The document summarizes the history and significance of Fort Pilar and the shrine of Our Lady of Pilar in Zamboanga City, Philippines. It details how the fort was originally constructed in 1635 to defend against Moro pirates and became an important Catholic site. A replica statue of Our Lady of Pilar, the patron saint of Zaragosa, Spain, was placed in the fort and became the focal point of pilgrimages. Today, Fort Pilar is no longer a military outpost but a prominent Marian shrine and site of religious pilgrimages in Mindanao.

1. Nuestra Señora
Del Pilar
Zamboanga
City

2. Historical Background
The people of Zamboanga have a great
devotion to the Blessed Mother,
especially to La Virgen del Pilar, whose
Image they venerate there.
Of the many inimitable temptations and
fascinating charms of Zamboanga, none
can be compared to the miraculous
Virgin of Pilar in the historic Fort.
So great is the fame of devotion to the
Lady of the Fort that the annual
celebration of her feast on October 12
has greatly outstripped the City's official
feast day. This has made the Virgin of
Pilar the actual patroness of Zamboanga
City, instead of the Immaculate
Conception whose feast is celebrated on
December 8.

3. The fort was known as ''The
Fort of Saint Joseph'', and
served the double purpose o
a fortress and a penitentiary
In 1662 the fort were
abandoned by the Spanish
garrisons which sailed for
Manila to help defend that
city from the threat of the
powerful Chinese pirate
Kuesing. The forts were
totally destroyed in 1663 to
prevent it from falling into
the hands of the Moros.

4. After its reconstruction, the
Fort was renamed the Real
Fuerza de Nuestra Señora
del Pilar de Zambaonga. It
carried that name until
1899. Sometime before
1860 the side of the Fort
where the statue was
located, was converted into
a permanent shrine. For
this reason the main
entrance was sealed.

5. The Marian Image
honored in the Fort is a
small replica of Our Lady
copied from the original
Nuestra Señora del Pilar
in Saragossa, Spain. The
Blessed Virgin is shown
standing in a pillar,
carrying the Child Jesus
on her left arm, while she
holds her cape around her
with her right hand. She
wears an Imperial Crown
upon her head.

7. Today Fort Pilar is no longer a military
outpost. It has become one of the
principal Marian Shrines in Mindanao.
It is also a center of religious
pilgrimages.
Immediately after the liberation when
there was already a certain degree of
order and security Zamboanga
hastened to the Fort Pilar on Saturday
April 28, 1645, to offer a Mass of
Thanksgiving and to sing the
triumphant hymn of Te Deum. The
joyful celebration on October 12,
1960 when the Image of Nuestra
Señora La Virgen del Pilar de
Zamboanga was canonically crowned.

8. Fort Pilar
Shrine

9. Real Fuerza de Nuestra
Señora del Pilar de
Zaragosa
After eating a Satti breakfast
at one of the Satti shops
in Pilar Street, morning
finds us strolling the streets
of Zambaonga City ending
up at the imposing structure
by the Zamboanga Peninsula
Seas, which is the
historical Fort Pilar. This
venerable fort founded in
1635 yet still proudly stands
strong until now, represents
the rich colonial history of
this region of our country.

11. An outdoor Marian shrine
We entered an open gate at the
back of the Fort where an amount
of human traffic can be seen going
in and out of the premise. It was
the entrance to a one of a kind
outdoor shrine holding open air
mass. The mid morning sun was
already beaming its warm light on
this holy ground and walls and also
to the flock of devotees, equipped
with their own umbrellas and sun
shields, who were already on their
feet and queuing towards the altar
for their individual religious ritual
with holy water.

12. Our Lady of the Pilar Shrine
details
At the focal point of the area, and
where the pathways created from
the concrete pews seem to point, is
the miraculous statue of Our Lady
of the Pillar can be found facing
the rising sun. This statue of the
Virgin Mary was said to have
miraculously appeared on a pillar in
Zaragoza, Spain, on October 12,
1492. This paved way to the
Christianization of some of the
Hispanics from the Moros in which
the fort was defending against. On
the same day, the feast day of Our
Lady of the Pillar was declared
and became the city’s Patron Saint.

13. To whom the bell tolls
There is so much history about Zamboanga
City’s Fort Pilar that I didn’t know. I guess
our historians are mostly focused in Manila
and very few Spanish history in the South.
For a region deeply rooted in Islamic
traditions, Zamboanga City is the seat of
Christianization in Mindanao. Under the
Spanish rule, sea expeditions were launched
to fight the Moro Pirates, and at the near end
of the Spanish revolution, it was a
Zamboanga born hero Vicente S.
Alvarez who unseated the mighty ruler ship
of the Spaniards. And around the 1900-1920s
the US government established a short lived
form of government where Zamboanga was
the Seat of the Government. So for a while a
“Republic of Zamboanga” was established.

14. Candles and prayers
Beside the open area
church at the east side of
the Fort, the inner
structure was converted
into a museum,
unfortunately for us, it
was a Sunday and the
museum was closed. So
we just decided to go
around the area and take
pictures and observe the
local folks.

15. Wish upon a burning
candle
On the left of the altar is an
area where you can offer
prayers along with the
burning candles. There were
different colors of candles
which symbolizes in
different meanings. It was
interesting as well that
during prayer, people would
open and close their palms
above the flames for a
while.

16. Religious items sold outside
the church
Outside the walls of the fort,
like most other churches in
the country, have a few stalls
selling some religious items
as well as food. It was really
interesting visiting this
place. If Manila
has Intramuros,
Zamboanga City has Fort
Pilar which isn’t short of
historical and religious
significance as well.

17. Short moment of
Silence

18. Activity
Lightning of Prayers
Coldness and Fear
Irresponsible and Unstable
Anger, Danger and Warning
Envy, Jealousy and Guilt
Seeking for Goodness and Purity