San Mateo Church formally elevated to national shrine

The Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu in San Mateo, Rizal is now officially elevated into the status of a national shrine.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle led the solemn declaration of Aranzazu Church as a national shrine during a mass held on Friday, August 22.

He was joined by Antipolo Bishop Most. Rev. Ruperto Santos, and Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Secretary General Rev. Msgr. Bernardo Pantin, who read the declaration decree.

In his homily, Tagle reflected on the history of the Blessed Virgin Mary — whose image was found in a thorny bush in Spain —  as well as the meaning of “thorns” in the Bible.  He said the land may become a “thorn” due to human greed as it may destroy nature and cause distress to humanity.

“Mahalagang paalala sa atin: nangyayari sa Pilipinas at sa ibang bahagi ng mundo. Ang lupa ay parang tinik at 'yan ay dahil sa kagagawan ng tao. Mga palayan na ngayon ay parang hindi na mamunga-munga. Kaunting ulan, nagiging mistulang dagat pati mga kilalang mga big, great metropolitan centers of the world. Gawa yan ng tao, ‘yang tinik,” the cardinal said.

(This is a great reminded for the Philippines and other parts of the world. The land may become a thorn because of human acts. Our ricefields barely yield produce and slight rains cause floodings even in great, big, metropolitan centers of the world. That’s a thorn that humans caused.)

“Kapag nawalan ng responsibilidad, kapag namayani ang pagkaganid, nasisira ang lupa, ang dagat, ang kalikasan, at ang ating mga trabaho, madadagdagan pa ng corruption — ang bunga, tinik,” he added.

(If we lose responsibility and let greed consume us, the lands, seas, and enviroment will be destroyed. It will cause our jobs to be harder, and with corruption — create thorns.)

However, Tagle said one of the missions of the Aranzazu Shrine is “to find the thorns in the environment and come to the Blessed Virgin Mary to ask for help and seek devotion from her son, Jesus”.

The Aranzazu Church was among the three churches in Luzon designated by the CBCP as national shrines in January. The other churches were the Archdiocesan Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace or Edsa Shrine in Quezon City (Archdiocese of Manila), and the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto in Manila (Archdiocese of Manila).

According to the CBCP, “a national shrine is a sacred site recognized by the Catholic Church for its historical, spiritual, or cultural significance, often linked to popular devotion, significant religious events, miracles, or apparitions.”

“It is also designated to promote the faith through exemplary liturgical celebrations, pastoral care, and dedicated ministry to the faithful,” it added.

The Aranzazu Shrine’s history started from 1596 when Augustinian friars set up the first settlements in the area. In 1659, the CBCP said a parish was built in honor of St. Matthew.

After the Jesuits took over in 1696, the patronage was shifted to Our Lady of Aranzazu and a devotion started by a Jesuit priest in 1705. — Sundy Mae Locus/BAP, GMA Integrated News