Our Lady of Triumph

You may have heard about the Fort Santiago (Cotta Fort and Shrine) in Ozamiz City. Every 16^th of July, my family always goes to the Cotta shrine and attends the mass. It’s to celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Triumph. Inside the chapel and outside Fort Santiago, on the wall facing the bay is an image of the Virgin Mary in the pink and blue attire. The image on the Cotta’s wall is believed to be miraculously growing and has been the object of pilgrimage of devotees.

Legend tells of the miraculous intercessions of the Virgin during the Muslim raids to which the fort was often subjected. Oftentimes the fort was undermanned due to its distance from the main Spanish garrisons and the infrequent visits of the armada whose principal anchorage in the south was Cebu. But the fort had always withstood even the fiercest Muslim attacks, a feat which they could attribute only to the Blessed Mother's intercession.

So every now and then, people pray for her and celebrate her feast day. I too believed in the miracles of our Blessed Mary and knows that she's always protecting us every time.