DOMINICAN FRIARS
Philippine Province
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Life of the Brethren
From the very beginnings of the Order of Preachers, devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary has held a central place in Dominican life and mission. This deep love for Mary finds its roots in a profound moment of grace experienced by our holy father St. Dominic.
According to De Dignitate Psalterii by Blessed Alan de la Roche, when St. Dominic saw that his efforts to convert the Albigensians were bearing little fruit due to the weight of their sins, he withdrew into a forest near Toulouse for three days and nights. There, he fasted, wept, and performed severe penances to seek God’s mercy. Exhausted, he fell into a coma.
It was then that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him, accompanied by three angels. She revealed to him the heavenly weapon most effective in spiritual battle—the Angelic Psalter, now known as the Holy Rosary. She told him:
“If you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Psalter.”
Strengthened by this vision, St. Dominic went forth and preached the Rosary with great zeal. From that moment on, the Rosary became a powerful tool of conversion and a cornerstone of Dominican spirituality.
Pope Benedict XVI, in a General Audience on February 3, 2010, highlighted the pivotal role of St. Dominic in promoting Marian devotion:
“St. Dominic tenderly fostered Marian devotion and left it as a precious legacy to his spiritual sons, who, in the history of the Church, have had the great merit—beginning with St. Dominic himself—of disseminating the prayer of the Holy Rosary, so dear to the Christian people and so rich in Gospel values: a true school of faith and piety.”
Today, this devotion continues to flourish in the Dominican Province of the Philippines, where Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de La Naval de Manila and Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Manaoag are especially honored in two of the country’s most beloved Marian shrines.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of La Naval de Manila, located in Santo Domingo Church, Quezon City, enshrines the centuries-old image commemorating the miraculous victories of the Filipino-Spanish fleet against Dutch invaders in the 17th century. It is a powerful symbol of national faith and unity and has been officially recognized as a National Cultural Treasure by the Philippine government.
Further north, in Pangasinan, stands the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, a pilgrimage destination for generations of Filipinos seeking healing, protection, and maternal intercession. This shrine is affiliated with the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, granting it spiritual privileges that deepen its link with the universal Church. Like Santo Domingo Church, the Minor Basilica of Manaoag has also been declared a National Cultural Treasure, underscoring its religious and historical importance.
These sacred places continue to welcome countless pilgrims and devotees who come to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, entrusting their prayers and lives to her maternal car
To be Dominican is to be Marian—to preach, to pray, and to live under the mantle of the Queen of the Holy Rosary.
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary
La Naval de Manila