Pilgrimage

Just like many other churches in the Philippines, Manaoag is full of vendors selling candles, rosaries, novena booklets and other religious paraphernalia as well as fruits and other local delicacies. Each of them would then narrate their own sad stories to lure you into buying their products. My tip would be for you not to buy from any of them. If you do buy from one of them, then you have to buy from all of them as they would crowd you and surround you. The only way to get away from them is to run to the church. If you’re looking to buy some religious items though, don’t worry as there are some parish-operated shops within the church grounds.

The church is very simple and old. At the altar, you will see the statue of  Our Lady of Manaoag at the center. She is in between the statues of San Francisco and Sto. Domingo. On top, you will see the statues of the Holy Family.

You have to check out as well the four paintings on the right and left wings of the church. You will see on the paintings how the image of the Blessed Virgin was saved from the fire, her apparition on the tree, and finally, her veneration at the shrine. 

Entering the church even though I'm not a Catholic, I feel the presence of God and I particularly enjoyed observing the varying emotions and facial expressions inside the church at the  mass, as well as the ones in deep prayer. It was overwhelmed on what I see and what I feel inside the Church. I highly respect the beliefs of the Catholic though I'm Iglesia Ni Cristo . I participated on the mass and and I also prayed. To the Catholic People, Ourv Lady of  the Holy Rosary of Manaog was the best  for a holy place.