Going to Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag Via TPLEX

The Church of our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag is a popular destination for the religious especially to the devotees of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.  Some people come over to also ask for guidance in their travels and I was one of them.  I was leaving for Cebu to spend a weekend before the beaches of Bantayan Island would become crowded, as you know, Summer 2017 was approaching and my companions would not hear going to Cebu without visiting the dear Lady.

And what a time to visit the church of Manaoag as it was named a basilica minore by no less than Pope Francis, just three months before he would come to the Philippines to see the Yolanda victims and the people in Pangasinan are just so overjoyed and proud.  What happens to a church when it is declared a basilica minore?

In 2014, construction of the Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union Expressway (TPLEX for short) was finished. Because of this, traveling to the north part of Luzon, became fast and easy, with the smooth highway and all, the ride was no longer bumpy, dusty, and inconvenient.   The exit from Binalonan-Dagupan Highway, makes going to the pilgrimage site of Our Lady of Manaoag only a short 15-minute ride.  This quicker route will surely bring lots of pilgrims to this sacred Catholic site.    

I have often wondered why there is a basilica minore and there is an ordinary church and there are basilica major and what could be the distinctions among them?  What honor or privileges does a basilica major have?  What honor or privileges does a basilica minore have?

So I did a little research, when a church becomes a basilica minore, there is a slight distinction to it but not necessarily privileges merely to show that the church has precedence over others.   It is just giving it an honorific title to these churches by the Vatican.  The church also is afforded some privileges to possess sacred symbols like the tintinnabulum and the papillo and also the cappa magna which is worn by secular volunteers in assisting during liturgical work.

Many prayers have been granted by the Virgin to those who ask for her help.  One of which is my cousin's prayer that he passes his license in his seamanship.  It was granted by the Virgin.  I now am witness to Her power.