Antipolo Cathedral to be declared first PH int’l shrine

The Shrine of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, or Antipolo Cathedral, attracts pilgrims and devotees year-round. —CLIFFORD NUÑEZ

More than 80 bishops from all over the country will gather in Antipolo City, Rizal province on January 26 for the declaration of Antipolo Cathedral as the Philippines’ first international shrine.

In a statement on Thursday, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said a procession of the image of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage would be held at 8 a.m.

A rite of coronation of the image would follow at 9:30 a.m. to be led by Archbishop Charles Brown, the apostolic nuncio to the Philippines, and Antipolo Bishop Ruperto Santos. There would also be a 10 a.m. mass to be celebrated by Brown.

According to a decree issued by Pope Francis, the cathedral’s new status took effect on March 25 last year.

In June 2022, the Vatican announced the approval of the petition to elevate the Antipolo Cathedral into an international shrine—the first in Southeast Asia and the 17th worldwide. It is also the first Marian international shrine in Asia and the country’s first national shrine. — DEXTER CABALZA