LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — In the heart of Barangay Poblacion in Lapu-Lapu City lies the Nuestra Señora de Regla Parish National Shrine, the shrine where devotees and pilgrims visit and venerate the image of the Birhen sa Regla or the Virgin of the Rule.
It is one of the churches usually visited during Holy Week for the Visita Iglesia held every Holy Thursday.
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This is the facade of the front of the Nuestra Señora de Regla Parish National Shrine. | Futch Anthony Inso
‘Miraculous’ image
The shrine is visited because it has been known that the image of the Birhen sa Regla is “miraculous.”
There are stories and testimonies of pilgrims being reportedly cured and whose prayers were reportedly answered for their devotion to image of the Birhen sa Regla.
But these “miracles,” although accepted by pilgrims and devotees, had not been verified.
Fr. Reynante Joseph Ga, parish priest of the Nuestra Señora De Regla-Parish National Shrine, said that the church would need not prove how miraculous the image was because of the popular devotion that the image had received from the pilgrims or devotees.
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An image of the Nuestra Señora de Regla is at the top of the wall of the back of the church in Lapu-Lapu City, facing the sea. | Futch Anthony Inso
Nuestra Señora de Regla in Opon
Fr. Nicasio Gran, a former parish priest of the shrine, traced the history of the shrine in a novena booklet that he wrote.
The Nuestra Señora de Regla was first introduced to Oponganons in 1735, when Fr. Francisco Avalle, an Augustinian Monk, became the first Parish Priest of Opon, which Lapu-Lapu City was called then.
Fr. Avalle had lived for 10 years in the monastery of Nuestra Señora de Regla in Chipiona, Andalucia in Spain.
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When he became the parish priest of Opon, he then showed Oponganons a picture of the miraculous Virgin de Regla, and told them the story about the image on the picture.
The story encouraged more devotion to the Virgin of the Rule, and the residents then decided to make her the patron saint of Opon.
The picture of the miraculous image was then framed and placed in the church, and it was decided that the 21st of November of each year would be the official feast-day of the image.
Today, the image of the Birhen sa Regla is placed inside a glass casing at a small chapel at back of the church, where devotees and pilgrims can visit to pray and venerate. Another similar image of the Virgin of the Rule is also near the the top of the altar of the church.
/dbs
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