Virtual Tour by Rev. Fr. Egai de Jesus "A rustic hilltop begets a new pilgrimage goal: The National Shrine of the Divine Mercy. It attracted thousands of pilgrims from all over the Philippines and abroad. From day one of its foundations, the floodgates of God's Mercy are wide open."
The Divine Mercy Shrine:A Place of Prayer, Healing, Peace and Solitude. "Today, in this shrine, I wish solemnly to entrust the world to Divine Mercy. I do so with burning desire that the message of God's merciful love, proclaimed here through Saint Faustina, may be made known to all the peoples of the earth, and fill their hearts with hope. May this message radiate from this place to our beloved homeland and throughout the world. May the binding promise of the Lord Jesus fulfilled; from here there must go forth: 'the spark which will prepare the world for his final coming." (Homily of John Paul II, Krakow, Poland, August 17, 2002) "Soul who spread the honor of My Mercy I shield through their entire life as a tender mother to her infant, and the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful Savior." (Diary, 1075) The Beginning ...
When Fr. Vic was about to finish his term as Parochial Vicar of the Parish of St. Michael in Marilao, he was being eyed to assume the office of being a Parish Administrator of the newly formed quasi parish. He got the inspiration to adopt the Divine Mercy to be the patron. Amidst the political unrest and socio-economic crises.in the eve of the Feast of the Divine Mercy on April 6, 1991 at 6:00 pm mass, he made a covenant with Jesus: "Please give me a place to stay. I have no money but I believe it is your project and nothing is impossible." This miracle shrine in Marilao stands witness to God's "Ocean of Mercy."
The following year on the feast of the Divine Mercy the ground breaking ceremony was held. It was officiated by His Excellency Cirilo Almario, Jr. D.D., the Bishop of Malolos.
"The mustard seed has grown." This is God's project. From the bare land with a simple reproduction of the picture of the Divine Mercy, eleven years later, this Parish is declared a National Shrine. It was approved in the plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishop's Conference of the Philippine held on January 26, 2001. The Church was solemnly proclaimed as a National Shrine on November 30, 2002 officiated by the CBCP President, Most Rev. Orlando B. Quevedo, O.M.I., D.D. It was exactly the 22nd Anniversary of the signing of "Dives in Misericordia", the encyclical dedicated by Pope John Paul II to the richness of God's mercy. And providentially, it was the 15th Anniversary of Fr. Vic's ordination as priest and as "vessel of God's mercy." Open your heart to God's Mercy as you visit the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Marilao, Bulacan, Philippines. We invite you to visit the shrine to seek inspiration, to pray for your special intentions, to light a candle for guidance, and participate in the daily religious activities.
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In
everywhere he looked, Fr. Vicente "VIC" A. Robles seemed
to see the inspirations and the image of the Divine Mercy. He was
first introduced to the devotion when he celebrated mass at a private
chapel in Navotas in the early 90's. But this devotion has already
started in Poland in February 22, 1931 when Saint Faustina saw our
Lord clothed in a white garment.
At
the main altar, the image of our Lord Jesus Christ invites us "to
draw near with confidence to the throne of grace that we may receive
mercy and find grace when we are in need of help." (Heb 4:16)
This icon was painted by a Bulakeño artist, Celing Marasigan
of Paombong, Bulacan. It was finished and blessed in 1991. Two year
later, Ka Celing had suffered a massive stroke. But his wife's faith
kneeling before the image of the Divine Mercy, Ka Celing regained
his consciousness and recovered.
Underneath
the soil of that place was a solid rock. From the dug solid rock constructed
the adoration chapel. It is also known as the "Last Vision of
Fatima Chapel." It was blessed and witnessed by almost seven
thousand people on April 18, 1993, the feast of the Divine Mercy.
That very same day was the Beatification of St. Faustina, the visionary
and the secretary of God's mercy.
The
back of the Church took shape. The giant adobe was shaped in the west
side. There an altar was built facing the flat part of the area. Bamboo
benches were made and used by people during masses.
A
grotto was also built and dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima where prayers
had been offered to signify the pilgrims' hopes and aspirations. "Come
and draw water from the well spring of God's unfathomable Mercy."
Near
the grotto, the tomb of the unborn was blessed. It became a symbolic
grave for all the children who were murdered by way of abortion.
On
April 10, 1994, Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel was blessed. It was under
the planned convent of the church. A big picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe
stood where healing water flows. On November 30, 1994, the shrine
became a parish church and Fr. Vic became the first Parish Priest.
The
church and convent were constructed but other constructions continue
on the grounds. And those grounds now are the Life sized Stations
of the Cross spread all over the 10,000 square meters field at the
back of the shrine, the Rosary Hill, the Path of Healing, the exhibits
of the Holy Land and Mother Theresa of Calcutta and the Cave of the
Holy Sepulchre.