One of the recognized devotions in Muntinlupa is the devotion to Our Lady of the Abandoned, commonly known as Inang Mapag-ampon. She is revered as the principal patroness of Muntinlupa City. Her feast is celebrated every twelfth of May which coincides with the feast of Nuestra Senora de los Desamparados en Valencia, Spain. One of the colorful celebrations of the fiesta is the “Fluvial Procession”
held on the coast of Muntinlupa. The holy mass in the evening is presided by the Bishop of Parañaque, and is followed by a solemn procession in honor of the virgin in the streets of the city. The Our Lady of the Abandoned has witnessed the development of Muntinlupa from being a small village to a progressive city. All of these were achieved through the maternal care and guidance of Our Lady of the Abandoned. In 1818, Muntinlupa was considered as a pueblo belonging to the province of Tondo. On February 14, 1863, the Archbishop of Manila, Most Rev. Gregorio Meliton Martinez wrote a decree on the establishment of a new Parish in El Pueblo de Muntinlupa. In the said year, Fr Mariano Umali was appointed as the temporary parish priest together with Fr. Jose Dionisio de Mendoza of Pueblo de Muntinlupa. On February 20, 1863, Our Lady of the Abandoned was recognized as the patroness of the parish. In the years 1863-1920, the first parish church was located along Amparo Street which was then known as Calle Nueva. That same year, the parish priest Fr. Cardon decided to move the church to the current location. According to Fr. Antolin Espeleta, a native of Muntinlupa and also a parish priest from 1957-1982, the current image of Our Lady of the Abandoned has been honored since his childhood. He also affirmed that Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados in Spanish and Our Lady of the Abandoned in English are the known titles of the patroness of the parish of Muntinlupa. In 1982, Our Lady of the Abandoned Catholic School was also founded. Over time, many changes have taken place in every part of the church:
In the years 1994-1995, the facade of the church was built and the interior changed. On April 22, 1997, the parish was declared an Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned. The public announcement was made on May 31, 1997 during the mass presided by His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin, Archbishop of Manila along with the parish priest Msgr. Roberto Espenilla. It was also the same year when the Inang Mapag-ampon Parish Multi-Purpose Cooperative was established to help needy members of the community. The shrine and parish of Inang Mapag-ampon in Muntinlupa became part of the Diocese of Parañaque when it was established on December 7, 2002. The diocese consists of the cities of Parañaque, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa which were formerly part of the Archdiocese of Manila. Most Rev Jesse E Mercado, was appointed as the first bishop of the diocese. Melchor David became the parish priest when the new Diocese of Parañaque was established. As time went on, there were changes in the extent of the parish territory. Currently, there are twelve parishes and a quasi-parish within the territory of Muntinlupa City. They all belong to the Vicariate of Our Lady of the Abandoned. In 2009, Fr Rustico Cruz, led the renovations in the parish church. The “spanish vintage facade” and the current structure of the interior of the church were put in place during his tenure as parish priest. On February 14, 2013, during the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the parish, Our Lady of the Abandoned was declared as the principal patroness of the City of Muntinlupa. The parish continued to respond to the challenges of evangelization under the leadership of Fr. Boy Duabe. In conjunction with the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the parish, Mrs. Lourdes Sy-Changco Guevarra wrote a song dedicated to the City Patroness entitled "Awit sa Inang Mapag-ampon." During the tenure of Fr. Jerico Habunal, there were improvements made in the facilities of the parish. On May 31, 2018, the original image of Our Lady was used during the procession to the streets of Muntinlupa. The people were eager to greet Our Lady as she passed by their houses. The current rector and parish priest, Fr Jonathan Cadiz has been leading the parish to respond to the challenges of new evangelization during the COVID 19 pandemic. As part of the preparation for the 2021 parish fiesta, the antique ivory image of Our Lady of the Abandoned has undergone repair and restoration in order to bring out the exquisite beauty of the patroness and queen of Muntinlupa. Our journey in the parish for the past years is a testimony to God’s faithful love that has become a source of blessing for all. May the maternal care and prayers of Our Lady of the Abandoned protect us from all dangers and help us in our needs. Our Lady of the Abandoned, Patroness and Queen of Muntinlupa, pray for us!
