MANILA – Filipino Catholics will soon have the opportunity to venerate the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Guadalupe as it embarks on a nationwide visit beginning in June before being permanently enshrined at the Manila Cathedral.
The 2026 Philippine visit was officially launched Wednesday in Manila, coinciding with the celebration of the Feast of the Annunciation. The event gathered Church leaders, Marian organizations, and members of various Catholic groups.
Organizers said the pilgrimage is intended to strengthen faith and devotion while giving Filipino believers across the country the chance to encounter the sacred image.
Ernest Escaler, head of the Guadalupe Pilgrimage Committee, said the initiative developed through coordination with Church authorities and partner institutions.
He noted that the pilgrim image had previously toured selected areas in the United States, but the Philippine journey will be its first major visit outside the Americas.
Escaler added that after the pilgrimage, the image will remain permanently at the Manila Cathedral.
Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, who serves as spiritual director of the pilgrimage, highlighted the importance of the image to the local Church.
He explained that the image is considered a second-class relic closely associated with the original tilma image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Because of this significance, Bagaforo said the image is expected to draw pilgrims and devotees once it is enshrined at the cathedral.
As part of its itinerary, the pilgrim image will visit more than 40 cathedrals and Marian shrines throughout Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
It will also be brought to the 132nd plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines in Ozamiz City scheduled from July 3 to 10.
Following the nationwide pilgrimage, the sacred image will return to Manila for its permanent installation at the Manila Cathedral.
ia/xf
