The Filipino Catholic Migrants in the Diocese of Copenhagen in Denmark were presented with an image of "La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc" by Bishop Renato Mayugba of Laoag during a mass on 3 February.
Hundreds of Filipinos attended the mass in celebration of the Presentation of the Lord at the Sacred Heart Church in the Danish capital.
Bishop Mayugba highlighted during his address that the gift of this image aims to strengthen the unity of families among the many migrant Filipinos present at the celebration of the Presentation of the Lord. Hundreds of Filipinos attended the Mass in the Danish capital.
In his address, Mayugba said that the gift of “La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc” to many migrant Filipinos is the strengthening of the unity of families.
The bishop presented the Virgin's image to Filipino migrants, specifically an elderly couple who were among the first migrants in this Nordic Country. Consul Domini Fangon-Kitade from the Philippine Embassy in Denmark also observed the turnover ceremony. Bishop Czeslaw Kozon of Copenhagen expressed gratitude to the visiting Filipino bishop during the reception.
Five hundred years ago, Filipinos received the faith; now, it is their turn to evangelize the whole world, Kozon said.
Pope Francis reiterated the same encouragement when he called on the Filipino migrants to continue serving as “smugglers of the faith” during the “Simbang Gabi” he presided over at the Vatican in 2019.
Most Filipino migrants in Europe work in domestic roles, particularly caring for children in secularized families. Their presence in these households provides opportunities for introducing the faith to the children.
Denmark, initially a Catholic territory in the 9th century, underwent a complete conversion to Lutheranism during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. Despite the reintroduction of Roman Catholicism in the 19th century, it has remained a minority religion in the country.
The Diocese of Copenhagen, encompassing Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands, is the sole diocese in the region.