The Our Lady of Consolation Parish Church in Bohol province’s Guindulman town was granted a special bond of spiritual affinity with the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.
Bishop Patrick Daniel Parcon of Talibon, a diocese that covers the eastern towns of Bohol, made the announcement during the Aguinaldo Mass at the church on Wednesday, Dec. 21.
He said the diocese received the decrees from the Apostolic Penitentiary and the Papal Basilica this month.
Also present during the Mass were Guindulman parish priest Fr. Cirino Buñao and members of the Talibon clergy.
The church was founded by the Augustinian Recollects in 1797 and dedicated to Our Lady of Consolation.
Although burned during the Dagohoy revolt of 1829, the church was rebuilt twice and its present structure made of coral stone and wood was finished in 1950.
Known by the devotees as “Birhen sa Kalipay”, the image of Our Lady is celebrated as a bringer of joy and happiness to the people of Guindulman and pilgrims from across the province.
According to its history, the church and its image had miraculously survived numerous burning attempts by American and Japanese forces in the past.
The town’s fiesta was previously held on September 4, Memorial of Our Lady of Consolation, until it was moved to September 8, the Feast of Mary’s Nativity.
The Guindulman Church is the first Marian parish in the Talibon diocese to be granted spiritual affinity and the fourth in Bohol.
This also grants the church the privilege of dispensing the same plenary indulgences as the papal basilica to devotees who come to the shrine for pilgrimage.
The neighboring Diocese of Tagbilaran, which covers the western towns of Bohol and Tagbilaran City, has three churches that were previously given the grant in 2021: the Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Extremadura in Loboc, the Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Asunción in Dauis, and Nuestra Señora de la Luz Parish in Loon.
It is also the country’s 14th Marian church to receive the affiliation from Rome’s Marian basilica. The 10 others are the Basilica of Our Lady of Manaoag (Pangasinan), the Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay (Batangas), the Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary (Bataan), the Shrine of Our Lady of Turumba (Laguna), the Minor Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Quezon City), the Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Caridad (Ilocos Sur), the Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Merced (Quezon City), the Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Merced (Tarlac), the Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned (Muntinlupa City), and the Shrine of Our Lady of Light of Cainta (Rizal).
According to the bishop, the rites for the spiritual grant have been scheduled on May 29, 2023.
