Circular 2018-9

 
TO BE READ IN ALL MASSES ON APRIL 29, 2018 AFTER POST COMMUNION PRAYER
 
April 26, 2018
 
Circular 2018-9
RE: Canonical Coronation of Mary Help of Christians 
 
My dear people of God:
 
By the grace of God and favor of His Holiness Pope Francis, the image of Mary Help of Christians, venerated in our archdiocesan seminary, has been granted the honor of receiving papal coronation.  This is a clear message of affirmation from the Holy Father that this image of the Mother of God with the Child Jesus has contributed to the growth of the Catholic faith in Pangasinan for the past ninety years. The image was a gift of the then Apostolic Delegate Archbishop Guglielmo Piani to Bishop Cesar Maria Guerrero, the first Bishop of Lingayen. This gift caused the naming of our archdiocesan seminary as Mary Help of Christians Seminary. 
 
This papal decree authorizing the coronation of the image gives the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan the unique honor of having two images canonically crowned, the first image being Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag crowned on April 22, 1926. 
 
The liturgical rites of crowning the venerated image will be held on August 22, 2018 at the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in Dagupan City at nine o’clock in the morning presided by the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Gabriele Caccia. 
 
The next four months leading to the historic ecclesial event will be a period of intense catechesis, acts of piety and works of mercy in honor of Mary Help of Christians. 
 
I call on you our brothers and sisters to consider this blessing as a challenge to love the Lord even more and seek ways to grow in holiness. 
 
Sincerely yours,
 
 
 
+SOCRATES B. VILLEGAS
  Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan