Draft:Our Lady of the O

Our Lady of the O Nuestra Señora de la O Mahal na Birhen de la O
The original icon
Location	Pangil, Laguna, Philippines
Date	1741
Witness	Townspeople of Pangil, King Charles III
Type	Wood statue
Venerated in	Catholic Church
Shrine	Shrine of Nuestra Señora y Santo Niño de la O, Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish, Pangil, Laguna, Philippines
Patronage	Pangil, Laguna Mothers and children, couples who want a child but can't make
Attributes	pregnant womb

Our Lady of the O Spanish: Nuestra Señora de la O; Tagalog: Mahal na Ina ng O is a Marian title, a venerated Marian icon and image associated to the Expectation of Our Lady. The town of Pangil in the province of Laguna considers her as its secondary patroness.

Etymology

[edit] The name may be inspired by the prayers and praises to the Blessed Virgin during December, which often begin with:

“O Mary”

“O Beautiful Virgin”

“O Our Mother”

It could also be based on a chapter in the Blessed Virgin’s life—her visit to her cousin Elizabeth. According to the Holy Scriptures, in the third month of her pregnancy, Mary visited Elizabeth. She was greatly surprised to see that her cousin was also pregnant and close to term. This was astonishing because Elizabeth was over a hundred years old and considered barren. The Virgin’s hand is depicted in a surprised gesture, and her beautiful face seems to be gazing somewhere, as if uttering an astonished “O.” The feast of the Virgin of the O is celebrated on December 18, symbolizing the third month of Mary’s pregnancy with Jesus.

The Holy Scriptures also describe the stirring of two unborn children in the wombs—Jesus in Mary’s and John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s. The two greeted each other while still in their mothers’ wombs

The name “Nuestra Señora de la O” originates from a unique antiphon, distinct from the Roman “O” antiphons, which are not part of the Mozarabic Rite. This antiphon goes: “O Virgin of virgins, how shall this be? For there has never been one like you, nor will there ever be. Daughters of Jerusalem, why do you marvel at me? What you see is a divine mystery.” Additionally, on that day, choir clerics would chant a prolonged “O” after Vespers to symbolize the world’s yearning for the coming of the Redeemer. Each morning during the octave, a High Mass is celebrated early, and it is customary for expectant mothers, regardless of status, to attend, honoring Our Lady’s motherhood and seeking her blessing.

Description

[edit] The image is approximately 5ft in height, the virgen depicted as an expectant mother. Mostly garbed in white and blue vestment with "mangas" style similar to Virgen delos Remedios (Pampanga & Malate). The image is "detallado" with hands wide open. No noticeable accessories aside from the crown and belt.

The image of the Virgin depicts her as an Expectant mother who was about to give birth to her Son, Jesus. with her hands extended to emphasize her state of pregnancy. The Virgin wears the typical robe of venerated Marian images in the country, a nice robe, with blue cape/mantle with the signature palikpik on the shoulders, wears a crown and a correa.

The image is presently enshrined at the Nuestra Señora de la Natividad Parish in Pangil, along with the image of Santo Niño de la O.

History

[edit] Origin of the Virgin and the Holy Child of the O

The images of the Virgin and the Santo Niño de la O were believed to be a gifts from King Charles III of Spain to the town of Pangil.

In the mid-18th century, a Spanish prince named Carlos came to the Philippines. He stayed in Pangil due to the size of its convent. He grew fond of the town and its people because of his humble nature and love of nature. He enjoyed hunting and bathing in the river, which led locals to name a nearby river ‘Bambang Hari’ (King’s Stream).

Two years later, the prince returned to Spain and was crowned King Charles III following the death of King Ferdinand VI, his half-brother and former King Philip V. After his coronation, King Charles III sent the images of the Nuestra Señora de la O and Santo Niño de la O to Pangil as a token of gratitude. According to tradition, these images were adorned with a scepter and crown.

The Journey

From Spain to the Philippines, the Virgin and the Holy Child were transported by ship. The images were transferred to a vessel that traveled from Manila Bay, through the Pasig River, and finally reached Laguna Lake. They were received at the lakeside in Estaca by locals who, perhaps due to a sudden rain, wore cloths tied around their heads or bandana. There were tales of how the images became lighter when they reached the ground in Pangil. In some towns they passed through, people could not lift the Virgin and the Holy Child.

The original statue was episcopally crowned by the then-Bishop of Lipa, Ven. Alfredo Obviar on 17 December 1949.

Bandana Festival

[edit] In honor of the feast of Nuestra Señora de la O, the townspeople of Pangil, along with the Local Government Unit, celebrate the Bandana Festival on the 2nd to 4th week of December. Some activities make it festive such as Street Dance Competition, Ginoo at Binibining Pangil, and more.

Since then a nine-day novena is held every year to honor the Nuestra Señora de la O and Santo Niño de la O, from December 9 to 17 (Virgen dela O) & December 16-24 (Sto. Niño dela O) respectively. The singing and jiggling for the Sto. Niño dela O, held twice a day became a very popular tradition to date. The first is held in the morning after the Misa de Gallo and the other is held in the afternoon. Parents from neighboring towns also bring their children to the novena wearing their Bandana. A solemn procession in honor of Virgen dela O culminates every December 18.

The song of the novena was a chant sang by the pregnant mother, Nuestra Señora de La O to comfort her son, Sto. Niño de La O who was in her womb. The lyrics of the chant were based on stories from the Holy Bible.

Every year, many families vie for the honor to be the sponsor of the Sto. Niño de La O novena. A young son or daughter in the family is usually given the privilege to carry the Sto. Niño de La O. This is their way of showing their gratitude and appreciation to the Lord for the Blessings given to them as a Family.

Santo Niño de la O

[edit] The Santo Niño de la O is a unique image of the Holy Child inside his mother's womb. The image, along with the Nuestra Señora de la O, was given by King Charles III of Spain as a gift to the townspeople of Pangil.