A patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a form of spiritual protection attributed to Mary, mother of Jesus, in favor of some occupations, activities, religious orders, congregations, dioceses, and geographic locations.
The Blessed Virgin is cited as the patroness of all humanity. However, certain occupations and activities are more closely associated with her protection.
A large number of countries, places and groups claim the Blessed Virgin Mary as a patroness, though usually under a specific title or apparition while only a select few retains its patronage by Pontifical decree from Rome.
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A shrine to the Virgin Mary, or Marian shrine, is a shrine marking an apparition or other miracle ascribed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or a site on which is centered a historically strong Marian devotion. Such locales are often the destinations of Christian pilgrimages.
In the Catholic Church, holy days of obligation or precepts are days on which the faithful are expected to attend Mass, and engage in rest from work and recreation, according to the third commandment.
As part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Catholic Church in the Philippines, or the Philippine Catholic Church or Philippine Roman Catholic Church, is part of the world's largest Christian church under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. The Philippines is one of the two nations in Asia having a substantial portion of the population professing the Catholic faith, along with East Timor, and has the third largest Catholic population in the world after Brazil and Mexico. The episcopal conference responsible in governing the faith is the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
Mary, the mother of Jesus in Christianity, is known by many different titles, epithets, invocations, and several names associated with places.
The Virgin of Los Remedios or Our Lady of Los Remedios is a title of the Virgin Mary developed by the Trinitarian Order, founded in the late 12th century. The devotion became tied to the Reconquista of Spain, then still at its height. In the following century it spread to other parts of Europe. When Spain began the exploration and conquest of the Americas, it was a favorite devotion of the Spanish conquistadores. It remains a popular devotion in Spain and Latin America.
The Virgin of Candelaria or Our Lady of Candle (Tagalog: Mahal na Birhen ng Candelaria, popularly called La Morenita, celebrates the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. The center of worship is located in the city of Candelaria in Tenerife. She is depicted as a Black Madonna. The "Royal Basilica Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Candelaria" is considered the main church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the Canary Islands and she is the patroness saint of the Canary Islands. Her feast is celebrated on February 2 and August 15, the patronal feast of the Canary Islands.
The Diocese of Malolos is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, encompassing the whole Province of Bulacan and Valenzuela City in metropolitan Manila and is a suffragan to the metropolitan Archdiocese of Manila. The mother church of the Diocese is the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception located in Malolos City, Bulacan. The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Immaculate Conception is the principal patroness of the diocese.
Our Lady of Peñafrancia is an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A Marian image is permanently enshrined in the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Naga, Camarines Sur.
A national shrine is a Catholic church or other sacred place which has met certain requirements and is given this honor by the national episcopal conference to recognize the church's special cultural, historical, and religious significance.
The Our Lady of Guidance is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a 16th-century Marian image depicted as the Immaculate Conception and widely venerated by Filipinos. The wooden Black Madonna is considered the oldest extant Marian statue in the Philippines. Locally venerated as patroness of navigators and travelers, the image is enshrined at the Ermita Church in the city of Manila.
In the Catholic Church, several locations around the world invoke the patronage of the Immaculate Conception. Catholic diocesan authorities with the expressed and written approval of the Pope in countries including the United States, Brazil, Korea, the Philippines and Spain designate the Blessed Virgin Mary as their principal patroness.
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary – La Naval de Manila is a venerated title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with the same image in the Philippines. Pious believers believe that the Virgin's intercession under this title helped to defeat the invading forces of the Protestant Dutch Republic during the Battles of La Naval de Manila in 1646.
Dennis Cabanada Villarojo is a Filipino catholic prelate currently serving as the fifth bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos in the Philippines. Prior to his current role, Villarojo served as an auxiliary bishop of Cebu from 2015 until he took office as Bishop of Malolos on his installation in August 21, 2019. He was the secretary-general for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress which took place in Cebu in 2016.
Nuestra Señora de la Purificación y la Candelaria is a venerated image of the Blessed Virgin Mary enshrined in Jaro Cathedral and the patroness of Western Visayas.
Mary, the Mother of God, is the patroness of the Diocese of Orlando and we seek her intercession so that our efforts to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, form leaders, harmonize ministries and enkindle deeper faith will be blessed by God.