1st novena to ‘Our Lady of Health’ in 72 years starts Thursday

FILE: The image of Nuestra Señora de Salud (Our Lady of Health) (PNA Photo)

MANILA — Thousands of devotees of Nuestra Señora de Salud (Our Lady of Health) are expected to flock the San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish in Quezon City on Thursday to attend the first nine-day novena of the miraculous image since the veneration was revived last year after 72 years in hibernation.

Rev. Fr. Efren Anez said the novena will start at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a Holy Mass. The nine-day novena will end on Nov. 17, the Feast of Nuestra Señora de la Salud.

The first manifestation of the miraculous image was the healing of a 68-year old former bank employee Greg Montes, who was diagnosed with multi-organ failure and was given a 50-50 chance of survival.

Montes’ wife and children started praying the novena on Nov.

20 last year and 10 days later, he was in Cubao taking his lunch with his family. Anez was happy when told about the healing of Montes.

He said he knew there were many healed during the past 12 months after praying the powerful novena prayer of Nuestra Señora de la Salud.

Rev. Fr. Manny Bolilia of the San Nicolas Parish called on devotees of the miraculous image to attend the nine-day novena.

The Catholic Church in the Philippines decided to renew the novena prayer of the miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary last year after 72 years in hibernation in the sacristy.

It was the first time that the miraculous holy image of Nuestra Señora de la Salud was shown to the public for veneration, especially to those who are sick wanting to be healed.

According to Fr. Rommel L. Rubia, “the Nuestra Señora de la Salud is the title given to a small miraculous image of the Virgin brought by the OAR (Order of Augustinian Recollects) fathers in 1634 from Mexico.

The 381-year-old image made of ivory adorned with costly and colorful stones “was a precious gift from the Discalced (Barefoot) Carmelite nuns of Mexico to the Recollect missionaries on their way to their missions in the Philippines” in 1634, according to Rubia.

Records of the long and arduous sea voyage resulted in numerous illnesses to those on board the vessel. With no doctors on board, the Recoletos fathers prayed to God for the intercession of the Blessed Mother.

Their prayers were answered as “miraculous healings occurred after praying in front of the image during the long and difficult trip from Mexico”.

It was that historic event that the holy image was given the title “La Salud” by the faithful, he said.

Upon arriving in the Philippines, the image was enshrined in the Church of San Juan de Bagumbayan in Intramuros in 1634.

But in 1762, an unfortunate incident occurred when the church and convent were destroyed, and the image was transferred to the Church of San Nicolas in Intramuros, Manila that drew more devotees.

Then in 1945, during the great Battle in Manila, American planes bombed the Japanese, destroying the city.

“The image of La Salud miraculously survived the bombing of the San Nicolas Church,” Rubia added.

The Recoletos fathers took the image and brought it to the sacristy of San Sebastian Basilica, also in Manila, for safekeeping for several years.

When the Vicar Provincial transferred its residence in Quezon City in 1970, he took the image with him.

Then in 1988, the image was handed over to the Museo Rekoleto for safekeeping.

For 72 years, the image was kept from the public eye, and many thought the miraculous image was lost or destroyed, and the devotion by the faithful faded into oblivion and never bothered to celebrate her feast day.

“However, in December of 2016, the OAR fathers decided to reintroduce her cult to the Filipino people, giving those afflicted with different illnesses and sourced of strength, comfort, and hope by invoking Mary’s intercession through this Marian devotion,” Rubia said.

The miraculous image of Nuestra Señora de la Salud has found its permanent home at the San Nicolas Parish in Bago Bantay, Quezon City.