24/09/2026
Memorial of Nuestra Señora dela Merced
Bahay Pari Candaba, Pampanga
24 September 2026
The image of Nuestra Senora de la Merced was said to have brought a priest, Rev. Fr. Aniceto dela Merced in the 18th century. It is said that the image was first brought by the Hospitalier Brothers or St. John of God because Hacienda Bahay Pare was originally owned by San Juan de Dios Hospital that was used for the care of the sick. They were taken care of by this congregation and brought to the church of Our Lady of Mercy and were healed.
Oral tradition has it that when the image was brought to Bahay Pare, Candaba, Pampanga, it was initially placed in a makeshift chapel made of wood and thatch rood made from palm leaves. However, one day, it is said that Our Lady, together with St. Lucy and St. Catherine of Alexandria reportedly took human form, and went to the house of a well-known skilled carpenter in Plaridel, Bulacan. There, she asked the carpenter to have her house built. Then upon the arrival of the carpenter to the place that he have never been before, he saw the makeshift chapel, and when looking at the three images, he realized that the three women were the holy patrons of Candaba and that a more fitting chapel for the Virgin was built. As the years passed by, in the 1970s, during the time of Rev. Fr. Lope Hernandez, he led the construction of a concreted church that can now be seen today.
Miracles
Several miracles that were attributed to Apung dela Merced were reported and collated over the years and here are some of the most well-known.
When there was a time that Apung dela Merced was honored on her feast day through a fluvial procession in the stretch of Maasim River. There, the devotees would bathe in the water, with firm beliefs that it had been blessed by the Virgin and cures do occur. On one occasion, during a fluvial procession, the Child Jesus fell to the river, but to everyone’s surprise, witnesses recalled that He moved from one place in the boat to another, much to the awe and amazement of those who witnessed this phenomenon.
Another noticeable characteristic of Apung dela Merced is her change of facial expressions when someone is asking for a favor that can be immediately granted, and if the image seemed to frown, it is a sign that it would take some time to be granted.
A devotee recounts that when her mother was hospitalized due to severe stomach pains and cannot move, she immediately went to Apung Dela Merced for her help and the following morning, all were dumbfounded when they saw her mother get up from her sickbed as if nothing happened.
Myrna Culala, a public school teacher of Candaba recounts when she was hospitalized with a 50/50 chance of survival, one night, a nurse came to her room to attend to her medical needs, and was immediately cured. She noticed that the nameplate of the nurse read “Dela Merced” and asked her if she is from Candaba, the nurse replied yes and that her house is in front of the Church. She later found out that there was no one in the town with the family name “Dela Merced” and the house where the nurse is staying does not exist. She then realized that it was the Virgin who cured her.
The White Scapular
The White Scapular of Our Lady of Mercy
The White Scapular of Our Lady of Mercy is also traced at the same time the apparition of the Virgin in 1218 where it is said that the White Scapular was given by Our Lady to the three visionary-founders of the Order. The scapular is white and the front has the emblem of the Order of Our Lady of Mercy while the back has a symbol representing the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Auspice Maria.
Numerous indulgences were granted to the faithful for those who will wear the White Scapular. After the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the indulgences attached to the scapular were renewed by the Apostolic Penitentiary in 1967 and include a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions (i.e. the person must exclude all attachment to sin of any kind, even venial sin, must perform the work or say the prayer for which the indulgence is granted, and must also fulfill the three conditions of sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion and praying for the intentions of the Pope on the day of enrollment and on the following Mercedarian feasts: Our Lady of Mercy (September 24), St. Peter Nolasco (May 6), St. Raymond Nonnatus (August 31), St. Peter Armengol (April 27), St. Mary de Cervellione (September 19), St. Serapion (November 14), and St. Peter Pascual (December 6).
Our Lady handing over the White Scapular to Sts. Peter Nolasco and Raymond of Peñafort
How the White Scapular of Our Lady of Mercy arrived in the country has its own story, Dr. Jose Alvin Balatbat recounts that on one of his visits to the United States, in his second visit to New York, he and his friend decided to visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral. At the corner of the cathedral, he saw an image of Our Lady of Mercy, holding the white scapular. At a Catholic religious store located beside the Cathedral, he saw these white scapulars being sold, but quite expensive – $3 a piece. He bought a few and returned home to Candaba. Back home, He searched for local stores if such scapular is sold, but the search failed. He then made a negotiation with a trader for the reproduction of the scapular and it came through. On August 2, 2003, the parish launched the use of the White Scapular on the 785th anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady.
Since the introduction of the White scapular in Candaba, numerous devotees wore this scapular, and numerous miracles of healing were reported the scapular was later regarded as “A Healing Scapular”. The scapular later found its way to the pages of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, through the weekly column, “Purely Personal” of the late Josephine Darang and numerous requests for the scapular flooded Dr. Balatbat and the Parish and distribution continues up to this day.
The monument of Nuestra Señora de la Merced de Candaba known as Nuestra sa Piñac”
On August 22, 2021, Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a monument of Nuestra Señora de la Merced de Candaba was solemnly blessed by Archbishop Florentino Lavarias, DD, and Archbishop Emeritus Paciano Aniceto, DD the current and former Archbishops of San Fernando respectively. The monument became known to the devotees and locals as “Nuestra sa Piñac.”
The devotion
Nuestra Señora de la Merced de Candaba
The devotion to Apung dela Merced continues to flourish in Candaba and later become known in other parts of the country. On her feast day, September 24, and on August 2, the anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady of Mercy, pilgrims flock to the parish and join the devotions and processions in her honor. The procession is being held twice, first on the Sunday before September 24 and on the actual feast day itself. Saturday devotions to Apung dela Merced will be always filled with devotees where rosaries, devotions, and masses are offered to the Virgin and a special mass is offered for the vocation of priests and nuns who are the children of the parish that resulted to produce priests and religious of the town.
The devotion to Mary, as the Mother of Mercy, is one of the most ancient devotions to the Mother of God for centuries and it endured the test of time. As she promised to the three saintly visionaries for her protection and help on liberating captives from evil forces, let us ask for her Intercesión so that she can protect our people and liberate her children from the captivity of the Evil one who wants to destroy the peace that God established.
Nuestra Señora dela Merced, ipanalangin mo kami!
