A phenomenological inquiry on the devotees of the miraculous image of San Agustin De Tanza, Philippines

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this paper is to have profound insights on the lived experiences of one of the popular devotions in Cavite, Philippines, which can help clarify some misunderstanding between the Church officials and the churchgoers.Method: Phenomenological approach is used in this study to describe, interpret and reflect on the devotees lived experiences in relation to the miraculous image of San Agustin, which could give significance to our Catholic spirituality. To arrive at an inter-subjective and in-depth examination of the said phenomenon, the current research has used the recommendation of Creswell (1998) of long interviews with six interviewees. Also, raw experiences have been used as material for data analysis and used audio-recording with permission from interviewees.Findings: This study found out that the devotees’ devotion to the miraculous image of San Agustin de Tanza is entirely their own God experience. According to Pieris (2007), this phenomenon is cosmic religiosity, which is not a form of idolatry and animism.Implications/Novel Contribution: This study brings some light to the challenges that the church faces nowadays, like a growing number of churchgoers who are inactive in the church activities, which facilitates a healthy and creative relationship between the churchgoers and the Church officials. Eventually, this study could facilitate a healthy and creative relationship between the laity and the clergy.