CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The official replica of Our Lady of Hope of Palo, the image used in the historic Papal Mass of Pope Francis in Tacloban is now on display at the Museo Ning Santa Rita de Cascia here and has attracted pilgrims from neighboring provinces and even as far as Metro Manila.
The image is on loan from Presidential Merit Awardee for Ecclesiastical Art Willy Layug, the sculptor of many of the images and icons used in the recent visit of Pope Francis.
The image is a three feet version of the original image and is now on display until October 10. The parish museum here is currently hosting a Marian exhibit of the many iconographies of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Layug had allowed the display of the replica to give Marian devotees a chance to see the image and promote the devotion to Mary under the said title. The image also calls attention to the recent tragedy that struct Leyte and its people.
It could be remembered that Pope Francis visited the country early this year. Pope Francis traveled to Palo, Leyte to comfort survivors of a devastating 2013 typhoon. During the Mass there, the image of our Lady of Hope was first enthroned, a symbolism of the God's grace to the people through Mary.
The original seven feet tall image of Our Lady of Hope of Palo is currently enthroned at the Palo Cathedral. Layug had donated the original image to the Archdiocese of Palo. Layug, who created the image for the Papal mass, said that the image shows the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus. The Child Jesus is seen extending his hand through a cross to three children in the middle of a storm.
"The image is now an object of veneration for the people in Tacloban. It has been named as Our Lady of Palo by the people," said Layug. He said the image represents how faith, and with God's help---the people of the Visayas managed to surpass the calamity that devastated their area.
The replica could be visited anytime in the day.
Museum operators also extend exhibit hours until 8 p.m. to accommodate pilgrims on weekends who come from far-flung locations.