A shrine replicating the House of the Virgin Mary, believed by Catholics to be where Jesus’s mother spent her final years, has opened in Alfonso, a town in Cavite province south of Manila. The 67-square-meter structure was inaugurated in 2024 and mirrors the exact dimensions and appearance of the original site located in Ephesus, Turkey. Father Dennis Paez, a priest and psychologist who led the project, described the initiative as creating a place of refuge and unconditional acceptance for visitors.
Catholic tradition holds that Mary spent much of her life in Ephesus following Jesus’s crucifixion, with the apostle John bringing her to the region to escape persecution in Jerusalem. According to Catholics, she was later assumed into heaven. The replica has hosted Catholic pilgrimages and celebrations, including observances for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Workers of various faiths participated in the construction, which took approximately ten months to complete.
The Philippines, with a population of roughly 113 million, has a Catholic majority of nearly 80 percent. Devotion to the Virgin Mary, called the Blessed Mother by Filipino Catholics, is deeply rooted in the country’s religious life, tracing back to Spanish colonial introduction of Christianity in the 16th century. Historical scholars note that some Filipinos attributed significant national events to Mary’s intercession, including the 1986 People Power Revolution and responses to natural disasters like Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.
Filipin Catholics view Mary as a maternal figure and intercessor. The replica contains donated Marian icons lining its walls and features a statue modeled after the original in Turkey, alongside a relic said to originate from her veil. Some visitors reported that their devotion to Mary deepened through personal experiences, including difficult life circumstances. Despite minimal public promotion since opening, the shrine has attracted pilgrims seeking spiritual comfort and connection to their faith.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI