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EDSA Shrine

Coordinates:14°35′32″N121°03′31″E/ 14.59222°N 121.05861°E/14.59222; 121.05861
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Not to be confused withPeople Power Monument.

EDSA Shrine
The Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA
View of EDSA Shrine inOrtigas Center
Map
14°35′32″N121°03′31″E/ 14.59222°N 121.05861°E/14.59222; 121.05861
LocationEDSA(C-4) cornerOrtigas Avenue,Ugong Norte,Quezon City
CountryPhilippines
DenominationRoman Catholic
Websitewww.edsashrine.org
History
StatusComplete
FoundedDecember 8, 1989(1989-12-08)
DedicationMary, Queen of Peace
DedicatedDecember 15, 2019(2019-12-15)
ConsecratedDecember 15, 2019(2019-12-15)
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationImportant Cultural Property
Designated2019
Architect(s)Francisco Mañosa
Architectural typeChurch building
Years built1989
CompletedDecember 8, 1989(1989-12-08)
Administration
ArchdioceseManila
DeanerySaint John the Baptist[1]
Clergy
RectorRev. Fr. Jerome Secillano

TheShrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA,or more popularly, theEDSA Shrineis a smallchurchof theRoman CatholicArchdiocese of Manilalocated at the intersection ofOrtigas AvenueandEpifanio de los Santos Avenue(EDSA) in Barangay Ugong Norte,Quezon City.The church is also called theArchdiocesan Shrine of Mary, Queen of PeaceorMary, Queen of Peace Quasi-Parish,although these names are seldom used. It is also a declared Important Cultural Property by theNational Commission for Culture and the Arts.

Built in 1989 on donated land to commemorate thePeople Power Revolution,the shrine is the site of two peaceful demonstrations that toppledPresidentsFerdinand Marcos(thePeople Power Revolutionor EDSA I) in 1986, andJoseph Estrada(theEDSA Revolution of 2001or EDSA II).

The EDSA Shrine is the northernmost tip of theOrtigas Center,a financial and commercial district occupying large tracts of land inQuezon City,Mandaluyong,andPasig.

History

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Marker commemorating the events of theSecond EDSA Revolution

Cardinal-ArchbishopJaime Sinproposed the construction of a commemorative shrine two days after theMarcos familywent into exile following thePeople Power Revolutionof February 1986 which saw the deposing of PresidentFerdinand Marcos,the end of his authoritarian regime and the installation ofCorazon Aquinoas his successor. Sin made the proposal as an act of thanksgiving to theVirgin Maryto whom devout Catholics attribute the success of the peaceful revolution.[2]

The concept for a commemorative shrine developed when Sin and Bishop Gabriel Reyes were en route toCamp Aguinaldoto preside a Thanksgiving Mass. At a corner ofEpifanio de los SantosandOrtigas Avenues,Reyes pointed out to Sin the site where a group of protesters, which included Catholic religious sisters, offered flowers to soldiers during the revolution. At an empty lot nearby stood two billboards that featuredadvertisementsby theFamily Rosary Crusade.The billboards showed the image of the Virgin Mary along with the slogans "The family that prays together stays together" and "A world at prayer is a world at peace". The two clergymen concluded that the success of the revolution was a miracle that could be attributed to the intercession of the Virgin Mary. They compared the EDSA event to the success of theBattle of LepantoandBattles of La Naval de Manilawhich also both ended in victories for the Catholic belligerents (i.e., the Venetians and Spaniards in Lepanto against the MuslimOttomansand the Spaniards against the Protestant Dutch forces in Manila).[3]

Cardinal Sin convinced the Ortigas and Gokongwei family to donate the corner lot where the EDSA Shrine now stands today[2]The shrine was initially planned to be built insideCamp Crame,but plans were scrapped because churches built on government-owned property had to beecumenicalin nature.[4]

EDSA Shrine was then constructed withFrancisco Mañosaas architect.Leandro Locsinand William Coscolluela was also involved with the preparatory work of the building.[2]The construction was almost finished by November 1989 and the shrine was set to be inaugurated by December 8, 1989, the date of theFeast of the Immaculate Conception.However such plans were interrupted bya coup attemptwhich began on November 29, 1989[3]by theReform the Armed Forces Movementagainst PresidentCorazon Aquino.

The coup attempt ended on December 7, 1989, and the inauguration went as planned which was never postponed by Cardinal Sin. The church was consecrated on December 15, 1989, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary on the same date.[3]Socrates Villegas,then a priest, was installed as the church's first rector.[5]

When theSecond EDSA Revolutionwas successful in deposing PresidentJoseph Estradain January 2001, Sin declared the EDSA Shrine as a "Holy Ground", crediting the Virgin Mary to the event. A marker was installed on the anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution recognizing the shrine as a "Holy Ground".[5]At the facade is set of sculptures recalling the events of the First and Second People Power Revolutions, the latter which was held there at the shrine.

Other rallies and demonstrations held in the shrine were:Pro-Estrada rally(April 25 – May 1, 2001), protests against Reproductive Health Bill (August 4, 2012),EDSA Tayorally againstpork barrel(September 7, 2013),2015 Iglesia ni Cristo protests(August 27–31, 2015) andLord, Heal Our Landcon-celebrated mass (November 5, 2017).

In 2019, theNational Commission for Culture and the Artsdeclared the church as an Important Cultural Property.[6]

Dedication

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Church altar in 2016

Our Lady of Peace,Mother of Peace,Queen of PeaceorOur Lady Queen of Peaceis atitleof theBlessed Virgin Maryin theCatholic Church.She is represented in art holding adoveand anolivebranch – both traditional symbols ofpeace.The patronal image for this particular shrine is unique, as its design follows that of the statue atop the shrine roof. Mary, crowned and clad in golden robes, has her arms outstretched and herImmaculate Heartexposed, while two or three white doves rest at her hands and feet.

Her officialmemorialin theGeneral Roman Calendaris on July 9 in the universal Church except forHawaiiand some churches in theUnited States,where it is kept on January 24.

Architecture and design

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"People's Basilica"; The initial unused proposal of Francisco Mañosa for the EDSA Shrine.

Francisco Mañosawas responsible for the architectural and structural design of the EDSA Shrine.[2]TheNational Commission for Culture and the Arts(NCAA) described Mañosa's take on the building's design as a "modern take onFilipino architectureand adaptation of tropical architecture ". The building is also noted for its" neovernacular "style and its distinguished" native architectural forms and indigenous materials "by architecture historian Gerard Lico.[6]

The EDSA Shrine's design consisted of a promenade, the People's Plaza, with a statue of the Virgin Mary sculpted byVirginia Ty-Navarroas its focal point, and an underground church which was inspired from theCathedral of Brasília.[4]

Mañosa envisioned a different design from the existing building. The architect's vision for the shrine, which he dubbed as the "People's Basilica" is derived from the concept of thebahay kubobut on a larger scale. The initial design called for the use of seven pitched roofs clustered together which framed a statue of the Virgin Mary. However one influential member of the committee objected to the design preferring aSpanish colonial designfor the EDSA Shrine which caused Mañosa to withdraw from the project but was convinced by Cardinal Jaime Sin to remain committed to the project and made the design for the current building.[4]

Our Lady of EDSA sculpture

[edit]
Our Lady of EDSA
ArtistVirginia Ty-Navarro
Year1989
MediumBronze
SubjectVirgin Mary,under thetitle"Our Lady of EDSA, Queen of Peace"
Dimensions10.7 m × 3.5 m (35 ft × 11 ft)[7]
Weight8 t (8,000 kg)
LocationEDSA Shrine,Quezon City

The sculpture of theVirgin Maryas the Our Lady of EDSA, Queen of Peace is a prominent feature of the EDSA Shrine. The committee behind the construction of the EDSA Shrine commissioned sculptorVirginia Ty-Navarrofor the sculpture.Napoleon Abuevawas initially considered for the sculpture design but Abueva was recovering from a stroke at that time. Manny Casal was the second choice who proposed a marble sculpture of the Virgin Mary with open arms comforting people of various backgrounds; lay people, clergy, children, and soldiers. Casal intended the sculpture to be done on-site. Abueva and Casal while not selected to sculpt the shrine's main sculpture contributed other works installed within the shrine grounds.[4]

Ty-Navarro sculpted the Virgin Mary sculpture in her studio inSan Juan.The sculpture was transported to the shrine by helicopter with assistance from theUnited States embassydue to Ty-Navarro not anticipating that the road to the shrine is too narrow for the sculpture.[4]

Rectors

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Name Tenure
Most Rev. Socrates B. Villegas,D.D. December 8, 1989 – July 3, 2004
Rev. Fr. Victor Y. Apacible 2004 – 2008
Rev. Fr. Leo Nilo S. Mangussad,M.S.M. 2004 – 2015
Rev. Fr. Lazaro B. Abaco July 1, 2015 – 2022
Rev. Fr. Jerome Secillano 2022 – Incumbent

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Vicariate of Saint John the Baptist".Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila.RetrievedMay 29,2023.
  2. ^abcd"Shrines and Monuments".Quezon City Government. Archived fromthe originalon August 14, 2018.RetrievedApril 24,2019.
  3. ^abc"The Story of EDSA Shrine: About EDSA Shrine".EDSA Shrine - Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA).RetrievedApril 24,2019.
  4. ^abcdeMañosa, Denise (February 25, 2017)."5 things you didn't know about the Edsa Shrine".Philippine Daily Inquirer.RetrievedApril 24,2019.
  5. ^ab"The EDSA Shrine: About EDSA Shrine".EDSA Shrine - Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA).RetrievedApril 24,2019.
  6. ^abSembrano, Edgar Allan (April 22, 2019)."NCCA declares Edsa Shrine an 'Important Cultural Property'".Lifestyle.Inq.RetrievedApril 24,2019.
  7. ^Correa, Ramilito; Gonzales, Angelita (2005).Sigay i Tm'(2005 ed.). Manila, Philippines: Rex Bookstore, Inc. p. 64.ISBN9712342336.
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