Supreme Church of the Mystical City of God

Officially registered as an organization in 1952, Suprema de la Iglesia de la Ciudad

Mistica de Dios, Inc. ( Supreme Church of the Mystical City of God) was founded by Maria
Bernarda Balitaan (MBB) in the Tagalog region who was said to have starred her spiritual
mission in the early 1920s. Today, Ciudad Mistica is the biggest Rizalista group located
at the foot of Mt. Banahaw in Barangay Sta. Lucia in Dolores, Quezon with approximately
5,000 members in Sta. Lucia alone. All over Luzon, it has about 100,000 members.
In the history of Ciudad Mistica’s establishment, the group has always been led by a
woman. Its leader is called the Suprema who assumes the responsibilities of assisting
members seeking advice, resolving conflicts among members (including legal conflicts),
and making major decisions in the organization.
The members believe that as a result of endless conflicts among countries in West Asia,
God decided to transfer his “Kingdom” to the Philippines. It explains why there existed
“holy stations/altars” (locally called pwesto) in Mt. Banahaw, which equaivalent to the
nations of the cross of Christ in the Pasyon (Ocampo, 2011).
For the Ciudad Mistica, Jesus Chirst’s work is still unfinished and it will be continued by
Dr. Jose Rizal and the “twelve lights” of the Philippines composed of the nineteenth
century Philippine heroes. These “twelve lights” are said to be the equivalent of Jesus
Christ’s twelve apostles. Their work will be fulfilled by a woman, in the person of MBB, as
can be seen in their hyms (Quibuyen, 1991):
The Virgin Maria Bernarda, a Filipino mother
Dr. Jose Rizal, a Filipino father
Once in a mystery, they came together
And so, emerged this country, the Philippines.
Like the other Rizalista groups, the Ciudad Mistica shares many elements with the
Catholic Church. They hold masses (every Saturday), and have prayers and chants. They
commemorate the birth and death anniversaries of the “twelve lights” with Rizal’s death
(December 30) as the most important celebration. Each commemoration starts with the
raising of the Philippine flag.