The Our Lady of the Rosary of Orani, or simply Our Lady of Orani, refers to the reputed Marian apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in both the towns of Orani and Samal in Bataan, as well as the image associated with the event.
The image
The Spanish Dominican friars arrived in the province of Bataan (then known as the Partido de Bataan and considered part of Pampanga) in 1587 and founded the parish of Abucay on June 10, 1588, placing it under the patronage of Domingo de Guzman, the founder of the Order of Preachers or the Dominican Order. As such, Abucay is considered to be the second oldest parish administered by the Dominicans in the Philippines, having been founded immediately after the establishment of the Dominican motherhouse of Sto. Domingo in Manila. The Dominican frailes brought with them the miraculous image of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, a custom followed by the Dominican Order in all of their new missions in keeping with their calling to promote the devotion to the Holy Rosary.
Orani prospered as a town and its population subsequently increased. Alongside this development, the devotion to the Virgin of the Rosary grew so fast that at that time, she was already being called "la Virgen Milagrosa" or the Miraculous Virgin, due to her numerous miracles which drew thousands of pilgrims from nearby provinces such as Bulacan, Pampanga and Zamabales. This exponential growth eventually led to the establishment of Orani as an independent parish or Vicaría on April 21, 1714.
A life-sized image measuring one "estadio" or 1.68 m, the image of the Virgen Milagrosa is a traditional Baroque rendition of the Mother and Child, in particular, that of Our Lady of the Rosary. The statue is made out of wood, fully sculpted in the round, including the clothes, although she is dressed in real vestments donated by her devotees, following a tradition of vesting images of saints in Spain and the New World that continues to this day. The Virgin carries the Child Jesus with her left arm and, instead of the usual rosary in the right arm, she holds a cane or walking stick (bastón) as well as a scepter, while a rosary hangs around her neck. The Christ Child holds a globe in His left hand while extending His right arm in a blessing. Rosaries hang from the necks of both Mother and Child following the way the Spanish Dominican missionaries wore the rosary and following a custom of the faithful in Spain and her colonies at the time, in order to gain special indulgences. She is garbed with a blue mantle that extends from her back and is tucked in her waist and wears a white robe that was originally red but was repainted at a later date. A white veil covers her head in the manner of Jewish women at the time of Jesus.
Considering its large size, the image could be considered rare for that time. Some historians opine that it was intentionally made big to commemorate an important event or milestone, such as the founding of the Dominican mission in Bataan, the first outside Manila for the Dominicans. The size could also indicate that the image was meant to be enshrined at a church altar, hence its dimensions.