, Guimaras, saw a figure of a priest entering the church. Since it was a Saturday, she told her husband to go to church for a confession.
The couple entered the church but found nobody there. They searched for the priest but in vain. The woman later noticed that the life-sized statue of St. Vincent Ferrer matched with the figure of the priest she saw entering the church.
Few days later, the parish priest who just arrived from Iloilo apologized to his parishioners that he really wanted to return earlier to their town but in a dream, St. Vincent Ferrer advised him to return only after the storm subsides. The saint also told him not to worry because he would take care of the church and the parish.
Because of this incident, the town changed its, the town changed its patron saint from Santa Ana to San Vicenter Ferrer.
In San Miguel, in 1805, sixty bandits from Alimodian, Iloilo led by Magua-ay attacked the pueblo of Anggoy.
Some inhabitants through prior notice of the coming of the bandits gathered at the convent to help parish priest Padre Nicolas Concepcion defend the church.
When the bandits arrived at night they forced open the church door. Then a strange very bright light emanated from the altar and blinded them. Afriad, they fled.
Along their way, they informed the people that they saw the statue of San Miguel step down the altar confronted them with a blinding light.
Because of this incident, the people petitioned the authorities to rename their pueblo San Miguel.
Santo Niño of Tigbauan. During the Spanish time in San Joaquin, Iloilo, the capitan went fishing and caught an object which turned out to be an image of the Santo Niño. He gave it to the town friar who placed it at the church altar.
One day, the town was raided by the buyong (bandits) who ransacked the convent and threatened to kill the friar. Suddenly a small child appeared pointing to his heart. The bandits became afraid and left the priest unharmed.
Later, the priest took refuge in Tigbauan, Iloilo bringing with him the image of Santo Niño. There, the image became missing several times only to be found at San Joaquin church. It was reported that some travelers met a child along the way who when questioned told them that he was going to San Joaquin, the town he loved dearly.
At another time, a fisherman came to the friar in Tigbauan to collect the cost of fish which he claimed was bought by a child upon the order of the friar. Although the priest had never ordered any child to buy fish, yet he paid the fisherman. The next morning while the priest was about to say Mass, he found a string of putrified fish dangling from the fingers of the image of the Santo Niño.
The above stories are just reported “miracles” but not authenticated by the Holy Church. However, there are two stories here which were really authenticated by the Holy Church as true and genuine. They are:
1. Cecilia Alegria Policarpio (nicknamed Ria) of Calinog, Iloilo is the miracle child of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint canonized.
She is a daughter of Florentino Policarpio and Lourdes Ravena and a granddaughter of Dolores Ravena, a historian of Calinog.
Born in 1981, Ria was later found to have hydrocephalus (abnormal growing of the head). She has no frontal lobe and her brain was that of an old man. She could not hold it erect, nor maintain sitting posture even with back support, nor walk around.
Her condition worsened and her parents appealed to the Cause of Blessed Lorenzo Ruiz and His Companion Martyrs which campaigned for prayers all over the country.
The condition of Ria improved and on October 1983, the doctors pronounced her as “completely cured both anatomically and functionally”.
This miracle was the basis of the canonization of San Lorenzo on October 18, 1987.
2. Charisse Nicole Diaz, a daughter of Oscar Diaz and Zarah Reza Reyes of Zarraga, Iloilo is the miracle chlid of St. Hannibal Mary di Francia, an Italian priest who founded the Congregation of the Rogationist Fathers of the Heart of Jesus and of the Religious Daughters of Divine Zeal who was canonized on May 16, 2004.
At six days old Charisse was already afflicted with cerebral meningitis. When no medical intervention seemed to save her as her doctors pronounced her case hopeless, her grandmother pinned a relic of Blessed Hannibal on her. Then her whole family prayed to God thru the intercession of Blessed Hannibal for her recovery. And she was miraculously cured without any trace of the aftermath of the sickness until now.
This miracle was the basis of the canonization of St. Hannibal in Rome which was attended by Charisse together with her family and Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo.
Going back to Mother Rosario, it is very possible that she must have heard the above stories from the nearby towns of Tigbauan, Arevalo, Miguel and Jaro. The Ilonggos being very religious people, stories like those spread immediately like wild life.
These stories no doubt must have drove deeper into Mother Rosario her faith and trust in the goodness and mercy of God. (To be continued)
