Bishop wants Ukon enshrined in Badoc

Laoag Bishop Renato Mayugba wants Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon enshrined at Badoc Church in Ilocos Norte, where the soon to be canonically crowned image of the “La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc,” is also housed.

The Laoag prelate personally relayed his wish to visiting bishops of Japan on February 3, during a Mass for the Feast of Blessed Takayama at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros where he was also present.

“I would like to request the bishops of Japan to grant me the privilege of having Blessed Takayama enshrined in my parish,” said Mayugba before the end of the Mass.

“If there is a relic, I would like to ask for that relic that I will place on my altar in recognition that our faith in Ilocos, while it was brought by Spanish friars, it was also deepened by the Virgin coming from Japan,” he added.

During the Mass, the relic of Blessed Takayama was placed on the side of the altar for veneration together with his image.

The relic was a gift from the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Japan to the Manila Cathedral.

Bishop Mayugba then introduced the Our Lady of Badoc to those present by recalling the story how fishermen found the image in the 1600s during the great persecution of Christians in Japan.

He said fishermen of Badoc and Sinait retrieved the image, which has Japanese features, from the sea together with a Holy Cross.

Since that time, Mayugba said the image stayed on in their parish drawing people to the faith.