A pilgrimage church built around the centuries-old brown image of Our Lady of Piat, whom people in the province call the Mother of Cagayan. Pope John Paul II raised it to the rank of minor basilica in 1997.
The image came from Macau to Manila in 1604 and reached Piat by way of Nueva Segovia. It is made of papier-mâché, and its dark brown skin gives it a second name, the Black Virgin Mary. A votive light has burned in front of it without a break since the sanctuary opened in 1623. The church stands in Poblacion, Piat, and thousands of devotees come each year. The Sambali Festival runs from 23 to 30 June and leads into the feast on 2 July, when the image is carried in procession.
- Where
- Piat
- Town
- Cagayan
Written by an editor · 22 Sep 2026 · source: Wikipedia, Basilica of Our Lady of Piat