Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani Jr. presides over a mass to celebrate the coming of the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fatima, Portugal to the Archdiocese of Manila, September 18, at the San Fernando De Dilao Parish, Manila.
MANILA, Sept. 18, 2013—Since its arrival in the Archdiocese of Manila yesterday, thousands of the Filipino faithful have arrived in droves to see and venerate the international pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fatima from Portugal.
To love Mary as a model of faith
“The visit of the International Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of Fatima fills us with joy as we draw nearer to the close of the Year of Faith, a period of grace for our Church,” Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said in a letter addressed to the archdiocese on the image’s visit.
The image of Our Lady of Fatima, which will be visiting 41 dioceses all over the Philippines until December 18, 2013, is also a means for the faithful to reflect on and love Mary as “a model of faith and virtue,” Tagle explained.
Encouraging the faithful to participate in the visit’s activities, Tagle also hoped that the pilgrim image will move devotees and pilgrims to “to recognize her special role in the mystery of salvation.”
Timely visit
The timeliness of Our Lady of Fatima’s visit to the Philippines is not lost on some.
Nursery students of the Paco Catholic School also get a chance to show their devotion to Our Lady of Fatima after a mass at the Paco Church this morning.
According to Bishop Emeritus of Novaliches Teodoro Bacani, who celebrated a holy mass for the vicariates of St. Joseph the Worker, San Felipe Neri and Nuestra Señora De Guia this morning at the San Fernando De Dilao parish, “Our Lady of Fatima is with us at the time when we most need to hear her call for peace.”
Enumerating the highly precarious situation of Syria, the ongoing tension between Israel and Palestine, as well the country’s own territory disputes with China, not to mention rebel uprisings in the South, Bacani said the world needs the Fatima message of peace through prayer and repentance more than ever.
On September 17, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, celebrated a holy mass as part of welcoming ceremonies to greet Our Lady of Fatima also at the San Fernando De Dilao parish, the temporary official church of the archdiocese.
The image was also taken to several public and private schools, as well as religious communities and congregations in the Archdiocese of Manila.
Vicariates in full force
The vicariates of San Fernando De Dilao, Holy Family and Our Lady of Loreto came in full force for the 9 a.m. mass., while another mass at 6.30 p.m. was celebrated by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Bernardino Cortez for the vicariates of Espiritu Santo, San Jose De Trozo and Santo Niño.
At around 8 p.m. yesterday, the youth choirs of San Fernando De Dilao parish organized a Marian Concert to celebrate the coming of Our Lady’s image which came in direct from the Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima, Portugal.
Kalookan Bishop Deogracias S. Iñiguez, Jr. is set to celebrate another mass on Sept. 18 at 6.30 p.m. also at San Fernando De Dilao parish, more famously known as Paco Church.
Young people will have a vigil with the image of Our Lady of Fatima in the form of Taizé prayer at 8 p.m. on Sept. 18 also at the same parish.
To close the image’s visit to the archdiocese, Manila Archbishop Emeritus Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales will celebrate a farewell mass for Our Lady on September 19, at 7 a.m. before a motorcade brings the image to the Diocese of Parañaque.
For more information on the itinerary and schedules of the international pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fatima, visit https://www.facebook.com/IPVS2013Philippines [Nirva’ana Ella Delacruz]
