Piat Shrine: From lowly sanctuary to basilica

MARIAN devotees from all over the

country will gather in Piat, Cagayan,

on June 22 to witness the elevation of

the 395-year-old Our Lady of Piat

Shrine into a basilica minore or a papal church.

''It will be the biggest religious

activity in Cagayan Valley in recent

history,'' said Archbishop Diosdado

Talamayan.

The shrine, Talamayan said, was

built by Spanish missionaries to

pacify the Itawits or Itawes, the

native settlers of western Cagayan,

in 1604.

It will be the first basilica minore in

the region and the fourth in the

Philippines. The rites will be

officiated by Antonio Maria Cardinal Javierre Ortas, the

Vatican's representative.

Historian Ed de Rivera Castillet, in his book ''Cagayan Province

and Her People,'' said the Itawits killed Spanish settlers after the

Spaniards abused their friendship.

The account showed that the natives resented the settlers'

requirement for them to wear hats, shoes and formal dress

during holidays.

In 1604, a Spanish missionary succeeded in pacifying the Itawits

by transferring the Image of Santa Maria del Rosario from

Nueva Segovia (now Lallo town), the seat of the bishopric, to

Piat.

Fray Julian Malumbres O.P., in his book ''Historia de Cagayan,''

said the statue of the Our Lady of Piat was fashioned by an

obscure sculptor in Portuguese Macao in 1600.

Miracles

Cagayan Valley

residents have been

awed by the miracles

performed by the Lady

of Piat, said Talamayan.

Historical accounts

showed that the Lady

saved Cagayanos from

the 1624 drought.

During that time, the

people plowed and

planted their fields

three times, but in as many times, the plants dried up.

Seeing the plight of the Cagayanos, Fathers Francisco de Santa

Ana and Andres de Haro, parish priests of Piat and Tuao towns,

respectively, led the people in a public rogation. From their

pulpits, the priests exhorted the people to go to confession and

receive Holy Communion.

The people followed and on the very same night, a heavy

downpour fell on their parched farms.

Since then, tourists and pilgrims have been visiting the shrine in

Piat to seek the Lady's help in prayers and rarely have their

requests been unanswered.

The Our Lady of Piat's miracles are now recorded in the

basilica's stained glass windows.

Activities

Some of the activities lined up for the shrine's elevation into a

basilica include a medical mission for poor Cagayanos.

Cagayano doctors and members of the Rotary and Lions clubs

will spearhead the medical mission in Cagayan for two weeks.

A weeklong special prayers and services will be held in 29

parishes in the province. These will be highlighted by a Marian

choral contest at the St. Paul University in Tuguegarao.

A Santacruzan sponsored by the Department of Tourism will

also be held.

A grand procession of all the images of patron saints and the

Marian will be held from Barangay Maguiling in Piat to the

basilica.

A cultural show on the documented miracles of the Virgin of

Piat and the inauguration of the Our Lady of Piat Museum are

also scheduled.

Place for gatherings

Talamayan said the Catholic church ''Christianized'' the meaning

of basilica (Greek term for ''for people'') to be a ''gathering place

for assembly of God.''

The four papal churches in the world are all in Rome. These are

the St. Peter's Basilica, the Basilica of St. John, which is the

cathedral of the Pope and the head of all churches, the Basilica

of St. Paul, and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

The basilica minore of Piat is the first in Cagayan Valley. It will

join the ranks of other basilicas in the country. These are the

Manila Cathedral or the basilica minore of the Our Lady of

Immaculate Concepcion; the basilica of the Our Lady of Charity

in Agoo, La Union; and the Basilica of the Santo Ni?o in Cebu

City.