FINAL PREPARATIONS IN BOHOL FOR THE CBCP RETREAT AND PLENARY ASSEMBLY

            As part of the final preparations for the Bishop’s Retreat and National Consultation for Synodal Implementation, scheduled for June 30 to July 3 at the Bohol Tropics Resort in Tagbilaran and to be followed by the 130th CBCP Plenary Assembly in Anda, Bohol, Bishops Abet and Patrick requested a face-to-face meeting in Tagbilaran. We arrived in the city in the morning, and since the meeting was scheduled after lunch, I took the opportunity to visit the churches of Maribojoc and Loon. Both churches had been completely destroyed by the 2013 earthquake and were meticulously reconstructed by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2021 to match their original structures.

On the way to Loon, we also stopped at the Punta Cruz Watchtower, located between the towns of Maribojoc and Loon. This historic site is particularly remarkable because, during the 2013 earthquake, the coastline in the area was uplifted by 1.5 meters, exposing what was once an underwater reef and shifting the shoreline about 50 meters seaward.

In the evening, after our meeting, we visited the Sikatuna Mirror of the World and Botanical Garden.

St. Vincent Ferrer Shrine and Holy Cross Parish (F-1767)
Maribojoc, Bohol

It is hard to imagine how, in 2013, this church crumbled to the ground, leaving only the image of the Sacred Heart standing at the front.

Our Lady of Light Parish (F-1753)
Loon, Bohol

Punta Cruz Watchtower
Maribojoc, Bohol

 

According to locals, prior to the earthquake, the sea lay just beneath the watchtower. Today, it has receded approximately 50 meters seaward.

Sikatuna's Mirror of the World and Botanical Garden

Bp. Abet giving his remarks during the final preparatory meeting for the retreat and plenary of the bishops. 

OFFICIAL DECLARATION OF OUR LADY OF LORETO AS A NATIONAL SHRINE

 

The Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Loreto in Sampaloc, Manila, was officially declared a National Shrine on May 31, 2025, by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines. The solemn declaration was presided over by Jose F. Cardinal Advincula on the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, marking a historic milestone for this 412-year-old parish community.

Founded by the Franciscans in 1613, the church has long been a center of devotion to Our Lady of Loreto and the Holy Family. Though destroyed during World War II, it was rebuilt in 1958 and continues to stand as a place of refuge and prayer, especially for students, teachers, and those seeking protection from fires and other calamities.

Notably, it is the only parish in the Philippines dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto. Prior to its elevation as a National Shrine, it was declared in March 2025 an Aggregate Church (Twin Church) of the Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy House of Loreto in Italy, strengthening its spiritual bond with the historic Marian sanctuary.

The decree of elevation, announced earlier in 2025 and signed by the CBCP, recognizes the shrine’s profound historical roots and enduring spiritual significance to the Filipino faithful—formally affirming what generations of devotees have long known: that this church is truly a sacred home in the heart of Manila.

The new retablo of the Our Lady of Loreto. 

Reading the Decree of Erection of the Our Lady of Loreto as a National Shrine. 

Sponsors and benefactors pinning ex votos beside the image of the Our Lady of Loreto