THE Metropolitan Archbishop of Palo, His Grace the Most Reverend John F. Du, D.D., has granted the venerable image of the Our Lady of Hope of Palo the honor of an episcopal coronation that will take place on November 8 on the occasion of the 9th anniversary of the devastation of Super Typhoon Haiyan.
Our Lady of Hope of Palo, the image used in the historic Papal Mass of Pope Francis in Tacloban, was made by presidential merit awardee for ecclesiastical art Wilfredo Layug.
Layug is a Kapampangan artist who also made several religious images used in the 2015 Papal Visit of Pope Francis.
An Episcopal Coronation is made by the local Bishop or Archbishop of the local Diocese (or Archdiocese), duly expressed in through a Decree of Coronation issued by the local diocesan Chancery where it recognizes the cultus of a Marian Image under a specific title being venerated in a certain locality.
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 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.
Pope Francis, who visited the country in 2015, 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 symbol of God's grace to the people through Mary.