Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage

Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage was the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary on the basis of the Spanish galleon's successful eight ocean crossings.
It was also believed that she saved the galleon by warning the people about an imminent catastrophe.


On March 25, 1626, the galleon trading ship "El Almirante" arrived from Acapulco, Mexico. On board was the Governor of the Philippines Don Juan Niño de Tabora, who brought with him the statue from Mexico. The statue was first taken to the Jesuit church in Intramuros called Saint Ignatius Church. When the Governor Tabora died in 1632, the statue was donated to the Jesuits for enshrinment in the present church of Antipolo.
In 1639, the Chinese rose in revolt, burning the Antipolo town and church. In fear that the statue would be destroyed, Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera ordered the statue be transferred back to Manila. Instead, a change of plans came and the statue was moved to Cavite where it was transiently venerated.
Don Sebastian ordered the statue removed in 1648, when it was transferred from its Cavite shrine and was shipped back to Mexico. At the time, having a statue of a saint on the ship served as a patroness or protector of the Acapulco trade.
The statue boarded several Acapulco trade ships, namely the following galleons:

• El Almirante — (1626)
• San Luis — (1648–1649)
• Encarnacion — (1650)
• San Diego — (1651–1653)
• San Francisco Javier — (1659–1662)
• Nuestra Señora del Pilar — (1663)
• San Jose — (1746–1748)

All routes taken by the statue were between Manila to Acapulco to Manila routes from 1648 to 1748.
A royal decree from the King of Spain in May 19, 1864 ordered that the curias of San Nicolas de Tolentino be turned over to the Jesuits and in exchange, the curias of Antipolo, Taytay and Morong were tuned over to the Agustinian Recollects. The statue, by virtue of being under the jurisdiction of Antipolo became owned by the Augustinian recollect priests.
On November 26, 1926, the statue was canonically crowned by the Archbishop of Manila, Rev. Michael J. O' Doherty.

The major shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage is the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Antipolo. The image is at the center of the altar.

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

"We firmly believe that the Blessed Virgin Mary in the first instant of her conception was, by a unique grace and privilege of the Almighty God in view of the merits of Jesus Christ the Savior of human race, preserved exempt from all stain of original sin." 

This dogma, based on the Bible and the Tradition of the Church, was solemnly defined by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854, during the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, by the papal bull Ineffabilis Deus. The incompatibility between Mary and Satan, which was anticipated in the Book of Genesis-
"I will put enmity between you and the woman." (Genesis 3:15)-was confirmed by Saint Gabriel the Archangel at the Annunciation. He said: "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" (St. Luke 1:42).
It was reaffirmed by the salutation of her kinswoman, Elizabeth: "Blessed are you among women." (St. Luke 1:42).

In the Middle Ages, the Immaculate Conception of Mary was at the center of a theological debate. The Dominicans and other illustrious theologians like Saint Bernard of Clairvaux and Saint Thomas Aquinas were of the opinion that Mary was conceived with the original sin. Their view was opposed by the Franciscans, like Duns Scoto, who maintained that the Mother of Jesus could not have been stained by any sin.

The discussion was closed by Pope Pius IX in 1854, when he declared that the universal redemption of Jesus was anticipated for Mary at the moment of her conception in view of her divine motherhood. The dogmatic definition received heavenly endorsement during the apparitions at Lourdes in 1858. When Saint Bernadette Soubirous asked the name of the Lady, the Lady answered: "I am the Immaculate Conception."