Full of Confidence, Full of Hope: Mother of Mercy Shrine Turns Ten

The Mother of Mercy Shrine is located on a hilly area overlooking Davao City at New Carmen, Tugbok. It is a one-hectare area of a vast property owned by Mr. and Mrs. Lito and Dale Gloriani, Divine Mercy Devotees, who constructed the shrine.

It was built on the said area through an inspiration of the Holy Spirit to Mrs. Dale Gloriani when they attended the Divine Mercy Congress in 2013 at El Salvador, Misamis Oriental. Accordingly, Mama Mary instructed her to build an entablature without ceiling and walls overlooking the city with the image of Mother of Mercy, which title is unknown to her at that time yet. In her interpretation, Mrs. Gloriani said that our Mother of Mercy wants to overlook the city and protect it from any danger and evil spirits.

During the 2019 pandemic, the couple donated the area to the Archdiocese of Davao, making it an Archdiocesan Mother of Mercy Shrine where the Archdiocesan Nuorishment Center of Mother of Mercy is also situated to cater to the nearby residents.

The shrine was built two years after such inspiration because the couple had been searching for such title of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as it was not known to them. It was in 2014 when a Franciscan Priest, in one of the confessions made by Mr. Lito Gloriani, told him to recite the “Hail Holy Queen” where the name Mother of Mercy is mentioned. Also, in 2015, Mr. Gloriani met Fr. Larry, an MIC Priest, who told him that that the title Mother of Mercy originated from Vilnius, Lithuania. On that same year, Mr. Gloriani told Archbishop Romulo G. Valles, D.D. about the inspiration of his wife to build a shrine of Mother of Mercy, and told him that he had gone to Vilnius and visited the shrine of Mother of Mercy.

Historically, the title, Mother of Mercy, originates from Vilnius, Lithuania. The image refers to the Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn icon, a famous and highly venerated painting of the Virgin Mary located in a chapel over the Gate of Dawn, which was part of the original city walls of Vilnius. It became a significant pilgrimage site in Vilnius, Lithuania because of its history of miraculous events and believed to have protected the city from various dangers since the 17th century. It is one of the most important feasts in the Archdiocese of Vilnius.

On the 10th year anniversary of the Mother of Mercy Shrine in Davao City, the Most Reverend Romulo G. Valles, D.D. presided over the mass at 5:00 in the afternoon, where devotees from different parts of Davao and the neighboring towns came to celebrate the feast of Mother of Mercy. In his homily, Arch. Valles said that the Mother of Mercy or “Inahan sa Kaluoy” is the mother of Divine Mercy who is Jesus Christ – that she is the mother of the poor. The celebration of the feast of the Mother of Mercy is consonant with the World Sunday of the Poor established by Pope Francis to encourage solidarity with and service to those living in poverty.

Abp. Valles further said to stop the systematic corruption in our country today by asking the Mother of Mercy, and that our prayer should be centered on Jesus. Lastly, he prayed to God the constant gladness of being devoted to Him and pleaded Mama Mary to be like her, full of confidence, full of hope, constant in devotion and service. (Rowena Corazon B. Villaflor, SoCCom, OLLP Bangkal)