MICHAEL MEDINA
Editor in chief
JIMENEZ. MISOC—The St. John the Baptist church is set to receive the newly painted oil canvass of the Divine Mercy (DM) image from Iligan City, archidiocesan propagator Edwin Copingco told this paper last week.
The said image was commissioned by Copingco himself and painted by multi-awarded artist Michael Vincent Kaw Hok Uy of the University of the Philippines-Dilliman.
In a huddle with Copingco, he said that effort was initiated for the completion of the DM Shrine located inside the Catholic Church, which is presently also being tidied up for the painting’s arrival early this month.
Copingco would not divulge how much the painting cost was but only said it took him many years for the planning and sourcing for benefactors.
He, however, said the real intent of the painting was for the re-dedication of the DM Shrine this October 5, timed on St. Faustina’s feast.
The so-called DM Shrine is the same pilgrimage site officially named the “Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy” by Archbishop Jesus Dosado.
“I hereby approve that the Divine Mercy Shrine in the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist Parish be the Archdiocesan Shrine in Ozamiz by reason of special devotion to the Divine Mercy frequented by the faithful as pilgrims,” Dosado said in his declaration letter signed June 20, 2008.
Though the declaration letter was just signed recently, Dosado has already, in 2004, emphasized that the shrine is the “Heart of the Archdiocese” although such declaration was not yet promulgated then.
At present, the St. John the Baptist Church observes important dates linked to the DM devotion such as the DM feast last March 30, 2007—the DM Sunday; Oct. 5, 1996—first celebration of the feast day of then Blessed Faustina; April 23, 1995 as the first DM Sunday celebration in Jimenez; Nov. 11, 2002 as the date of arrival of St. Faustina’s relic from Poland and Oct. 5, 2004—when Dosado declared the shrine the official DM site.
In 2002, Copingco brought the relic of St. Faustina Kowalska from Krakow, Poland to Jimenez.
Last August 25, 2005, the parish celebrated the centenary jubilee birth of St. Faustina.
Because of the cordial relations between Jimenez and the Polish state through Copingco’s almost monthly correspondence to the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, the shrine was considered a “Little Poland.”
The church, likewise, was declared a national treasure by the Philippine government.