Canonical coronation of Our Lady of Mercy requested.

(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Byline: Josephine Darang

DR. ALVIN Balatbat, pediatric hematologist oncologist of Candaba, Pampanga, said the Our Lady of Mercy Parish in barrio Bahay Pare was working for the canonical coronation of their patroness, Our Lady of Mercy. Request has been sent to Archbishop Ponciano Aniceto of the Diocese of San Fernando who will, in turn, submit it to the Papal Nuncio who will send it to the Vatican for approval.

Attached to the request are testimonies of miracles collated by James Mananghaya, a newspaper correspondent who experienced a miracle himself when he covered a military encounter with the New People's Army years back. He survived after praying to the Our Lady of Mercy.

Lahar 'skips' Candaba

When Our Lady appeared to St. Peter Nolasco on Aug. 2, 1218, she promised the redemption of Christian captives held by the Muslims. When Mt. Pinatubo erupted in June 1991 the people of Bahay Pare in Candaba were spared from the flowing lahar.

Mananghaya writes: During this eruption, the entire province of Pampanga, except this town, was covered with pyroclastic materials. A state of calamity was declared by the government. Hundreds of thousands of families were left homeless, especially Aeta communities living along the slopes of Mount Pinatubo. Surprisingly, there was nary an incident of heavy ash fall in Bahay Pare when, in fact, the pyroclastic materials reportedly reached not only some parts of nearby provinces but also Taiwan. This miracle was attributed to the Our Lady of Mercy.