The Vatican has granted a pontifical coronation of the venerated image of the Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados de Muntinlupa (Our Lady of the Abandoned), the Queen and Patroness of Muntinlupa City.
The Our Lady of the Abandoned Parish announced the news on Facebook Friday, July 29.
"The people of Muntinlupa especially the devotees of Our Lady of the Abandoned are delighted to receive the good news," CBCP News quoted Fr. Jonathan Cadiz, the Shrine Rector.
“I am looking forward to the further deepening of the people’s devotion to Our Lady and growth in charity for the least, the last and the lost in our society,” he added.
CBCP News said the decree from the Dicastery on Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments dated July 8, 2022 indicating the grant of canonical coronation was received by the shrine Friday.
The 40-inch wooden image with heads and hands of ivory has been venerated in the church with the local title “Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados de Muntinlupa”.
The parish church was declared an archdiocesan shrine in 1997 and was formally adopted as a diocesan shrine in 2003 when the Diocese of Parañaque was canonically established.
During the 150th anniversary of the parish in 2013, the title Our Lady of the Abandoned was declared as the “Principal Patroness of Muntinlupa City."
The Diocese of Parañaque now has three pontifically crowned images. The other two are Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso and Mary Help of Christians.
No date has been set yet for the coronation rites.