The Archdiocese of San Fernando Museum and Archives was
established in 1979 by Archbshop Oscar
Cruz at the second floor of the University of the Assumption Chapel. It was
designed to be a repository of the ”handiwork and possessions” of the
Kapampangans that depict their rich culture and traditions.
Also at that time, Arch. Cruz forbade the transfer of old
material heritage of the church and asked parish priests to turn these vintage
and antique items over to the diocese—in whatever state they were in.
Over 800 objects of value were collected form this
effort—mostly wooden and some ivory santos, both processional and tabletop
size; vintage images, monastic art,
shadow boxes, urnas (altars), altar
vessels, old liturgical books, sacramentals, and architectural details from
churches and chapels.
Arch. Pablo Virgilio David considers the San Agustin Museum in Intramuros an extension
of the San Fernando Museum as many of
the items there were obtained from Augustinian-built churches from Lubao, Betis
and other nearby towns.
After the Pinatubo eruption, the
collection swelled even more as churches, chapels, and visitas brought
everything from treasured altar images, silver and gold vessels, paintings,
furniture, and all kinds of
ecclesiastical art for safekeeping at the university at the height of the 1991
catastrophe. When the chaos and dust
settled down, many churches opted to leave the objects permanently as their
contribution to the museum.
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