Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval de Manila

Today, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval de Manila is celebrated. The feast revolves on the ivory and wood statue depicting Our Lady of the Rosary currently enshrined at the Santo Domingo Church (National Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary). I last visited the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in 2005 although I hope to be able to do so during the festivities next year.

First Day Cover issued on October 1993 in celebration of the 400th year anniversary of
the image of Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval de Manila

The statue was commissioned by Spanish Governor-General Dasmariñas in memory of his father in 1593. It is said that a Chinese immigrant was responsible for sculpting the image, explaining the statue’s Asian features. The statue was later given to the Dominican friars, who installed it at the Santo Domingo Church. 

Postcard featuring the image of Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval de Manila
during a procession during her feast day, Her carroza is in the shape of a boat--
a Christian symbol of salvation and in remembrance of the Battle of La Naval de Manila.

Just as the title of Our Lady of the Rosary was established through a naval battle, the devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval de Manila came to be because of the victory of the Philippine-Spanish forces against the Protestant Dutch invasion of Manila in 1646. The image was canonically crowned by the authority of Pope St. Pius X on 05 October 1907, the first Marian icon in the Philippines to be given the honor.