Recently, I went on a soul-enriching trip that led me up north where I learned what draws pilgrims from far and wide to gravitate to El Salvador, a little known city in Northern Mindanao. My discovery: the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy whose most prominent feature is a 50-foot statue of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sitting
on a 9-hectare lot, the Divine Mercy Shrine, which is about an hour’s drive
from Cagayan de Oro City, also doubles as a tourist attraction in that part of
Mindanao, attracting hundreds, sometimes thousands of visitors year in, year
out. Facing Macalajar Bay, it has become a pilgrimage site for the devout, the
diseased and the desperate who flock there, especially during weekends and
holidays, to seek God’s unending mercy.
Completed
in 2008 out of donations from devout Divine Mercy followers, the Divine Mercy
Shrine was inaugurated by no less than Most Reverend Archbishop Antonio Ledesma
of Cagayan de Oro City. The event, which also coincided with the birthday of
the Blessed Virgin Mary, was attended by over 20,000 devotees, pilgrims and
visitors, not only from the Philippines but also from other parts of the world. 
Standing
tall on a sprawling expanse overlooking the bay, the statue of the Divine Mercy
is said to be the tallest DM structure in the Philippines and the country’s
mini version of Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer.
It
was a UP Fine Arts graduate from Angeles, Pampanga, Nick Reyes, who sculpted
the awe-inspiring statue. A "halo" made out of stained glass serves
as the figure's crowning glory. The rays, which symbolize the "blood"
and "water" which flowed out from Jesus' heart, is made out of an
alternate of stained glass and tiles. These rays are actually staircases
leading up to the “heart” of Jesus.
At
the heart is a hidden niche with a life-size statue of St. Sister Faustina, the
Polish nun who had a vision which described what is now called the Chaplet of
Divine Mercy. Carved at the base of the statue are the words, “JESUS I TRUST IN
YOU”. There's a healing chapel found at the base of the statue. On one side is
a smaller statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Now,
here’s a caveat for those who are fond of wearing revealing clothing, e.g.
sleeveless blouses, shorts, mini-skirts, sandos, tube tops, etc., anywhere they
go. If you’re planning to visit the shrine, better don something more
appropriate as the staff or the guards there will really call your attention and
tell you the holy place isn’t a picnic ground. Worst, they’d compel you to wear
a blue or red cloth either as a shawl or a skirt just to cover your
“nakedness”. Guys, you wouldn’t want to be forced to wear a skirt against your
will, eh? LOL!