The Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos will take over the pastoral care of the Lourdes Grotto in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.
In a statement on July 20, the diocese said it signed an agreement with the heirs of the late Horacio and Anito Guanzon on the pastoral responsibility on the popular pilgrimage site.
“The Diocese of Malolos, together with the children of Horacio and Anita Guanzon, will strive to realize the desire of their parents that the Grotto become a true place of devotion for the Catholic faithful,” the statement read in Filipino.
According to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, the replica of the Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes was established by Anita in 1965 to show gratitude for her healing from cancer in 1961.
When the couple died, the management of the grotto was entrusted to their children, the CBCP said.
Although priest-chaplains were assigned to the site, the CBCP said that the diocese issued a circular in 2004 noting that the grotto was not recognized as an official Catholic pilgrimage site as it remained private property. — DVM, GMA Integrated News
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