The Patroness of Bantay Visits Spcis
The Patroness of Bantay Visits Spcis
The Patroness of Bantay Visits Spcis
At exactly 5:30 PM, SPC Sisters, Employees, Students, and devotees bid
farewell to the image of Apo Caridad as it left the School premises.
FEATURE - Nuestra Señora de la Caridad de Bantay - The Queen of Ilocandia
In the historic town of Bantay in Ilocos Sur, famous for its Tower, is one of the
most frequented pilgrimage site for centuries because of the town's miraculous
Patroness - Nuestra Señora de la Caridad de Bantay, or more popularly known as
"Apo Caridad". Since her enthronement in Bantay, she had showered her
devotees with numerous miracles that she merited the title as the "Queen of
Ilocandia".
The Virgin is represented theding the Child Jesus, the source of all consolation and
charity, in one hand and in one hand and with the other hand open, as I'd to
shower favors upon her devotees. The image is that of a de vestir image that is
intended to be vested with a wooden bastidor body, head and hands of the Virgin
and the Child Jesus made of ivory. The Mother and Child wears a set of crowns
while the Virgin wears the diagnostic Doce Estrellas and a rostrillo on her face.
What was interesting to this image that the the Virgin's head and hands were that
of a Polynesian style of carving with an elongated neck and disproportionately
large eyes. (It is said that the original eyes of the image is made of black
diamonds). The Image also has a distinct piece of clothing which is a delantar, an
apron-like piece, which is placed on her waist along with the Augustinian Correa.
According to local history, the image was said to be found inside a wooden box
floating in Bantoay River in Ilocos Sur and many attempted to fetch the image but
to no avail until the folks of Bantay were able to fetch the image easily. The image
was later enthroned by Rev. Fray Juan Bautista de Montoya of the Augustinian
Order in the Parish of St. Augustine in Bantay "with his own hands."
During the Easter Salubong, the image of Apo Caridad becomes the Virgen de
Alegria that will meet the image of the Resurrected Christ and the image of the
Child Jesus was kept for some time. This was the reason that why for some
replicas and photographs of the Virgin, she was solitary.
An unforseen tragedy would take place years later when the original ivory head of
the Virgin was stolen on November 4, 1968 and her ivory hand was later stolen on
June 15, 1973. As of this writing, the stolen parts were not yet recovered yet in
1994, the Archdiocesan Museum donated an old unfinished head of the Virgin to
the Church of Bantay and it was later reconstructed and presently serves as it's
appropriate replacement.
The miracles
Since the enthronement of the Virgin in Bantay, numerous miracles were
attributed through her intercession that would later be a key factor to name her
as Our Lady of Charity or "Apo Caridad."
Apo Caridad became the "Guardian of the Fields" of Ilocos due to her constant
assistance to the farmers and protection from pests that would harm the crops. It
is also said that devotees would place an image or photograph of Apo Caridad in
front of the fields to ask for her help and they would testify that there were no
pests that are infiltrating their fields. Devotees would recount that there were
amorseco burs stuck to the lower hem of the dress of the Virgin and they would
speculated that Apo Caridad went out for a walk to the fields.
During the Second World War, three bombs fell on the roof of the church but not
one of them exploded. When other bombs exploded, the walls were distructed
and in the middle of it, found the statue of the Virgin, unscathed as if nothing
happened.
The Canonical Coronation of Nuestra Señora
de la Caridad de Bantay in 1956
Church Recognition
The Virgen de Caridad de Bantay became the source of hope and charity to the
people of Ilocos region due to numerous miracles that were attributed to her that
she was Canonically Crowned on January 12, 1956 by then Apostolic Nuncio, Most
Rev. Egidio Vagnozzi and was declared as the Queen of Ilocandia.
The devotion