POPE Francis has bestowed the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (For the Church and for the Pontiff), the highest award the Papacy gives to the laity, upon a Dagupeña entrepreneur in recognition of her faithful service to the Church.

The papal decree and medal that came from Rome were conferred by Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas in solemn rites during a Mass held at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John The Evangelist in Dagupan City on July 16 to Remedios Tan Fernandez.

Since the 88-year-old Remedios is already bedridden, she was represented by one of her children, former Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez, in accepting the papal award.

However, the pinning of the medal later was done privately in the house where Remedios is staying because the act of pinning is a faculty given by the Pope to the bishop, Villegas said.

The archbishop said the award is important because it is given not just by a bishop or a parish priest but by the Pope. He added that by tradition, papal awardees are considered as members of the pontifical household.

Villegas said he sent Remedios’ name to Vatican which has its review board that evaluated if she is worthy of the Pope’s approval.

He recalled that when he arrived as archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan Archdiocese, he learned from people that Remedios was a daily communicant and she raised her children in the love for the Church which, up to now, is being continued by her children by helping the Church.

Remedios, born in Dagupan City, and her late husband, Jimmy Lim Fernandez, established the City Grocery along A.B. Fernandez Ave., Dagupan City. They were blessed with nine children, namely, Belen, Philip, Lita, Caroline, Josephine Fernandez-Seen, Mary Ann Fernandez Co, Marilyn Fernandez, Sarah Jane Fernandez and Kerwin.

Former Mayor Belen shared the family’s message: “My mother has always been a prayerful woman. At our old house, she had an altar of the Mother of Perpetual Help in our room where we would always pray. I could still remember her walking to Saint John Cathedral every day praying to our Mother of Perpetual Help. It was from her example that my siblings and I learned to be faithful.

Through our joys and struggles as a family, we always drew strength from our mother. Even on the darkest of nights—when she was faced with the difficult task of raising nine children alone after my father passed away—my mom’s faith never wavered. She became our light and anchor—She never stopped praying; She never stopped thanking God. She continues to inspire us every day to be better and more faithful Catholics.

My mom was a quiet woman, but it was through her actions that she taught us the values of patience, kindness, honesty, understanding for others, sharing, and love for family. Above all, she instilled in us the love of God.”

From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank the Holy Father for the award the Church has bestowed upon our mom. But more than that, we thank the Catholic Church for welcoming our mother and our Dad into the Catholic fold early on in their lives.  Their example paved the way for us, their 9 children, 15 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren to remain faithful.

In her simple and humble life, she has always guided us. It is truly an honor for our family to have an award for Mom.” (Eva Visperas)

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