Pope Leo XIV has conferred the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal on Our Lady of Manaoag devotee Darlene Zshornack, who received the honor during a Mass at the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag in Pangasinan on July 18.
Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan presided over the Mass, concelebrated by Bishop Rufino Sescon Jr. of Balanga and about 50 priests from various dioceses and religious congregations.
Also in attendance were members of the Missionaries of Charity, the Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly, the Oblates of St. Joseph, seminarians and beneficiaries of Zshornack’s charitable work.
In his homily, the archbishop said gratitude lies at the heart of Christian holiness.
“Gratitude is holiness. That is why our Holy Church, our Holy Mother, recognizes with gratitude the generosity of one of her daughters,” Villegas said.
He said the greatest gift God offers the faithful is not a medal but the Body of Christ in the Eucharist, the fullest expression of God’s love and thanksgiving.
Zshornack, a Manila resident who is also devoted to the Black Nazarene in Quiapo Church, said her devotion to Our Lady of Manaoag grew through her faith and inspired her commitment to serving the Church and the poor.
Thanking the pope and the archbishop, she said she regarded the medal not simply as a recognition but as a renewed call to serve God’s people with greater love.
The Zshornack family has supported churches and religious congregations across the Philippines through various charitable projects, including preparations for the April 22 centennial of the canonical coronation of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag.
The Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal, Latin for “For the Church and the Pope,” is one of the distinguished papal honors that can be conferred on clergy and laypeople for distinguished service to the Catholic Church.
Pope Leo XIII established the award in 1888 to recognize those who helped organize the celebration of his golden sacerdotal jubilee and the Vatican Exhibition during his pontificate.
