BACKGROUND
One of the most visited places in the province is the Parish of the Divine Mercy in Marilao. Archbishop Orlando Quevedo designated it a national shrine in November 2002. An adoration chapel honoring the final vision of Fatima was the first structure built for the church. The chapel blessing was said to have drawn about 5,000 attendees. The first celebration of the Eucharist sacrament took place in the church on February 2, 1992, the day of Mary's Presentation at the Temple. Later that year, work on the main church's construction got underway.
Apart from the immense number of followers who visit the Divine Mercy shrine, the church presents numerous historical, architectural, and religious attractions that draw large crowds of people every year. A life-size replica of the Stations of the Cross can be found in the church's rear installation, The Road to Calvary. The chapel in the church basement, dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe, houses a stone taken from the site of her apparition. And according to many, the water flowing at the foot of the grotto has miraculous healing powers.
There are two other grottos at the shrine where people come to pray for health. If you want to pray while listening to the sound of the falls, the Grotto of the Resurrection is the place to go. Those who would prefer to pray in private are drawn to the Our Lady of Lourdes grotto. The Little Poland Museum is located within the shrine. Three Polish saints' lives are glimpsed by visitors through the exhibits housed within. The chapel where St. Faustina, the founder of the devotion to Divine Mercy, saw her visions of our Lord is depicted in the museum. It also features an eerie recreation of St. Maximillian Kolbe's prison cell. Kolbe was a World War II martyr who was detained, abused, and eventually killed by the Gestapo for providing refuge to fleeing Jews.
The shrine honoring Pope John Paul II, who, incidentally, canonized both St. Faustina and St. Maximillian, may be the museum's most well-liked feature. The display replicates part of the Pope’s childhood home and holds many photos and memorabilia of the life of one of the Philippines’ most beloved pontiffs.