Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de Cardona also known as La Virgen de Sapao has been granted Pontifical Coronation by Pope Francis, it was announced by the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Cardona, Rizal.
Cardona Shrine Rector Fr. Bienvenido Guevara made the announcement of the Pontifical Coronation of their patroness during a recent mass celebrating the “Siete Dia” devotion, which is the special day of devotion in honor of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Cardona, traditionally held at the shrine every seventh day of the month.
Fr. Guevara said, the decree, the petition for the Pontifical Coronation of Cardona’s patroness was sent in November 2021 and was accepted by the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments.
The dicastery issued the decree on Jan. 12, 2022 and was sent to Antipolo Bishop Francisco de Leon.
The announcement coincides with the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Cardona parish, which has been dedicated to Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary since 1872.
The devotion to La Virgen de Sapao is widely observed, especially in eastern Rizal.
The Cardona church was elevated to diocesan shrine status by Bishop De Leon on October 1, 2017. The revered image was granted an episcopal coronation by De Leon on September 27, 2018.
La Virgen de Sapao is the fifth Marian image to be granted a Pontifical Coronation in the Diocese of Antipolo. The Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje (Antipolo City), Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados de Marikina (Marikina City), Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu (San Mateo, Rizal), and, Nuestra Señora de la Luz (Cainta, Rizal) have earlier been granted the distinction.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said, the Antipolo diocese now has the second most number of Pontifically crowned Marian images in the country after the Archdiocese of Manila that has seven Pontifically crowned Marian images.