The document outlines the stages of a research project studying the devotion of Caviteños in the Philippines to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It describes the preparatory stage including team meetings, proposal drafting, and field visits. Initial data was gathered including novenas, prayers, and interviews. This data will be analyzed using the theology of religious symbols to interpret the faith experiences of devotees and articulate a paradigm to understand their unique Marian devotion. Recent literature on Mariology provides guidance on developing a Christocentric, scriptural, ecclesial, and ecumenical paradigm.

1. Preparatory Stage
1. First team meeting – Dec. 2011
2. Drafting of research proposal - Jan. 2012
3. Submission of research proposal for approval by AUDRN
4. Writing endorsement letter for the Diocesan Administrator and Board of Consultores - Feb. 2012
5. Attendance to Master Class on the Mahara, the e-portfolio platform - Mar. 19-20, 2012
6. Distribution of request letter to each priest of the seven parishes – municipalities and two cities at
the Cathedral de Nuestra Señora del Pilar in Imus - Apr. 5, 2012

2. Post-authorization planning
1. Second team meeting – Feb. 2012
2. Agreement on:
2.1 scheduled research day (Friday)
2.2 logging and proper documentation of
expenditures
3. Reiteration of the specific roles of each researcher
as well as a team
3.1 submission of 5 to 10 questions
regarding
respective area (faith, art and historical
dimensions)
4. Discussion on the mapping and schedule of
documentation trips c/o Ms. Rosanni R. Sarile

3. Field work
(Visit, interview, audio and video
documentation)

4. Inside the Imus Cathedral with Nestor “Jun” Crisostomo Victa, Jr.,
(second from left) coordinator of the Servants and Handmaids
of Our Lady of the Pillar Parish

5. Mrs. Ellen Maluto Palma-Sosa (in glasses), representative of the caretaker family
of the Holy Image shows the documents for the request for the canonical
coronation for the image of Nuestra Señora del Pilar of Imus.

6. Some accessories of the
Immaculate Conception
of the City of
Dasmariñas, Cavite

7. The most expensive gown so far
of the Immaculate Conception of the City
of Dasmariñas with metal applique

8. The simplest gown of the Immaculate Conception

9. A chance interview with a church worker/teacher, an
ex-nun too, regarding the miracles that Nuestra
Señora Dela Asuncion had done to her
and her family

10. Argee, the caretaker of Nuestra Señora
de Guia’s vestments

11. Some s cenes on the Golden Jubilee Fluvial
Procession
of the Diocese of Imus on Apr il 30, 2012.
The procession commenced at 4:30 a.m. in Riverside,
Maragondon and finished at around 10:30 a.m. in San Roque,
Cavite City.

12.  The need for a paradigm
This aspect of our research deals
with the theological and religious
dimensions of the devotion of the
Caviteños to the Blessed Virgin
Mary. As a theological discourse, it
will form part of the literature on
Mariology, the field that “make
sense of” Mary’s role in the history
and story of our salvation as a
people of God. The data gathered
from documents, novena prayers,
liturgy, and other devotionals will
be enriched by interviews and focus
group discussions among devotees.
Focus group discussion among the devotees of Immaculada Concepcion

13.  The need for a paradigm
After all the necessary data are gathered, they will be subjected to a theological
discourse. We would attempt to articulate a “paradigm” in order to “make sense of” the
Caviteños unique experience of their devotion to Mary. The paradigm that we aim to
articulate here is one “which [a] is rich and powerful enough to provide a vantage point
from which to view all the other great truths about Mary...[b]affords a perspective in the
light of which all other attributes of Mary make sense...[c] determines our view of Mary
and provides a touchstone of meaning and explanation (Bearsley 2001, p. 469).”

14.  Recent Developments in Mariology
Recent literature tried to provide such paradigm. Braine (2009) for instance
traced the development of the Church’s teaching on the Virgin Mary in modern
perspective and showed for instance why the doctrines on the Incarnation and
the Virgin birth are closely related an should have a dogmatic place. De Haardt
(2011) showed that the Virgin Mary still plays an important role in religious
devotions all over the world, even in the West despite secularization. Using a
feminist perspective, she gives a critical sketch of the background of
developments in Mariology and argues for a closer look at Marian devotional
practices in order to find some inspiring elements for rethinking divine
presence, Mary and perhaps a new Mariology.

15.  Recent Developments in Mariology
(cont.)
Locally, Mactal (2007) made an extensive historic-theological account of the
Mariological developments after the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) and the
impact of Marian devotion in the Philippines. He mentioned four characteristics that
should guide any renewal of our devotion to Mary. First, prayers to Mary must be
Trinitarian, i.e. always related to the Three Persons in One God. Second, devotions
and honor given to Mary must be based on Scripture. Third, Marian veneration and
para-liturgical celebrations must be done in harmony with the liturgical seasons.
Fourth, true devotion should draw a unity in the Church of Christ in a common spirit
of gratitude, i.e., ecumenical (Mactal 2007, pp. 291-292).

16.  Recent Developments in Mariology
(cont.)
A similar set of practical guidelines were formulated by a Lutheran-Catholic
dialogue that should also apply to veneration of saints (Neuhas 2008). Such
devotions should be a) “imbued with Scripture,” b) harmonized with Eucharistic
liturgy and seasons of Church’s year, c) ecumenically sensitive, d) attentive to
cultural “mores (Neuhas 2008 para 11).” These guides took their inspiration
from the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium which devoted the whole of its
chapter 8 on Mary’s role in our church life in the modern world. The whole
discourse is Christocentric, Scriptural, Ecclesial, Ecumenical, and expressed a
balanced point of view (Mactal 2007, p. 271). These are the theological
foundation of a paradigm that will be articulated once all the data about the
Caviteño’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary are gathered.

17.  Treatment of initial data gathered
Initially, we have gathered Novenas (Novena
to Our Lady of the Pillar, Novena to Our lady of
Lourdes, Novena to Our Lady of Candelaria,
Novena to Nuestra Señora de Guia), hymn
(Awit para sa Nuestra Señora de Guia), prayers
(prayer to Our Lady of the Pillar, prayer to La
Immaculada Concepcion) and luwa or an
exhortation of praise (luwa for Our Lady of the
Pillar). We also have a video of a live Karakol
(Nuestra Señora de Guia). We have done several
interviews and focus group discussions among
devotees of the Blessed Virgin Mary which are
in the process of being transcribed.

18.  Treatment of initial data gathered
(cont.)
The rich religious and faith-experiences of the
devotees may be interpreted using the theology of
symbols. Religious symbols mainly. According to
Arevalo (1986), “ ‘the religious’ lives in our
consciousness largely through symbols... The real
‘at home’ atmosphere of faith and religion is the
symbolic...The faith-experience of the God we
cannot see is mediated for most of us by symbols.
And where symbols are omnipresent, and are
charged with meaning and feeling, there – at least
in some genuine measure – there is also the
presence of faith. And faith...is about
presence...about Presence (pp. 23-24).”
We hope that we will be able to “make sense
of” the symbols expressed in the words and
actions of the participants in this study and come
up with a paradigm for the proper understanding
of the faith-experience and devotion of the
Caviteños to the Blessed Virgin Mary.