A full-scale replica of the House of the Virgin Mary, one of Türkiye’s most significant Christian pilgrimage sites near the ancient city of Ephesus in the western province of İzmir, is attracting Catholic devotees in the Philippines, bringing the revered shrine closer to believers in Asia’s largest Catholic nation.
Opened in 2024 in the town of Alfonso, about 70 kilometers south of Manila, the 67-square-meter replica faithfully reproduces the dimensions, appearance and stonework of the original site in Türkiye, where Catholic tradition holds that Mary, the mother of Jesus, spent her final years under the care of the Apostle John after the crucifixion.
The project was spearheaded by Father Dennis Paez, who envisioned the replica as a place of refuge where visitors could find comfort regardless of their background. Built over 10 months with the help of workers from different faiths, the shrine has already begun hosting pilgrimages and religious celebrations, including festivities marking the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Nearly 80 percent of the Philippines’ roughly 113 million people identify as Catholic, and devotion to the Virgin Mary has long been a defining feature of the country’s religious life. Marian processions, shrines and icons are common across the archipelago, reflecting a tradition dating back to Spanish colonial rule in the 16th century.
Religious historian Michael Delos Reyes said devotion to Mary has also played a symbolic role during major moments in Philippine history, including the 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled President Ferdinand Marcos and the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, when many believers sought hope through prayer.
Inside the replica, donated Marian icons line the walls, while a statue modeled after the one in Türkiye stands at the center alongside a relic believed to have come from Mary’s veil. Although the shrine has received little publicity since opening, Father Paez said pilgrims continue to arrive, convinced they are being drawn by the Virgin Mary herself rather than by promotion.
