Church of Our Lady of the Abandoned
Located at the boundaries of Barangays Santa Elena and San Roque, this church, dedicated to Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados (Our Lady of the Abandoned), was first constructed in 1572, with bamboo and leaves by the Augustinian friars in a place called Chorillo (present-day Barangay Barangka).
Left side elevation
The church was started, on its present site, in 1687 by the Augustinians using forced labor. Constructed with adobe in the Baroque style, it had a heavily fortified facade, large-scale ceiling paintings, a dramatic central projection of the facade, a round-style pediment for the bell tower and the opulent blending of painting and architecture.
Right side elevation
On October 23, 1791, the church was consecrated by the Archdiocese of Manila for the Virgin’s said title so that it could not be used for any secular purpose. It was twice destroyed during the June 1863 and July 1880 earthquakes and was gutted by fire in 1891.
National Historical Institute (NHI) Plaque (1990)
In 1898, during the Philippine–American War, the church suffered major damage and the first image was burnt along with pertinent records of the devotion in Marikina. In 1902, a new image was created, and is the one presently venerated in the parish. During World War II, the upper storey bell tower was totally destroyed. By 1957, the church was restored and refurbished by Fr. Silvestre dela Cruz of the Archdiocese of Manila with the help from various religious and civic organizations. The church underwent a lavish upgrade from 2009 to 2012.
Statue of Our Lady of the Abandoned
On May 12, 2002, the 100th anniversary, the venerated image (fondly called “Mama Ola”), was episcopally crowned by Crisostomo Yalung, Bishop of Antipolo. On April 22, 2005, as one of his first formal institutional acts as a pope, Pope Benedict XVI granted the venerated image a decree of canonical coronation (the 23rd Marian image in the country to be crowned). On October 23 2005, the coronation took place, with former Archbishop of Manila, Gaudencio Rosales presiding over the Mass and canonical rites together with the Antipolo Bishop, Gabriel V. Reyes.
Church interior
On August 5, 2007, the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, the Bishop of Antipolo, Gabriel V. Reyes, D.D., consecrated the the church as a diocesan shrine in honor of Our Lady under the title Maria, Inang Mapag-Ampon ng Marikina, Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados.
Choir loft
The church is known for featuring Metro Manila’s longest Holy Week processions with around 87 floats (as of 2023). Nationwide, it is third overall after the St. Augustine Parish in Baliuag and the San Isidro Labrador Parish in Pulilan, both in Bulacan, which features at least 110 floats.
Main altar
AUTHOR’S NOTES:
The 1957 renovation retained much of the church’s simple Baroque façade but the entrance portico was added. The 3-storey bell tower, on the left, has a square base and octagonal upper storeys. The upper storey, with its dome-capped belfry, was destroyed by U.S. artillery bombardment (from Quezon City) during World War II and was restored.
Left side altar
On both sides of the church are a series of sculptures atop pillars, completed in 2012 with Jesus Christ (the Good Shepherd), St. Bartolomew, St. Philip, St. John, St. Peter, St. James (son of Zebedee) and St. Thomas on the left and St. Andrew, St. Matthew, St. Matthias, St. Paul, St. Simon, St. James (son of Alphaeus) and St. Jude Thaddaeus on the Right.
Right side altar
The interiors feature a main altar, two side altars, ceiling murals depicting scenes from the Mysteries of the Rosary, colorful Machuca tile flooring, various artwork (including angels, saints, OLA’s monthly devotional procession and the “Tinapay ni OLA,” a feeding program by bikers) by Angono artist Nani Reyes, colorful stained glass windows, a pulpit, and three-dimensional arches and pillars, all optical illusions, created by Rex Papasin of Batangas.
Pulpit
Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned: 641 J.P. Rizal cor. P. Gomez Sts., Brgy. Sta Elena 1801 Marikina City. Tel: (02) 8846-1781. Feast of Our Lady of the Abandoned: May 12 (since 2010).
How to Get There: Marikina City is located 19 kms. (a one-hour drive) from Manila (via Quezon Ave./R7) and 9.7 kms. (a 30-min. drive via C-5) from Quezon City.