Art by Hans Fontanilla/ THE FLAMETHE IMAGE of Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de la Universidad de Santo Tomás is set to receive an episcopal coronation on Oct. 4 ahead of her feast day, the UST Santisimo Rosario Parish said.
In a decree signed and approved on July 16, Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula said the solemn coronation would serve as the “most fitting honor to the Mother of God” for a University that has always devoted its identity on the image.
“True to the profoundly Marian charism that she inherited from Saint Dominic through the Order of Preachers, the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, the Catholic University of the Philippines, has always been consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary,” the decree read.
The decree said the coronation would recognize the faithful’s longstanding devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario de la Universidad de Santo Tomás, whose image has accompanied generations of Thomasians and devotees in prayer and intercession.
“All these blessings flow from God’s unending grace, unfolding with the silent witness, prayer, and guidance of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, the University’s preeminent Mother and Teacher. Indeed, to us, she is truly the Mahal na Birhen ng Santisimo Rosario – Ina at Guro,” it added.
The image of the University’s patroness has long been a focal point of Marian devotion for Thomasians and pilgrims who seek the Blessed Virgin’s maternal intercession.
The episcopal coronation recognizes the image’s longstanding public veneration, affirming its enduring role in the spiritual life of the Thomasian community. Granted by the local diocesan bishop, the rite formally recognizes Marian images with an established public devotion within the local Church. F
