Places in the PH where miracles were believed to have occurred: The Carmelite Monastery in Batangas

As we endure long travels home this Holy Week, embark on rituals like Visita Iglesia and turn our attention to prayer and reflection, we take a look at a number of places in the Philippines said to have hosted miraculous events. 

While none of them have been authenticated by the Church, and some of them not disproven, all of them continue to draw devotees who come in hope, faith, and prayer.

Theater fans will most probably be familiar with the Carmelite Monastery of Lipa; it inspired and figured heavily in "Grace," the last work of acclaimed Filipino playwright Floy Quintos before his 2024 passing.

The Carmelite Monastery of Lipa, widely known as "Carmel" was established in May 1946, when Bishop Alfredo Verzosa signed the Act of Foundation, with six Carmelite sisters from Manila serving as the founding community.

It later became associated with reports of miraculous events, most notably the so-called “shower of petals,” which drew a surge of pilgrims to Lipa City.

The phenomenon was linked to alleged apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Carmelite nun Teresita “Teresing” Castillo, who reportedly experienced a vision in the monastery garden, where she saw a vine move and heard a voice instructing her: “Fear not, my child. Kiss the ground… For fifteen consecutive days, come visit me in this spot.” 

This was followed by a shower of rose petals that allegedly bore the images of the Virgin Mary and Jesus.

Former Lipa Bishop Mariano Gaviola declared that the Marian apparition was worthy of belief. This was reiterated in 2009 and 2015 by incumbent Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles.

However in 2016, the Vatican issued a decree stating that the Marian apparition in Lipa City Batangas that occurred more than 60 years ago has no “supernatural origin.” 

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Roman Curia sent a communique to the Lipa Diocese reiterating that Pope Pius XII already ruled in 1951 that the apparition has no supernatural origin or that no miracle occurred.

While the Vatican has advised that studies on the phenomenon should be stopped, the Monastery continue to be a destination among devotees. The chapel is open to visitors, with the monastery's garden where the alleged apparition took place available to those who seek silence and reflection. — LA, GMA News