Guest Post: Our Lady of La Leche Shows the Way

Last month was the Feast of Our Lady of La Leche.  One of the Batch 3 LATCH Peer Counselors, Bianca Gutierrez became involved with the movement just as she was undergoing her training.   Since then, she has been quite active in the movement and in fact has organized another activity - "The Mother's Way," A Pilgrimage by Mothers and Mothers-to-Be held last 10 December 2011.  Her story on how she became involved in the movement is inspiring and it also paved the way for her to decide to proceed with the LATCH training and become a full-fledged peer counselor.  Read on.

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Good afternoon brothers and sisters, and fellow mothers, believers of Our Lady of La Leche, Nuestra Senora de La Leche Y Buen Parto.

My name is Bianca Atienza-Gutierrez. I am a wife to my husband Aaron and a mom to my 15-month old son, Christopher. I am also managing a full-time career at a multinational corporation, in which I head the parenting club, a consultant for MAPECON pest control, and in training to become a certified lactation counsellor with LATCH. I am a working, breastfeeding mom.

Why am I speaking in front of you today? It is because Our Lady of La Leche asked me to tell you the story of how I met her.

PSA: "The Mother's Way", a Pilgrimage of Mothers and Mothers-to-Be

from http://www.art-breastfeeding.com

The Our Lady of La Leche Movement invites you to pay tribute to Our Lady of La Leche Y Buen Parto (Our Lady of Milk and Safe Delivery), Patroness of Mothers and Mothers-to-Be.

We call especially on all:
Pregnant Moms to pray for safe delivery
New and Breastfeeding Moms as thanksgiving and to pray for strength
Those Trying to Conceive to pray for the gift of a child

Spouses/Family/Friends/Support System are welcome!

Pilgrimage tour is on December 10, 2011, Saturday, and starts at 7am with a mass at St. Francis Church in Mandaluyong (near Shangrila Edsa). We will takeoff right after the mass. We will be visiting several locations in Metro Manila that have the image of Our Lady of La Leche, including the original antique image whose age is undetermined. We will end back at St Francis at around 1pm.

To cover transportation, snacks and lunch, pilgrimage free is P900. Any proceeds will be used to donate images of Our Lady of La Leche to more churches and hospitals.

We will be having a physician and lactation counsellor on board for free consultations.

Don't miss this chance to ask for Our Lady's intercession, and to make her known
to other mothers. Slots are limited, so please send a personal message to Bianca
Atienza-Gutierrez to make reservations.

Our Lady of La Leche

October is the month of the feast day of Our Lady of La Leche.  I first heard about Our Lady of La Leche when it was featured in the Inquirer two years ago.  I haven't exactly become a devotee but have become more aware of her because of her connection with breastfeeding.  Also, fellow advocate Claire (and Batch 3 peer counselor trainee) is quite active in identifying where the various images are enshrined.  In fact, she has collected several photographs of Our Lady which I'm sharing with her permission below:

Breastfeeding and Catholicism

Our Lady of La Leche from inquirer.net

In today's Philippine Daily Inquirer, there is an article about the Vatican approving breastfeeding photos or images of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. In a predominantly Catholic country, having the Vatican's support breastfeeding is a major step towards establishing breastfeeding as an infant-feeding norm. In 2008, it was reported that the Vatican wanted more "“artistic and spiritual rehabilitation” of 'loving and tender images' of Mary breast-feeding."

In the Philippines, the group of Dr. Elvira Esguerra and Ms. Nona Andaya-Castillo has "commissioned the creation of a sculpture showing a full-breasted Virgin Mary in the act of feeding the Baby Jesus. The sculpture is expected to be completed next year and will show a 'humanized' Mary looking lovingly at the Baby Jesus as she feeds him, in the proper, 'full latch' breastfeeding position."

Interestingly, as early as 2000, there has been a group of Marian devotees who organized the Our Lady of La Leche Movement in the Philippines. I'm not quite sure where the image is housed and there doesn't seem to be any updates to their website. Still, it is heartening to read about the increasing acceptance of breastfeeding in the Philippines and to know about the support that various sectors have accorded it. Thanks to Claire for the article heads-up!