ORANI, Bataan — The representative of the Pope in the Philippines on Tuesday asked the faithful devoted to the Virgin Mary to have one heart, one mind and to be generous especially to the less fortunate.
Papal Nuncio Archbishop Charles John Brown celebrated a late afternoon Holy Mass at the Minor Basilica and Diocesan Shrine Parish of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary here during the 64th anniversary of the canonical coronation of Virgen Milagrosa de Orani.
In his homily, Brown explained that for every coronation the church partakes in the country or the re-enactment of the coronation like what they did in Orani was one way of participating in the 5th Glorious Mystery of the Holy Rosary.
The nuncio, Bataan Bishop Ruperto Santos, and parish priest Fr. Abraham Pantig re-enacted the crowning of the image of Virgen Milagrosa de Orani with the Child Jesus.
Brown said that Orani is a place where people love the Virgin Mary. “We ask the people who love Mary to sow love, the people who love Mary to have one heart, one mind, sharing with one another, sharing especially to the less fortunate than we are. Be generous to those from the marginalized, to those who are in poverty.”
He asked the faithful to be generous, kind, merciful with those less fortunate and “be a pueblo with people loving one another like Mary, Joseph and Jesus.”
Brown said Pope Francis was sending his affection on the celebration. “The Pope always asks me to ask you to pray for him.”
Bishop Santos told the nuncio to consider the diocese as his home.
“On behalf of our clergy and the religious, our dedicated government officials, we open and offer to his excellency our diocese. We give you our hearts. We are grateful for your presence, we share you our grateful hearts,” the Bataan prelate said.
“We share you our hearts as we open our home and this is your house with our grateful heart,” Santos told other visitors.
The Orani Church formerly known as Most Holy Rosary Church or Nuestra Senora del Rosario Parish Church is now Minor Basilica and Diocesan Shrine Parish of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary after Pope Francis declared it as a minor basilica, the first in Bataan, on Sept. 10, 2019.
It has its own museum that houses different Images of the Virgin Mary, clothes and crowns worn. It is under the upkeep of members of the Confradia ng Birhen Milagrosa ng Orani.
It was like a town feast with a band playing before and after the Holy Mass.
Gov. Jose Enrique Garcia III, 1st District Rep. Geraldine Roman, Orani Mayor Efren Pascual, Jr., provincial board member Tony Roman and other Bataan officials were present.
The Orani mayor met the papal nuncio at the boundary and the two rode on an open vehicle to the church.
