La Union gears up for Holy Week with 33 churches ready for pilgrims

La Union province is prepared to welcome thousands of devotees for Holy Week's Visita Iglesia, with 33 churches and chapels ready to accommodate visitors.

Governor Raphaelle Veronica Ortega-David encourages pilgrims to reflect and pray while appreciating the province's rich religious heritage.

Julius Manabat, officer-in-charge of the La Union Provincial Tourism Office, highlighted that these religious sites are significant cultural landmarks representing faith, history, and tradition.

Among the most visited churches is the Saint Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Luna, also known as Namacpacan Church, which houses the Shrine of the Miraculous Lady of Namacpacan, or Apo Baket.

Local devotees believe Apo Baket has a history of performing miracles, including aiding a disabled woman and appearing in a dream of Pope Pius XII, and the church was declared a National Cultural Treasure in 2001.

Another significant Marian Church is the Holy Guardian Angel Parish in Santo Tomas, home to the miraculous image of Nuestra Señora del Mar Cautiva, to whom countless miracles, conversions, healings, and safe childbirths have been attributed since 1845.