The Diocese of Imus will soon celebrate the canonical coronation of the revered image of Our Lady of Fatima de Binakayan, marking it as a significant milestone in local Marian devotion. Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista announced on Thursday that Pope Francis, through the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, has officially approved the petition for this papal honor.
Known affectionately as “Imang” by her followers, the Marian image is venerated at the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Fatima in Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite. Bishop Evangelista expressed hopes in an Interaksyon report that the coronation will deepen devotion to Our Lady, bringing more people into the fold of faith and encouraging lives rooted in holiness.
This canonical coronation, tentatively planned for mid-2025, will make Our Lady of Fatima the third Marian image in the diocese to receive this honor, following Our Lady of the Pillar, the diocese’s patroness, and Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga in Cavite City.
The image has a storied past, originating in Portugal and gifted to Cardinal Rufino Santos by an American couple in 1966. Cardinal Santos then presented it to Bishop Artemio Casas of Imus to coincide with the establishment of the Binakayan parish.
Believers credit “Imang” with several miracles, and she has become an enduring symbol of hope for her devotees. In 2009, the image was crowned with a blessing from the Shrine of Fatima in Portugal, during a ceremony led by then-Imus Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle.
Preparations are underway for the upcoming coronation, an event expected to be a landmark for the Catholic faithful in Cavite and across the Philippines, reinforcing the country’s rich Marian tradition and dedication to the Virgin Mary.
