By: Iya Fernandez, Grade 10
The school community was so eager to welcome into our campus the international pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fatima on the 12th of September 2017. Sadly, classes were suspended due to tropical depression Maring which resulted to the cancellation of her visit to our school. Despite the harsh weather conditions, the image of Our Lady of Fatima was able to proceed to St. James the Great Parish Church.
Determined to see to Our Lady of Fatima, several Woodrose students with their families braved the rains and floods to visit her at the church and pray to her. When asked why they still chose to go on that rainy day, knowing that they would have another chance to see her the next day during the vigil hours, Grade 11 students revealed their unique devotions to Our Lady:
Alexa Abaya said that her mother told her stories as a child about Our Lady of Fatima and her apparitions. Alexa added that visiting her image “made me realize that Our Lady is listening and is yearning to talk to us.”
Chinkee Naagas also shared that she prays to Our Lady along with her family for guidance and for help. This is largely influenced by her grandmother who is a devotee. In fact, on the morning of the visit, SLEX flooded and she worried that she would not be able to see her arrive. But through prayers to Our Lady, the roads cleared up again, and her visit was successful.
For Yanna Arcilla, Our Lady is a mediator. According to her, she always intercedes for her and answers her prayers and requests. “Visiting our Mother who is always there for us even if we do not acknowledge it is the smallest way to return the favour for everything she does.”
Clearly, Woodrose students share our school’s great devotion to our Blessed Mother. In fact, the school chapel is dedicated to her and is named Chapel of Our Lady of the Rose. When asked why the image of Our Lady in Woodrose has no crown, Fr. Reyes, our School Chaplain, answered that it is because Our Lady does not come into Woodrose as a queen, but as a mother. Moreover, every October, school-wide rosaries are held, wherein the entire school gathers in the gym to pray the rosary together.
Our Lady plays a very significant role in our lives in different ways, yet she plays a common role in all of our lives as a symbol of peace and as a motherly figure. In a time where people are driven by selfish motives and confuse wrong from right, let us ask Our Lady of Fatima for peace and for love, because by being our Mother, she will constantly be there for us.
To learn more about the apparitions and message of Our Lady of Fatima, please refer to the July 2017 issue of the newsletter From the Chaplaincy.