St. Martha, who is usually depicted taming the Tarasque, is, instead, depicted taming a giant crocodile that is believed to have plagued the duck farms of Pateros.
Santa Marta de Pateros is a title given to the Biblical saint, Martha of Bethany, attributed to a 19th-century apparition of the saint in the town of Pateros, (formerly known as Aguho and once considered a visita of Pasig) in Metro Manila, Philippines.
Tradition recounts that in the 1800s, Saint Martha (who legendarily subdued the Tarasque), was invoked by the people of Pateros to vanquish a crocodile in the Pateros River that ate their ducks. These animals were the main source of the townspeople's livelihood as their eggs are the main ingredient of the delicacy of Balút (fertilised duck egg), which is what the town is known for. In Tagalog, the Spanish loanword for duck is pato; and those who raise ducks are called pateros. At that time, domestic ducks (whose eggs produced balut) were abundant in the local river.
One evening, under a full moon, an unnamed female bayani (hero) went to the river to tame the creature. At the river banks, the crocodile saw a light surrounding the figure, who was actually Saint Martha. At the sight of the glowing figure, the creature disappeared and the local duck industry once again flourished. The people of Pateros attributed this event to Saint Martha and a grand fluvial procession in honor of her has been held yearly since, in remembrance of the event.
Feast
Bone relic of Saint Martha
Formerly, the local feast in honor of Santa Marta de Pateros was variously celebrated in either January, February, or March. Her devotees, as a collegial body, determined the exact date of the feast within these months based on the abundance of balút eggs and the rice harvest, and whether the date coincided with the full moon needed to illuminate the nighttime Pagoda sa Ilog (fluvial procession) as there was no electricity.
In the 1960s, the date was fixed to second Sunday of February to standardise the fiesta following economic and environmental changes to the town. It is also said that during this period, the then-parish priest Monsignor Sicat moved the celebration to July 29, Saint Martha’s liturgical feast in the rest of the Catholic Church.
Pamisa de Gracia
The Pamisa de Gracia (Tagalog-Spanish for “Mass of Grace”) is a ritual and Mass that begins every town fiesta. The Pamisa is done to give thanks for a miracle, birthday, or anniversary obtained or sustained through Saint Martha’s intercession. The family who will organize one borrows the icons of Saints Martha, Roch, and Isidore the Laborer from the houses of their respective camareros and camareras (literally “chamberlains”, the term for the official caretaker of a Santo).
A sunduan (“fetching”) procession for the images begins on a Friday at the house of the caretaker of Saint Isidore’s icon. A brass band accompanies the image and procession, which proceeds to collect the image of Saint Roch from its caretaker’s house, then fetching Saint Martha’s icon. On the next day, Saturday, the host family conducts a prayer vigil at their house, where the icons are enshrined. On Sunday, the host family removes the three icons from their house, and in a second procession brings them to the Church of Saint Roch, for the actual thanksgiving Mass. A third procession after the Mass returns the images to the house of the host family, who then return each icon to the house of its respective caretaker.
The Pamisa is also held anytime a family want to borrow the icons.
Shrine
Diocesan Shrine of St. Martha and Parish of St. Roch in Pateros, Metro Manila, Philippines. The only shrine in southeast Asia dedicated to St. Martha.
In 2008, Rev. Fr. Orly Cantillon, the parish priest of the Church of San Roque in Pateros, filed a petition to Francisco C. San Diego D.D., the Bishop of Pasig, requesting that the Parish be made a Diocesan Shrine. The request was granted and the decree presented December 2008. The proclamation was made official February 7, 2009, followed by the annual fiesta the next day.
A popular misconception is that Saint Martha is the patron saint of Pateros. when it is actually Saint Roch. This belief arose from the fact that the town holds a grander celebration on Saint Martha’s feast, while the feast of Saint Roch on 16 August is often scaled down as occurs during the monsoon season. In the 1960s the town priests tried to correct this by moving the celebration from 16 August to the nearest Sunday of the same month. Until today, the feast of Saint Roch is simpler, devoid of merrymaking and feasting.
Martha is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness to Jesus resurrecting her brother, Lazarus.
Pateros, officially the Municipality of Pateros, is the lone municipality of Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 63,643 people.
Balut is a fertilized developing egg embryo that is boiled or steamed and eaten from the shell. It is commonly sold as street food most notably in the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam. The term comes from the Filipino language.
Angono, officially the Municipality of Angono, is a 1st class urban municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 130,494 people.
Our Lady of Sorrows of Turumba is a Roman Catholic Marian title of the Blessed Virgin Mary a venerated Marian icon and image associated to the Our Lady of Sorrows, The town of Pakil in the province of Laguna considers her as its patroness.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pasig is the diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the Philippines that comprises the cities of Pasig and Taguig, and the municipality of Pateros, in Metro Manila, Philippines. It was established by Pope John Paul II on June 28, 2003, by virtue of the papal bull Dei Caritas. It was formally and canonically erected on August 21, 2003, with the installation of Francisco C. San Diego as its first bishop. The Immaculate Conception Cathedral-Parish, located in the central vicinity of Pasig, was made the cathedral or the seat of the diocese.
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 patron saint of the Canary Islands. Her feast is celebrated on February 2 and August 15, the patronal feast of the Canary Islands.
The Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Pasig, commonly known as the Pasig Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church located in Plaza Rizal, Barangay Malinao, Pasig in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the mother church, and the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Pasig and one of the oldest structures in the city.
The Feast of the Black Nazarene, also known as the Traslación after the mass procession associated with the feast, is a religious festival held in Manila, Philippines that is centered around the Black Nazarene, an image of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated annually on January 9.
Our Lady of Peñafrancia is an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Philippines. The Marian image is permanently enshrined in the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Naga, Camarines Sur.
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Queen of the Caracol, known locally as Mahal na Birhen ng Santo Rosaryo, Reyna ng Karakol or Nuestra Señora Virgen del Santissimo Rosario, Reina de Caracol, is the patroness of the Municipality of Rosario, formerly known as Salinas, in Cavite province, Philippines.
Numerous events and festivals are held annually in Metro Manila. They include:
The Diocesan Shrine and Parish of St. Augustine, commonly known as Baliwag Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in Plaza Naning at the poblacion of Baliwag, in Bulacan province, Philippines. The church is a parish church of the Diocese of Malolos, which is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Manila.
The Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Light, popularly known as Cainta Church, is a Roman Catholic parish church located along Andres Bonifacio Avenue in Barangay San Andres, Cainta, Rizal, in the Philippines. The church also operates a neighboring school, Cainta Catholic College. From its time of erection as a parish in 1760 until 1983, it belonged to the Archdiocese of Manila. It was placed under the newly created Diocese of Antipolo in 1983, which is now headed by Francisco M. De Leon. It belongs to the Vicariate of Our Lady of Light.
The Saint Anne Parish Church, also known as Santa Ana Church or also known in its formal name as the Minor Basilica and Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Anne, is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica located in Barangay Santa Ana, Taguig, Philippines. It is situated next to the Taguig River and across Plaza Quezon, where the statue of Manuel L. Quezon was erected when he was still serving as President of the Philippines. Saint Anne is the patroness of the church.
The San Isidro Labrador Parish Church, commonly referred to as Pulilan Church, is a 19th-century Baroque Roman Catholic church located at Brgy. Poblacion, Pulilan, Bulacan, Philippines. The parish church, dedicated to Saint Isidore, the Laborer, is under the Diocese of Malolos. The church is popular for being the site where water buffalos are made to kneel as tribute to the feast day of the patron saint. Like the Saint Augustine Parish from the nearby town of Baliuag, the church is also known for featuring one of the longest Holy Week Processions with at least 110 floats.
The Diocesan Shrine and Parish of San Andres, popularly known as Masinloc Church, is an 18th-century Baroque Roman Catholic church located at Brgy. South Poblacion, Masinloc, Zambales, Philippines. The parish church, dedicated to Saint Andrew the Apostle, is under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Iba. The church structure, a standout among Spanish-era churches in the Central Luzon region for having been built with coral stone instead of adobe stone, was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines along with 25 other Spanish-era churches in 2001.
The Diocesan Shrine of Saint Augustine, commonly known as the Parish of Santa Cruz, is a Roman Catholic church in the municipality of Tanza, in the province of Cavite, Philippines. The shrine is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Imus. The patron saint of the town is Augustine of Hippo commonly known as "Tata Usteng". The Holy Cross serves as the titular patron. The town patronal feast is celebrated annually every August 28.
The Saint Anne Parish and Diocesan Shrine, also known as Saint Anne Parish, is a Roman Catholic church located in Silangang Malicboy in the municipality of Pagbilao, Quezon, Philippines. The parish's patroness is Saint Anne.
San Roque Church, also called the Diocesan Shrine of the Our Lady of Solitude of Porta Vaga is a Latin Rite Roman Catholic church in Cavite City on Luzon island, the Philippines. It enshrines Our Lady of Solitude of Porta Vaga, an icon that appeared after an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
