Maria Virginia Teruel y Leonzon was born on December 30, 1922 in Hermosa, Bataan. Her parents, philanthropist Don Pacifico Leonzon and Doña Timotea Peñaflor – both belong to the wealthy clan of Bataan.
Orphaned by her father who succumbed when Maria Virginia was only one-year old, her youthful mother entrusted her care to Aunt Lelang. Maria Virginia grew up to be an obedient and pious child; nurtured by her family in the Catholic faith.
Even at her teens, Maria Virginia wished to be nun, a dream supported by Hermosa Parish Priest. Rev. Fr. Calilung. But her mother, who took care of her after Aunt Lelang’s death, objected. Doña Timotea arranged for her marriage with Retired Colonel Jose Benedicto Teruel, a man she did not even meet. But, being an obedient daughter, who considers her parents as appointed by God, gave in to the wish of her mother. They were married and begot seven (7) sons and two (2) daughters: Jose Benjamin, Teodoro, Virgilio, Pacifico, Florentino, Antonio, Nenita, Mariza, and Manuel.
But Maria Virginia sacrificed a lot from her husband Jose’s uncontrollable mining ventures. Their fortunes, mainly from her inheritance lost to thin air. Yet, the strong-willed woman whose faith in God and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary sustained her. She continued her charitable work, a legacy left to her by Don Pacifico. She put up the Don Pacifico Leonzon Vocational School Foundation, where young people especially women, were taught employable and livelihood skills. She also established the College of the Holy Trinity, offering from elementary to college education, and where majority of students were enrolled on scholarship; meaning without paying the required tuition fee.
Aware of the need to ensure the strong moral and spiritual foundation in building Christian Faith, she organized the Holy Spirit Apostolic Catholic Cursillo Foundation. The Cursillo Movement, where Catholic faith and strong devotion to the Holy Spirit were the central focus, gained more men and women to the fold of the First International Sacrifice Valley Kilusang Katoliko, Inc. (FISVKKI), which she also organized.
More devotees trooped to Sacrifice Valley and more faithful allowed themselves to be sealed with the name of the angels, saints and holy men and women, as the Holy Spirit blessed Maria Virginia with gifts of healing and prophecy. The Holy Spirit used her as instrument to miraculously heal the sick, make the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, and the blind to see. Even those suffering from abnormalities brought by the evil spirits were exorcised and relieved. In all these healing and counseling sessions, “Mama”, as she is fondly called, saw to it that all those who visit her, especially those who came from far away provinces, are fed and sheltered well. Many of them even decided to stay in Sacrifice Valley and put up their homes in the lots given almost for free by their kind “Mama”. Testimonies by recipients of healing, transformation, and kindness convinced more souls to attend ‘comprohan’- the all-day/ all-night preparatory session prior to the ‘ganapan’ where the name of a saint or holy man/ woman- who shall be the ‘gabay’ is sealed to the deserving convert, and henceforth be addressed as “Apo”.
She was able to foretell fortunes or misfortunes that may befall on those who sought her counsel. And always, she emphasized that repentance of sins, acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord; devotion to the Triune God manifested by the miracles of the Holy Spirit, and sanctification as exemplified by the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints could bring the Merciful Grace of the Almighty.
Miracles of the Holy Spirit –who earlier appeared before her son, Seminarian Florentino L. Teruel inside the compound of the San Jose Major Seminary in Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City and introduced Himself as ‘Mahal na Ingkong’ and the conversion power of the Cursillo Movement, spread throughout the Philippines and abroad. Maria Virginia surged on and held the annual International Block Rosary Convention featuring novenas to the Immaculate Conception and Grand Procession and Holy Mass at the Luneta Grand Stand, Rizal Park, Manila every second week of December. During these big events, all Apo’s – meaning those who were sealed with the holy name, government officials, celebrities, and even leaders of the Inter-faith Sector attended.
In 1992, Maria Virginia got herself a strong partner in her Apostolic Catholic Crusade, when the Holy Spirit, which was hence dearly referred to as ‘Mahal na Ingkong’, caused the establishment of the congregation of the Order of the Missionaries of Holy Spirit (OMHS), headed by her son, + John Florentino Teruel, PP.,PhD. the Patriarch and Founding Bishop of the Apostolic Catholic Church. St. John the Baptist Seminary was also established the same year, and the organization of the OMHS Sisters the following year. The putting up of the Our Lady of Lourdes Formation House was a dream fulfilled for Maria Virginia, who was already referred to as the “Luklukan ng Mahal na Ingkong” (Vessel of the Holy Spirit).
Realizing that these efforts in proclaiming peoples’ need for God, her call for their repentance and acceptance of Christ as Lord, and her invitation to one and all to seek the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, were not enough, that the “Luklukan ng Mahal na Ingkong” inspired the construction of the “Stations of the Cross” in the Calvary Hill of Sacrifice Valley. These concrete structures vividly portray the suffering of the Savior from the Roman soldiers and enemies, the sacrifices of the grieving Blessed Mother, and the role His Apostles and believers played. With the replicas, the devotees and the faithful were provided, especially during the Holy Week observance, a moving story, with them also interacting, in the story of the passion of Christ and how He gave up His earthly body for the sins of mankind.
On July 30, 2000, upon the prodding and inspiration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in a 5- hectare land, the “Nature’s Basilica” was miraculously built in only two months time. The Basilica which houses 17 giant replicas of the Blessed Mother of Christ’ appearances before holy men and women in different places in several countries, was inaugurated with solemnity. “Nature’s Basilica” included the magnificent images of the Child Jesus- “Senor Noemi”, the imposing monument of the Almighty Father, the portrayal of Jesus in the Garden of Getsemane, and the statues of the archangels guarding each sets of the images of the Blessed Virgin sheltered in a huge mausoleum-like dome. The construction of these massive structures around the mountain slopes by volunteer workers, is a miracle in itself! The “Nature’s Basilica” has since become an attraction to local and foreign tourists and a traditional haven for solemn prayer and devotion for the faithful, who consider the walk to the many steps in the whole Nature’s Basilica, their act of penitence and veneration to the Immaculate Lady. The local government of Bataan recognized this fact and its potential for the tourism development in the area that the Provincial Board declared Sacrifice Valley as its “Pilgrimage Capital”.
All these achievements further inspired the “Luklukan ng Mahal na Ingkong” not to rest in her “glories”, which she all attributed to the Almighty name of the Holy Spirit. Resting for the building of God’s Kingdom, is not in her vocabulary, even as she herself was already suffering from the debilitating kidney disease. She was heard often saying, especially after she met a fatal car accident: “My bones may be pulverized and my whole body may be disabled, but my commitment to serve Mahal na Ingkong could never diminish. Said deadly car accident even strengthened her faith in Mahal na Ingkong, believing that it was Him who saved her. Indeed, what ordinary people thought to be misfortunes, Maria Virginia considered them reasons for her to render more service to God. Such positive outlook and humility are the marks of holy men and women of God.
Earlier, on April 17, 1996, during the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, the Apostolic Catholic Church, presided by His Holiness, Patriarch John Florentino Teruel, beatified and canonized Maria Virginia as a ”Living Saint”, in obedience to the wishes and instruction of the Holy Spirit- ‘ang Mahal na Ingkong’, and in recognition of her holiness and obedience as “Luklukan ng Mahal na Ingkong”. She had been recognized as the “Living Saint”, not only by those who worked with her, by those who were blessed with healings and transformation by the Holy Spirit, who used her, but also by the saints and angels, who in several instances made manifest their recognition and support of her holy endeavors.
Sta. Maria Virginia joined our Lord God and Savior and the Blessed Virgin Mary, the angels, and the saints on May 14, 2005. As she held her last breath, she admonished the clergies and the religious Sisters of the OMHS-ACC and the Apos to help the Patriarch as the Divine Servitude of Mahal na Ingkong, and to support the One and Only Church she honorably built and recognized- the Apostolic Catholic Church. In her Last Will and Testament, Sta. Maria Virginia freely disposed her sacred body to the Rites of the said Holy Church- the ACC. She thanked the Lord for the Grace of Serving Him and wished for her children and co-workers for God’s Kingdom to cherish and to continue her legacy – devotion to Mama Mary and strong faith in the Holy Spirit- ‘ang Mahal na Ingkong’, who is ever-present and helpful to those who are faithful to Him.
