The Our Lady of Fatima image arrived at Pier 1 in Cebu City from Rome to a warm welcome from Cebu’s Catholic faithful.
As Cebu’s faithful welcomed the arrival of the image of Our Lady of Fatima at Pier 1 of Cebu City at 11 a.m. yesterday, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma called on them to “pray unceasingly and turn away from evil.”
The image, which is on a pilgrimage around Asia to celebrate the centennial of the Marian apparition in Portugal, was blessed by Pope Francis in Rome last January 11.
It was brought in a procession to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral where hundreds of devotees gathered.
The carillon bells at the cathedral pealed while people waved blue and white flaglets, applauded, and cheered “Ave Maria!” to welcome the sacred icon.
Archbishop Palma presided over the welcome Mass at the mother church of the Archdiocese of Cebu.
In his homily, Palma said he was very happy that Cebu was chosen as among the stops of Our Lady of Fatima centennial image. Palma said people should return to God, pray, and make atonement for their own sins.
“This visit of the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fatima is an occasion for us to pray individually and as a community, and to do acts of reparation knowing that we are all sinners and in need of God’s mercy,” Palma said.
On Jan. 11, Pope Francis blessed six Centennial Pilgrim Statues of Our Lady of Fatima at the Vatican before sending them on tour in six continents.
From the Cebu Cathedral, the image will be brought to the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center this morning before it will stay at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.