During one of my walks in downtown Manila, I decided to visit one Marian shrine that has been part of my bucket list of shrines to be visited as a pilgrim.The Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guidance, also known as Ermita Church in Ermita Manila, houses the oldest image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Philippines. 
Just like what I read: “long before the King of Spain claim Manila, the Queen of Heaven took Filipinos as her own”, the dawn of Our Lady’s image in the country pre-dates the arrival of Christianity in Manila. The parish church was declared as a Archdiocesan Shrine in 2005 under Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales of the Archdiocese of Manila.
The venerated image of Our Lady of Guidance is considered to be a form of Black Madonna the wooden statue is considered the oldest artistic depiction of the Blessed Virgin and is believed to have been originally brought to the islands by Ferdinand Magellan along with Santo Nino de Cebu in the early 16th century. 
Made of molave wood, the icon stands at about 50 centimetres, and is characterised by dark skin and Chinese facial features. Its head has a wig of long, light brown hair and is dressed in both a manto and a stylised tapis the traditional wraparound skirt of pre-Hispanic Filipino women. Among itsregalia are a marshal’s baton; a set of jewels given by Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Rufino Santos in 1960, and a golden crown donated by Pope Paul VI during his visit to Manila Cathedral on May 16 1971.
Walk with Pedrito 
Posted on November 11, 2014
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