Blessed Virgin of Cotta

Virgin of Cotta Mahal na Birhen sa Cotta
Original Image of Birhen sa Cotta
Location	Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental,  Philippines
Date	1756
Type	Wood Statue
Shrine	Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Ozamiz City
Patronage	Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental
Attributes	Brown robes being blown by the wind, 3 angels, a crescent moon, a serpent underfoot biting a fruit
Feast day	July 16; December 8

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and of the Triumph of the Cross of Panguil Bay (Spanish: Nuestra Señora dela Inmaculada Concepción y del Triunfo de la Cruz de Migpangi), also known as the Virgin of Cotta and The Blessed Virgin of Cotta (Cebuano: Birhen sa Cotta) is a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated at the Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental in the Philippines and is the patroness of Ozamiz City.^[1] The image was named after the fort Fuerte dela Concepcion y del Triunfo of Panguil Bay where it was originally kept.

Description[]

The wooden image shows the Virgin Mary standing on a cloud. The image shows Mary wearing brown and white robes, which is carved as if being blown by the wind, a crown, and a scapular. At her foot are 3 angels, a crescent moon, and a serpent under her feet biting a fruit. Upon the image's return, it was approximately 222 years old.

History[]

The image in the old church

The image was brought to Ozamiz sometime in 1756 after the fort was built. The fort was built in 1756 by Father Jose Ducos, SJ, to serve as an outpost of Spanish suzerainty in Muslim Mindanao. Soon after, Father Ducos placed the fort and the town that grew around it under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception. A special chapel was built inside the walls of the fort and the image of the Virgin, in the pink and blue attire, was enshrined in the said chapel. Outside the fort on the wall facing the bay was also a carved bas relief image of the Virgin that dates back to 1758, and is still being venerated by devotees today. The relief image wears pink and blue dress and she stands on a crescent moon with three angels and hovering in a cloud. A crown and the Holy Spirit can be seen above the Virgin.

Sometime between 1875 and 1884, fray Jorge Carcabilla, a Spanish priest that was assigned in Misamis at the time, moved the statue to the parish church (now the Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral of Ozamiz) as the chapel and the image was not properly taken care of.^[2] From that time, the image was kept on the side of the altar of the church, and was encased in a crystal urn. Its feast customarily observed on July 16, which was also the feast day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Because of that, the image was erroneously taken for that of the Lady of Mt. Carmel and was soon repainted to conform to the brown habit of the Carmel image, hence the scapular. In 1954, the image participated in the Marian Congress in Manila.

In 1955, an earthquake occurred which caused the destruction of the church. Among the rubble was the Virgin, which was intact. Because of this, the devotees considered this as a miracle of the image. When the new cathedral was built, the miraculous image was placed on the right side of the altar.

Disappearance[]

In 1975, the image was sacrilegiously stolen from the cathedral. Despite multiple efforts from religious organizations, provincial and city officials, and concerned citizens, the image was no where to be found for many years. Many residents stated that upon the disappearance of the Virgin, calamities began to disturb the peaceful city. While the original statue was missing during that time, the archdiocese commissioned a replica and placed it in front of the cathedral on July 1993. The replica and the old bas-relief image at the fort became the focal points of the devotion to Nuestra Señora del Triunfo de la Cruz for the meantime.

The Image's Reappearance[]

The image in the exhibit

After 42 years, the image of the Virgin was discovered in the Nonesuch Antique Fair in Makati City sometime on late October 2017. The image was found in looming condition, with its paint peeling off, most notably on the face and hands, and crack marks can be seen. The image at the time was under the custody of an antique dealer named Jose Vicente Esposo in Metro Manila. He stated that he acquired the image from a deceased antique dealer and he was soon enthralled with her beauty. After finding out about the image's origins through thorough research, he pledged to restore the image and return it back to Ozamiz.

The Image's Return[]

On December 8, 2017, the image was returned to Ozamiz, just in time for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.^[3][4] A procession was soon held that started at the Ozamiz Airport. The image was first taken to the fort where a mass was held. Soon after, the image was taken to the city's cathedral, where a Thanksgiving Mass and the formal turnover of the image to the Archdiocese of Ozamiz took place. The image was later enthroned on a glass case in the middle of the altar for public veneration.

Gallery[]

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  A portrait of the image before its disappearance

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  A picture of the image during the Marian Congress 1954

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  Ditto

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  The image when it was initially found in 2017

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  The image's arrival at the cathedral

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  The image during the Thanksgiving Mass

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  The image on the altar

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  The Birhen sa Cotta Relief

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  A board in Cotta Shrine telling the image's history

References[]

External links[]

• Philippines Tour Guide