SAN Fernando, Pampanga Archbishop Florentino Lavarias on Monday, September 6, 2021, announced that the Archdiocese of San Fernando is set for the 65th anniversary of the canonical coronation of Pampanga's patroness, the Virgen de los Remedios.
The event will be held on September 8, 2021, at 5 a.m. at the Vicariate of the Virgen de los Remedios, San Vicente Ferrer Parish in Barangay Calulut, City of San Fernando.
"We continue responding to the call we have received in baptism and confirmation to be witnesses of the faith we proclaim," Lavarias said.
With the theme, "500 Banuang Casalpantayanan: king Saup ning Cruzada, lalung Mipalalaman at Mipatutuan" (500 Years of Faith: Towards a Deeper and Witnessing Faith through the Crusade), the re-enactment of the canonical coronation and the liturgical celebration will be presided by Archbishop Charles John Brown, D.D., Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines.
The year 2021 is the 65th anniversary of the canonical coronation of the Virgen de los Remedios. It also coincides with the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Christian faith in the Philippines.
Marian title
In the General Calendar of the Church (celebrations of the liturgical year), September 8 is the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Archdiocese of San Fernando, it is also celebrated as the anniversary of the canonical coronation of the Virgen de los Remedios on the same day.
A canonical coronation is a formal recognition of the Pope and the Holy See of the devotion to particular Marian title or image. It is duly expressed in a Papal Decree or (now) a decree from the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments.
Lavarias stressed that since the pandemic is still raging, the coronation rites will, like in 2020, remain private, with only the clergy and select lay on hand. The public can follow the commemoration through the archdiocese's Facebook page.
The annual commemoration of the canonical coronation of the Virgen de los Remedios every September 8 has been celebrated in varying locations. During the early years, towns and parishes would take turns in hosting the Virgen de los Remedios coronation.
Health protocols
In recent years, to accommodate the growing number of attendees, an outdoor gathering in an open area alternated in the cities of Angeles and San Fernando.
In 2020, due to the pandemic, the event was held in a simple celebration at the Mother of Good Counsel Seminary. In 2021, the San Vicente Ferrer Parish was chosen, being the largest in the vicariate in terms of space and would be conducive for health protocols during the pandemic.
After the successful first round of the Cruzada around the province in 1952, a decree was issued to change the name from "Crusade of Charity and Good Will" to "Crusade of Penance and Charity" (Cruzada de Penitencia y Caridad). This was to emphasize the call to penance and conversion.
To accompany the image of the Virgen de los Remedios, an image of the crucified Christ was added to the Cruzada. The added crucifix also emphasized the call for charity as the cross is the greatest expression of God's love for humanity. "Lifted high on the cross, Christ gave his life for us, so much did he love us." (Preface of the Sacred Heart)
The faithful are encouraged to follow the liturgical celebrations online. (JTD)