The Mother of All Asia

In the Philippines, the soon-to-be tallest statue of the Virgin Mary in the world is about to be ready. Almost 100m (315ft) high, the statue is expected to be concluded in 2021, marking the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines.

Designed by the renowned (and recently deceased) constructivist Filipino sculptor Eduardo De Los Santos Castrillo, the Marian monument-sculpture-shrine of The Mother of All Asia, also called “The Tower of Peace,” is located at the Montemaría (literally, “Mary’s Mount”) Pilgrimage Site in Batangas City, in the Philippines.

Expected to be concluded in 2021 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines, The Mother of All Asia will then be the tallest statue of the Virgin Mary in the world, a position now occupied by the Venezuelan 153-ft-tall “Our Lady of Peace” statue, which was built in 1983.

The Montemaría Pilgrimage site’s centerpiece, this image of the Virgin Mary is dedicated to the unity and peace of all peoples and countries in South Asia. With a floor area of around 130,000 square ft, the monument will house a Saint John Paul II shrine, 12 Marian chapels on the third floor, a food hall on the fourth, mini theaters and conference rooms, and will be crowned with a viewing deck on the 17th floor.

Adapted from: Aleteia