Archdiocese of Palo, Leyte Archbishop John F. Du has issued a decree that marks Nov. 8 of every year in the province as the feast day of the revered Our Lady of Hope of Palo.
Archbishop Du has made a local Marian devotion a fixed annual celebration in the Archdiocese of Palo, said a CBCP News post.
The Church leader issued the decree on Nov. 1 on the Solemnity of All Saints this year,
“This is to increase the devotion to Our Lady of Hope of Palo,” the prelate said as he expressed hope for a deeper devotion to the Marian image. The archbishop also noted the great piety and devotion of the faithful to the Blessed Mother.
Nov. 8 was the day when super typhoon Yolanda struck the region ten years ago, that killed thousands of people and injured thousands more.
Archbishop Du decided to have an image of Our Lady of Hope of Palo crafted in 2014 to immortalize the accounts of typhoon survivors who sought the intercession of the Blessed Mother for help and protection while the super typhoon rages. The weather disturbance was recorded as one of the most powerful tropical cyclones in history.
During Pope Francis’ visit to Leyte in 2015, the Pontiff was gifted with a small statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary made from debris of the Palo Cathedral which was severely damaged by the super typhoon.
Archbishop Du also granted an episcopal coronation of the image of hope for typhoon survivors on Nov. 8 last year.