Marian devotion has played a huge role in our predominantly Catholic country. Here's why that is
Growing up in the Philippines means one of many things: there's a high chance you've been raised Catholic.
Interestingly, the Philippines is the only Christian nation in the entirety of Asia, where over 80 per cent of its population is Catholic. Though the country is home to many believers from other Christian sects, majority of its citizens practice Catholicism and many of its schools (both public and private) teach Catholicism to young students.
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With regard to this, one distinctive aspect of Catholicism lies in its Marian devotion. Catholics hold Mary in high esteem and despite very few Biblical passages describing such, believe in her perpetual virginity and her Assumption into Heaven. (Protestants, for example, reject this.) Many Catholic schools also celebrate September 8 as Mary’s birthday; many Filipinos often find themselves heading to Mass on this day.
Though the Bible doesn’t mention a specific day for Mary’s birth, scholars chose the date as it is nine months before her Immaculate Concepcion on December 8.
The Filipino devotion to Mary is an incredibly powerful belief. She goes under many names; some of local variations include the Virgin of Antipolo, the Virgin of Peñafrancia of Naga, the Virgin of Visitation in Piat, and the Virgin of the Rule (Virgen de la Regla) in Visayas. Mary has also been credited to have performed miracles for Filipinos. There have also been alleged sightings of Mary at Cabra in Occidental Mindoro and at Lipa in Batangas.
