Culture & Entertainment · Philippines Bureau
UST's Marian Image Receives Papal-Style Episcopal Coronation
The centuries-old image of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary at the University of Santo Tomas was formally crowned in a solemn ecclesiastical ceremony led by Manila's top Catholic prelate. The rite, performed on the feast day of Santisimo Rosario Parish, underscores the religious significance of the revered icon at Asia's oldest extant university.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — The venerable Marian image enshrined at the University of Santo Tomas underwent an episcopal coronation ceremony on Sunday, October 4, marking a significant honor for one of the Philippines' most treasured religious artifacts.
Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula presided over the coronation rite, which took place on the feast day of Santisimo Rosario Parish located within the UST campus. The episcopal coronation—a formal ecclesiastical recognition of a sacred image's spiritual importance—reflects the deep devotional tradition surrounding the centuries-old representation of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary.
The University of Santo Tomas, established in 1611, holds the distinction of being Asia's oldest existing Catholic university. The Marian image has long served as a focal point of spiritual life for the university community and Filipino Catholics seeking intercession through the rosary devotion.
The coronation ceremony represents a formal declaration of the image's canonical veneration within the Philippine Catholic Church hierarchy, affirming its role in the religious and cultural heritage of the nation's faith community.