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Pilgrimage Sites

The Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument – Nagasaki, Japan

The Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument were built on Nishizaka Hill in June 1962 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the canonization of the Christians executed on the site on February 5, 1597. The 26 people, a mixture of native Japanese Christians and European priests (20 Japanese, four Spaniards, one Mexican and one Indian) had been arrested in Kyoto and Osaka on the order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the national ruler, for preaching Christianity. They were imprisoned, then later marched through the snow to Nagasaki, so that their execution might serve as a deterrent to Nagasaki’s large Christian population. Hung up on 26 crosses with chains and ropes, the Christians were lanced to death in front of a large crowd on Nishizaka Hill. St Paul Miki is said to have preached to the crowd from his cross. The main theme inherent in both the museum and monument is “The Way to Nagasaki” symbolizing not only the physical trek to Nagasaki but also the Christian spirit of the martyrs.

St. Anne’s Church – Bukit Mertajam, Penang, Malaysia

Bukit Mertajam, Mainland Penang state is a famous Roman Catholic church located in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, Malaysia. It is one of the parishes in the Diocese of Penang. Its annual celebration of the feast of St. Anne regularly attracts over 100,000 pilgrims from Malaysia as well as neighboring countries like Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia. The celebrations last for 10 days, and includes the actual feast day on July 26.

National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help  Manila, Philippines

One of the most venerated Marian images in Asia is the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (Filipino: Pambansáng Dambana ng Ina ng LagingSaklolo).  It is also known as Redemptorist Church and colloquially the Baclaran Church. It is a prominent Catholic National shrine along Roxas Boulevard in Baclaran, Parañaque, a city within the southern part of Metro Manila, in the Philippines.

Our Lady of Peñafrancia  ‎Naga City, Bicol, Philippines

Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Naga City is the patroness of ailment. Our Lady of Peñafrancia (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia in the Philippines, and Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia or Virgen de la Peña de Francia in Spain) is a wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Philippines patterned after the one in Peña de Francia (Salamanca, Spain). Millions of pilgrims, devotees, and tourists arrive in Naga City—also known as the Pilgrim City and the Queen City of the Bicol region—in the Philippines. Every September, there are nine days of festivities in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, the Principal Patroness and Queen of Bicol. She is endearingly addressed by Bicolanos as Iná (mother). The shrine in Naga gathers more than five million devotees every year and is known as one of the biggest Marian pilgrimage sites in the world.

Our Lady of Manaoag  ‎Manaoag, Pangasinan, the Philippines

Our Lady of Manaoag (formal title: Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag; Spanish: Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de Manaoag) is a Filipino Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in Manaoag, Pangasinan, the Philippines. The title’s associated image, which dates from the 16th century and is supposedly miraculous, is enshrined inside the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag. The shrine is a major pilgrimage site in the country and is administered by the Order of Preachers within the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. Our Lady of Manaoag, who is invoked as patroness of the sick, helpless Our Lady of Manaoag, is celebrated on two feast days: the third Wednesday after Easter and first Sunday of October (as Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary).

Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene  Manila, Philippines

The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (canonically known as Saint John the Baptist Parish and colloquially known as Quiapo Church; Spanish: Basílica Menor del Nazareno Negro) is a prominent Roman Catholic Latin-rite basilica located in the District of Quiapo in the City of Manila, Philippines. The basilica is famous home for the shrine of the Black Nazarene, a dark statue of Jesus Christ many claim to be miraculous. The parish is under the Archdiocese of Manila and its current rector is Rev. Msgr. Hernando Coronel.

Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang – La Vang, Vietnam

Our Lady of La Vang (Vietnamese: Đức Mẹ La Vang) refers to a reported Marian apparition at a time when Catholics were persecuted and killed in Vietnam. The Shrine of our Lady of La Vang (Basilica of Our Lady of La Vang) is situated in what is today Hai Phu commune in Hải Lăng District of Quảng Trị Province in Central Vietnam.