OUR LADY OF THE PILLAR NOVENA MASSES @ OCTOBER 3 TO 12, 2013

Fiesta Pilar 2012

OUR LADY OF PILLAR NOVENA MASSES (October 3 - 12)

ADVISORY FOR OCTOBER 3 (and until further notice)

While waiting for completion of the clearing operation being done, the morning procession and novena in honor of Our Lady of the Pillar for October 3 - first day are cancelled at the Fort Pilar Shrine.

However, the Novena Masses will proceed at 6 a.m. and at 5 p.m. at Centro Pastoral Hall, Gov.Camins.

I got the message from the FB status of Fr. Butch, Parish Priest of the Fort Pilar Shrine.

Since the Clearing operations are not yet complete and clearance has not been given, this would be the advisory as of now and may remain so until further notice. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As of October 4, 2013, this is the new advisory:

PUBLIC ADVISORY:

ALL THE NOVENA MASSES WILL BE AT CENTRO PASTORAL HALL.  HOWEVER, FOR PERSONAL DEVOTION AND LIGHTNING OF CANDLES, THE SHRINE WILL BE OPENED FROM 7 A.M. TO 5 P.M. ONLY! N.B. THE GATE FRONTING THE PLAZA PILAR WILL BE THE ENTRANCE.  THE GATE FRONTING FISHERIES SCHOOL NEAR THE CRUZ MAYOR WILL BE THE EXIT. WE DISCOURAGE EVERY ONE FROM BRINGING BAG PACKS AND OTHER BAGS FOR SECURITY REASON. THANK YOU!

FORT PILAR SHRINE DAY 22 Zamboanga Crisis 2013 credits: FB of Fr. Butch Candido 

I would like to share again about the "OUR LADY OF THE PILLAR" from Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_the_Pillar

Our Lady of the Pillar 

(Spanish: Nuestra Señora del Pilar) is the name given to the Blessed Virgin Mary for her miraculous appearance in Zaragoza, Spain at the time of the emergence of Christianity. She is the Patroness of Spain, the Spanish Civil Guard and the Hispanic world. Her shrine is the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar situated by the Ebro river.

The feast of Our Lady of the Pillar is celebrated on 12 October and she is the Patroness of the Hispanic peoples and the Spanish Civil Guard.

In Zamboanga City, the Virgin of the Pillar has been venerated for almost four centuries as the patroness of the city and in the Archdiocese of Zamboanga. The bas relief of her atop the eastern gate of the 17th-century Spanish military fort dedicated to the Virgin, Fort Pilar (Full name: Royal Fort of our Virgin Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza, El Fuerte Real de Nuestra Señora Virgen del Pilar de Zaragoza), is now a Catholic Marian shrine. 

The city also has a street named after her - Pilar Street.

Fiesta Pilar 2012

Everything will be simpler now, but it is only fitting to remember the real reason why we have the Feast of the Lady of the Pillar!

Centro Pastoral ready for the Novena masses Credits: Fr. Butch Candido, Shrine Administrator

Centro Pastoral ready for the Novena masses Credits: Fr. Butch Candido, Shrine Administrator

P.S. Here are some of the links of blogposts I have written through the years that you might want to visit:

Fort Pilar Throughout the Years

http://inpinaysfootsteps.blogspot.com/2011/09/fort-pilar-through-years.html

Fort Pilar 2011: Day After Fiesta

http://inpinaysfootsteps.blogspot.com/2011/10/fort-pilar-shrine-2011-day-after-fiesta.html

Fort Pilar 2012

http://inpinaysfootsteps.blogspot.com/2012/10/shrine-of-nuestra-senora-virgen-del.html

FORT PILAR GROUNDS @ OCTOBER 2012

Did you know that October is Museum and Galleries month?

Well, so timely, that during a Photowalk, I was able to make a short tour within the Fort Pilar Museum grounds minus the museum tour because it was close to 5 p.m. and they were already closing!

Here is what I picked up from Wikipedia:

The Royal Fort of Our Virgin Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza (commonly known as Fort Pilar) is a 17th century military defense fortress built by the Spanish colonial government in Zamboanga City, Philippines. The fort, which is now a regional museum of the National Museum of the Philippines, is the major landmark of Zamboanga City and a symbol of the city's cultural heritage. Outside the eastern wall is a Marian shrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Pillar, the patroness of the city.

Here are images of the Fort Pilar grounds which I would like to share with you!

Central grounds and Courtyard.

 

 

 Well.

 

my photowalk buddies...

Juvee's great idea

Visitors.

We saw this cute little girl and some families and group of students who strolled in the Fort Pilar grounds.

More so, there were also pictorials for pre-nups and debuts at the time we visited.

Niche.

 To the Walls.

Cannons. A Fort always has cannons.

From Wikipedia.

In 1635, upon the requests of the Jesuit missionaries and Bishop Fray Pedro of Cebu, the Spanish governor of the Philippines Juan Cerezo de Salamanca (1633–1635) approved the building of a stone fort in defense against pirates and raiders of the sultans of Mindanao and Jolo. The cornerstone of the fort, originally called Real Fuerza de San José (Royal Fort of Saint Joseph), was laid by Melchor de Vera, a Jesuit priest-engineer, on June 23, 1635, which also marks the founding of Zamboanga as a city, then known as Jambangan.

View from the Walls.

Paseo Del Mar 

Bangko Central ng Pilipinas and one of the walls

back to courtyard

Entrance to the Museum.

Outer Walls.

Fort Pilar Shrine also composes one wall of the Fort Pilar.

From Wikipedia:

It was in 1734, when a relief of the Our Lady of the Pillar was placed above the eastern wall of the fort making it an outdoor shrine with an altar for praying. Tradition reveals the Virgin Mary appeared to a soldier on December 6, 1734, at the gate of the city. Not recognizing her, the soldier asked her to stop. Upon recognizing her, he fell down to his knees.

Fiesta Pilar 2012

Visit the Fort Pilar Museum this October. Admission is free for the whole month of October.