369. VIVA! EL SERAFICO PADRE DOCTOR SAN BUENAVENTURA! A Restoration Story, by Mr. Francis Ong

SAN JUAN BUENAVENTURA of Mr. Francis Ong

Years in conception but merely months in the making, my own image of our town's Patron Saint is finally done.

Mauban is the only old town in the Philippines that was dedicated to San Buenaventura. Though the year when the Franciscans officially arrived in Mauban has not yet been established, Huerta notes that the town has already been in existence at least by 1583 but Fray Gaspar de San Agustin in his work 'Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas' mentions that after reaching Lucban in 1571, Juan de Salcedo traveled to the Port of Mauban in a place called Alitas where he found boats that took him to the gold mines of Paracale.

The earliest mention of Mauban and San Buenaventura together, I found in a letter from 1599 sent by the Ecclesiastical Council in Intramuros complaining about the Religious Orders' non-compliance with establishing parishes and that these Churches mentioned did not have the license to operate-- one of them is for San Buenaventura de Mauban.

The antique head and paragua (payong) came from one of those very rare occurrences when Alex Del Rosario Castro chose to part with one of his collections. 

His blog, andalltheangelsandsaints, has probably been one of the biggest influences with the way I view collecting -- as an adventure and a treasure hunt worth stories to tell. Was it a decade of random panliligaw that eventually ended with a 'YES' late last year?

It then underwent the careful encarna conservation by Elbert Mateo who did a very fine job in keeping true to the original. The hands came from Kevini-Tzi Hanunaneh, the body made by reliable Louie Frederic de Jesus. 

The metal accoutrements were made by Jass Monteroso of Kalayaan, Laguna -- the church atop the book is a faithful replica to the one carried by our Festejada image that could've been the image of Mauban's stone church and belfry that fell during the earthquake of 1880. His sandals (not visible in the photo) have also been copied from the pair wore by the Santo Patron.

His vestments were beautifully made by Makoy Basco Celestino of Linea and it was based on old photos of the wooden image enshrined in the Church (This image was said to have miraculously survived the destruction of the last Spanish era church in Mauban that was a casualty of a december typhoon that hit our town in 1947), the image on the fachada of the Church and the silhouette of the mozetta (shoulder cape) of the Festejada.

Much thanks to everyone that has been a part of the image, may San Buenaventura pray for you and your loved ones as well.

Maligayang Kapistahan San Buenaventura - Patron ng Bayan ng Mauban! Viva! Viva! Viva!

(Mr. FRANCIS ONG is a corporate executive and an ardent collector of santos and antiques, especially those originating from Mauban, where he traces its roots. Thank your for sharing your photos and santo restoration story.)

249. The Seraphic Doctor: SAN BUENAVENTURA of Mauban, Quezon

SAINT OF GOOD FORTUNE. San Buenaventura

These photos were sent to me by a santo aficionado who chanced upon a group of devotees preparing this antique ivory santo for procession in a church and in a place that he could not even recall. He hastily snapped these pictures then only remembered being told that the santo’s name was San Buenaventura, a saint that is rarely heard of or even seen in the Philippines. It turned out that the place was in Mauban, Quezon, with San Buenaventura as the town's patron saint. 

San Buenaventura (St. Bonaventure), born in Tuscany in 1221, was a Franciscan cardinal, theologian and Doctor of the Church. He got his name when, as a sickly boy, he was cured of his illness through the prayers  of St. Francis of Assisi, who exclaimed “O Buona Ventura!” (Oh, good fortune!) upon seeing him recover.

Inspired by St. Francis, he became a Franciscan at age 22 and taught theology. He became a Minister General of the order in 1257 and in the course of his life, he was known for his spiritual writings that earned him the name “the Seraphic Doctor”.  He received the degree of Doctor, together with his friend St. Thomas Aquinas, in Paris.

Named as Cardinal by Pope Gregory X one year before his death, he was also appointed as Bishop of Albano.  He died while he was assisting at the Second Council of Lyons, on 15 July 1274.

ICONOGRAPHY:

 St. Bonaventure is often depicted in statues and drawings wearing a Cardinal's hat and the bishop's crosier (shepherd's staff), a miter, and sometimes a crucifix. In some, he wears a mezclado—his cardinal’s red pellegrina worn over his Franciscan habit. His other attributes include the Church, in reference to his being a Doctor, and a quill—for his writings. His feast day is July 15th.

The image is currently enshrined at the Parish of San Buenaventura in Mauban, Quezon. A similar church dedicated to San Buenaventura is located in Balangkayan, Eastern Samar. If any of you, dear readers, know more information about this particular San Buenaventura, please send me a message through this blog.

PICTURES COURTESY OF MR. BONIE MERCADO.