Our Lady of Guadalupe image begins 6-month pilgrimage in the Philippines

Church leaders launched a six-month journey for the Marian icon, which will travel to more than 50 churches before its permanent installation at the Manila Cathedral in December.

An image of Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico arrived in the Philippines on June 11, marking the start of a six-month nationwide pilgrimage that Church leaders hope will strengthen people’s faith.

Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, spiritual director of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Philippine Pilgrimage, led the reception and blessing of the pilgrim image at Malacañang Palace in Manila in the presence of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.; first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos; papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown; Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso; and other government officials, clergy, and lay faithful.

Marcos and the first lady hosted the reception and blessing, formally launching the Philippine Pilgrimage 2026.

The occasion highlighted the Philippines’ deep Marian devotion and its participation in the Novena Intercontinental Guadalupana, a worldwide spiritual preparation for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego. She appeared on four occasions on Dec. 9–12, 1531: three at the hill of Tepeyac and a fourth before Juan de Zumárraga, then the first bishop of Mexico and a Spanish Basque Franciscan prelate.

The replica of the Mexican Marian icon and an image of St. Juan Diego, a Nahua peasant and Marian visionary, are considered a source of inspiration for many around the world.

The pilgrimage forms part of a global initiative promoting prayer, evangelization, and unity among Catholics across different nations.

The image, a replica of the original enshrined at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, embarks on a pilgrimage across the Philippines, visiting more than 50 churches.

In a social media video, Bagaforo invited the faithful to join the nationwide pilgrimage, calling it a “moment of grace” and an opportunity to pray for hope, peace, and blessings amid today’s challenges.

Cardinal Jose Advincula, archbishop of Manila, will hold a special Mass at the Manila Cathedral on June 13, formally opening the pilgrimage, before the image visits more than 50 cathedrals, shrines, and parish churches across the country.

The image will also be present during the 132nd Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Plenary in Ozamiz City on July 3–10 before its permanent installation at the Manila Cathedral in December.

Bishops call for a spiritual journey

In a June 3 pastoral letter, the CBCP urged Catholics to take part in the spiritual journey and renew their relationship with Jesus through Mary.

According to Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa, the CBCP president, churches hosting the pilgrimage will recite the Act of Consecration and Entrustment to Our Lady of Guadalupe during all Masses while the image is present.

“During this pilgrimage, the Act of Consecration and Entrustment to Our Lady of Guadalupe shall be recited in all Masses in the churches to be visited,” he said.

The pilgrimage hopes to inspire Filipinos to come closer to Jesus and to deepen their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“This visit aims to bring us, Filipinos, closer to Our Lord Jesus Christ and our Blessed Mother,” Garcera said.

Advincula named the pilgrim image “Madre Peregrina de Guadalupe,” or “Pilgrim Mother of Guadalupe,” underscoring Mary’s role as a mother who journeys with the faithful.

According to event organizers, the pilgrimage would deepen devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and prepare Filipino Catholics for the 500th anniversary celebrations in 2031.

The Philippines is home to more than 93 million Catholics and has the third-largest Catholic population globally, after Brazil and Mexico. In the Asian context, it is the largest Catholic nation, followed by East Timor.

Pope Pius XI declared Our Lady of Guadalupe the “Celestial Patroness of the Philippines” in 1935. In 2001, the CBCP declared Dec. 12 an obligatory memorial, and in 2002 it recognized her as the “Pro-Life Patroness of the Philippines” in response to the global movement to entrust the plight of unborn children to her intercession.

“I am glad to know that the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is on a pilgrimage in the Philippines. It will strengthen people’s prayer, Marian devotion, and spiritual renewal,” Janice Castro, an elementary school teacher from the Diocese of Cubao, told EWTN News.