Mountain of Salvation

I was invited by my Aunt to go to this place located at the top of a mountain. It was called the Mountain of Salvation. When we reached the place, we have to park our car far enough from the venue because there are no parking lots available for those who wants to visit the place. So we just parked our car beside the dirt road. The road was still in progress and it was just dug from the ground.

There are children who would offer to secure your car in exchange for some coins. We walked for more or less 3 minutes from where we parked our car. Because of the dugged up road it is advisable to wear shoes if you don't want your feet to be filled with dust.

The place was secured by a gate and a guard. Upon entering the gate, you will be asked to log in your name for security purposes. There are no fees to be paid upon entering.

The path you will be walking is made from concrete and wood. The side of the pathway is filled with flowering plants. You will be passing by a Pieta statue of Mama Mary and Jesus on your way to the place where they held mass every 8th of the month. In front of this statue, you could also lit your own candle for your petitions and prayers.

People were praying the rosary when we reached the main venue. Few minutes before the mass, people starts arriving and filled the whole place. We prayed another round of the rosary while waiting for the priest.

When the priest arrived, the mass didn't start right away because we are informed that Emma de Guzman just arrived from the US and will be coming to celebrate the mass with us. The celebrating priest was Father Dennis Paez. We are asked to write our petitions and dropped them in the red box located near the altar, whereas the priest told us that the petitions are burned by Emma and offer them to the Lord. While waiting for Emma he decided to tell stories about Emma and her apparitions and how the place was established.

The place was donated by her friend who owns that property of the mountain. Through the apparitions of Mama Mary to Emma de Guzman, they established the place according to the will of Mama Mary. According to Emma de Guzman, Mama Mary wanted the place to be a garden, where people could pray.

Emma arrived after the 3 o'clock prayer and the mass was celebrated right away.

This Mama Mary statue was made according to what Emma saw. According to Emma, Mama Mary didn't want to have Her image there but later on agreed so that people could see and remember Her every time they would visit the place.

After the mass, Emma told a brief story about herself for the first timers and some messages from Mama Mary. Emma de Guzman was a domestic helper in Singapore and Canada when she visited a church in New York, the apparitions started. From then on she established the La Pieta prayer groups here in the Philippines and abroad.

Usually the apparitions happens every September 8, which was the birth date of Mama Mary and December 8, which was the Immaculate Conception. During these dates, the occurrence of the stigmata and the glitters are usually visible.

The Mountain of Salvation is considered as a Holy Ground that is why healing sessions are not done here. They didn't built a chapel there because it was not told by Mama Mary.

There was also a water flowing from the ground where according to Emma, Pope John Paul II appeared and kiss the stone from where it was located.

People are also asking Emma about the message of Mama Mary last December 8, 2009 but she was hesitant to tell the people what it was. She just told the people that Jesus and Mama Mary loved the Philippines so much and that we should pray for one another and for our country.

People believes that the message pertains to the coming of the Lord soon and of the end of the world.

After the talk, people had a chance to greet and take pictures of Emma and we could also get water from the Holy Ground. The water from the Holy Ground was considered a healing water.

The water is located just below the two crosses. People are filling their bottles with the Holy water.

The hut is where the mass was celebrated. Some nuns are present during the celebration and you could also see there people from all walks of life. Lucky are we to have come there because only few people are invited to go there because according to the priest, there are other people who was already given a map but still can't find the way going there.

Mountain of Salvation is open from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM only because there are no lights available in the place. There are comfort rooms and portalets available. Don't forget to bring your jackets, the place is cooler during the afternoons.

Did I mention that the place was surrounded by a fascinating view of the mountains? Love, peace and joy! c",)

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Mountain of Salvation
Calaca, Batulao, Batangas