ALFONSO, Philippines (AP) — The House of the Virgin Mary is a shrine located in Ephesus, Turkey, where the mother of Jesus is believed to have spent her final years. Thousands of miles away, nestled in a field outside Manila,… Thousands of miles away, nestled in a field outside Manila, a replica in the Philippines welcomes devotees in Asia’s biggest Catholic nation.“The idea began as a place of refuge,” said Dennis Paez, the priest who led the project.
“This is a place where no questions (are) asked.”The replica was inaugurated in 2024 in Alfonso, a town in Cavite province about 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of the capital. Since opening, it has hosted Catholic pilgrimages, including celebrations for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in mid-July. The 67-square-meter (720-square-foot) structure mirrors the exact dimensions, shape and look of every stone at the original site.According to Catholic tradition, the house in Ephesus is where Mary spent much of her life after Jesus’ crucifixion and before her assumption into heaven.
The apostle John is said to have brought her to the region to escape persecution in Jerusalem.Paez said the replica took about 10 months to complete. Workers of different faiths took part in the construction, something Paez viewed as the Virgin Mary bringing all of her children together.“The apostolate of this place is to accept people with unconditional positive regard,” added Paez, who is also a psychologist specializing in supporting youth. The therapist is our Mother.”Marian devotion shapes Filipino faithIn the country of about 113 million people, nearly 80% identify as Catholic.Philippine faithful often refer to the Virgin Mary as the Blessed Mother.
Processions honoring her are held regularly throughout the country.“We are a long-suffering people,” Paez said. “Our wealth is really our faith and our faith is such like that because of the Blessed Mother.”Religious historian Michael Delos Reyes said that Filipino devotion to the Virgin Mary dates back to the time Spanish colonizers introduced Christianity in the 16th century. However, that devotion has also found expression in more recent moments of the country’s history.Delos Reyes said that some attributed the 1986 People Power Revolution that led to the ouster of then-President Ferdinand Marcos to the Virgin’s intercession.
And in 2013, when the Typhoon Haiyan ravaged Tacloban, devotees looked to the Blessed …
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