Our Lady of Guadalupe set for coronation July 16

By virtue of a pontifical decree, the Our Lady of Guadalupe de Cebu will be crowned as the principal patroness of the Archdiocese of Cebu on July 16.

The coronation of the Our Lady of Guadalupe de Cebu comes through Pontifical Decree Prot. N552/06/L dated May 9 issued by Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

The canonical coronation will be held around 3:00 p.m. during a Mass to be celebrated by Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal at the Guadalupe Parish Church.

The coronation rites will take place after the homily. There would be thanksgiving and invocation followed by the reading of the Papal Bull authorizing the coronation of the image and the recitation of the Litany of Loreto. A solemn procession of the canonically crowned image will follow around the Parish of Guadalupe.

A canonical coronation is made in the name of the Pope of a highly revered image, icon or painting of the Lord Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary and saints in a country, province, city, parish or archdiocese.

Sacred images of the Lord or the Blessed Virgin Mary or the saints that have become the source of spiritual consolation for the faithful in the parish or diocese are being crowned as the acknowledged patron, protector and advocate of the locality.

July 16 also marked the observance of the 104th anniversary of the salvific event in which the image of the Our Lady of Guadalupe was carried in procession around the city to stop the cholera epidemic.

Novena Masses were already held starting July 7 until the coronation date to be culminated with a dawn procession on the 16th.

The first ever coronation of the image was in 8th century by Pope Gregory III (731-741 A.D.) who donated a golden diadem to crown a holy image of Jesus, Mary and other saints inside the St. Peter's Church in Rome.

There are quite a number of crowned images in the country. The first canonically crowned Marian image in the Philippines was that of the Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval de Manila, enshrined in Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City on October 3, 1907. This was followed by the coronation of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia de Naga in 1924 and of the Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag in 1926.

To have the miraculous image canonically crowned, the parishioners and devotees should discuss with their parish priest their desire to have the image of their patron be crowned.

The major consideration should be the great spiritual favors received through the intercession of the saint. Inexplicable events will also help.

Then the parish priest should document the petition and all the events cited, and present these to the bishop who could conduct an inquiry into the reasons given, and validate the details cited.

Once convinced, the bishop may discuss the matter with the archbishop or he may directly petition the Vatican for the coronation. - Jasmin R. Uy