MGA ANTIGONG RELIGIOUS IMAGES AT ITEMS NG SANTA MARIA CHURCH SA BULACAN, ATING BISITAHIN

The beautiful image of La Purisima Concepcion is a wooden image of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Immaculate Conception. This image of the Immaculate Conception is one of the most unique. The image is depicted as a regal queen rather than the typical "Murillo style" Inmaculada. The Purisima wears queenly robes, wears a set of jewelry, the Corona Imperial, Baston de Mando that is held between her hands, the diagnostic Doce Estrellas, a bejeweled resplendor to her face, a set of earings and an atocha to her forehead. The Virgin stands on a peana with sun and a crescent moon emblem on its base. Another distinction of the town's Patroness is that she retained her original title despite the dogmatic definition of the Immaculate Concepcion and most of the images under this avocation revised their titles from "Purisima" to "Inmaculada".

The Purisima is known to shower many miracles to her devotees for centuries and continues up to the present. La Purisima is known to save the town from various incursions of bandits, or tulisanes, protection from different calamities among others. It is also through the miraculous intervention of La Purisima Concepcion that during the Japanese occupation, the town of Santa Maria was spared from what have been a ruinous encounter between the guerillas and the Japanese; and a postwar schism among the faithful was averted when a great wind struck the town and reunited the townspeople in the effort to help one another.

The purpose of this Marian Exhibit is not only to show the different beautiful images, statues and the many wonderful “titles” of the Blessed Virgin Mary (“Mama Mary” as we fondly call her) but to educate the community about her life and how she continues to touch and inspire our lives.
 
The Blessed Virgin Mary’s worldwide apparitions and messages only reminds us that she is always there to help in accomplishing our duties being followers of Christ, that is to love God and love our neighbors especially those in dire need. She is there to lead us closer to Jesus. She plays a vital role in our spiritual journey and in our Christian faith.

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