Among the Dominican Shrines in the Philippines, that of the Our Lady of the Rosary in Santo Domingo in Quezon City rightly deserves first place both for its antiquity and importance. It dates from the 16th century and is located in the national capital. In 1954, a Marian Year, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary's Shrine was declared by the Philippine Hierarchy as the "National Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary".
The image of Our Lady venerated at the Santo Domingo was sculpted at the request of then the acting Governor General of the Philippines Don Luis Perez Dasmarinas. Under the direction of Captain Hernando de los Rios Coronel, a chinese artisan sculpted it. It is fifty-six inches tall. Its head and hands are of ivory. The Holy Child is entirely of ivory. It was carved with such skill that after four hundred years, it still retains its majestic and imposing beauty which commands reverence and devotion before its presence.
For more than a century, the image was enthroned in one of the side altars of Sto. Domingo Church in Intramuros in a niche protected with iron grills. In 1712, Fr. Pedro de Mejorada built in her honor a stately chapel which was an extension of the transept on the right side. It was from this chapel that the image of Our Lady of the Rosary presided over the fortunes of the Philippines for centuries. From this throne, she witnessed the growth and the maintenance of the Catholic Faith in the archipelago.
In 1646, fifteen well-armed Dutch ships arrived in the Philippines. To challenge them, two old galleons which had served as merchant ships along the Pacific routes in the Acapulco trade were speedily alarmed. They easily won over them in five resounding victories with the miraculous help of the Lady of the Rosary to whom the Filipino fighters prayed for help. This has come down in history as the famous victories of La Naval de Manila.
In 1907, the venerable image was canonically crowned in the most solemn rites on the 5th day of October. In the Second World War, the Church of Santo Domingo in Intramuros was bombed and was completely destroyed. The image of the Lady of the Rosary was spared from the catastrophe. The image was housed at the University of Santo Tomas from 1942 to 1954 in which year it was carried in a solemn procession to her new shrine in Sto. Domingo in Quezon City.
The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval is celebrated every the Second Sunday of October. At this same day, the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary holds a procession in what is acknowledged as the "Celebrity of all Catholic Celebrations.
