180. ANTIQUE COLLECTORS AS CRUSADERS OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

 VIRGEN DE LA CORREA OF BETIS. Photo courtesy of Mr. Richard Diño

The recent theft of the antique ivory Nino Jesus of the Virgen de la Correa of Betis last Dec. 30 (the district’s fiesta, no less) once again put antiquarians and sacred art collectors on spotlight. Often, the knee-jerk reaction is to impute suspicion on antique collectors and their inordinate urge to acquire antiquities at any cost, leading many to conclude that collectors themselves are the major masterminds of church theft.

THE DRESSED UP CARROZA OF THE VIRGEN DELA CORREA, BEFORE THE PROCESSION.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Richard Diño

 There are allegedly horror stories of affluent collectors running a ring of antique dealers, financing them so they could acquire prized church art, through all means—from cajoling priests to part with their old santos as they renovate their churches, to resorting to paid crimes like theft and robbery. True, there are spurious collectors, middlemen and dealers, but they are few and far between. Past events involving the theft of church art have, in fact, included collectors playing significant parts in their return and recovery.

 AT THE SANTIAGO APOSTOL CHURCH.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Richard Diño

 Indeed, it is this instinct to save, to recover, to conserve and preserve—that drives a collector to do what he does, which, in a way, is aligned with the work of cultural and heritage activists. It took an antique collector with a discerning eye, for example, to recover the Santo Nino de Romblon, which had been lost for 22 years. In 2009, antique collectors networked online with heritage workers to find the image of an antique San Juan, stolen from one of the retablos in the Cathedral of Tayabas.

 MR. TOM JOVEN, WITH THE RECOVERED NINO OF THE VIRGEN DE LA CORREA

Photo from the FB page of Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Virgilio David.

Thankfully, there is a happy ending too, to the recent event in Betis. A few days after the reported theft of the ivory Nino, the Archdiocesan Commission on Church Heritage (ACCH) of the Archdiocese of San Fernando, announced the successfully recovery of the revered image, with the help of yet another collector and renown ecclesiastical artist, Tom Joven.

Joven, who heads the Parish Pastoral Council of San Guillermo Parish of Bacolor and who also serves as member of the Tangible Heritage Committee of ACCH, reported his find to diocesan church authorities as the image surfaced in the antiques market, days after it was reported to be missing. His network of collector-friends provided him leads that allowed him to track the image in Manila, and which he eventually purchased---the ivory parts brought to him discreetly in a plastic bag, minus the wooden body.

 "I ONCE WAS LOST...BUT NOW I'M FOUND".

THE RETURNED NINO, MINUS THE WOODEN BODY.

Photo from the FB Page of Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Virgilio David

Immediately, he notified the church authorities headed by Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Virgilio David and the Pastoral Council of Betis. The acknowledged santo expert offered to restore the image and have it ready for official turnover to diocesan and local church authorities in time for the celebration of the Santo Niño Feast on January 19 (3rd Sunday of January).

 

Photo courtesy of Mr. Richard Diño

The ACCH circular acknowledged with gratitude the role that antique collectors played in the recovery of the Nino—alongside media entities, heritage advocates and netizens who helped spread the word about the theft of this treasured image which is imbued with priceless historical, cultural and spiritual meanings—a special part of the Augustinian legacy in Betis, Pampanga.

In the crusade against church crimes, count antique collectors in.

179. TAKEN: The Ivory Niño of the Virgen De La Correa of Betis, Guagua

LOSS OF LEGACY. The revered image of the Virgen de la Correa, of Betis, Pampanga, as she appeared on her carroza, en route to her procession. The Nino Jesus in the embrace of Our Lady was stolen on 30 Dec. 2013, during the town fiesta. Ca. 1930s.

 The December 30, 2013 fiesta of Betis turned out to be a most lamentable day for the people of this district, when the antique ivory Niño Jesus that accompanies the revered Ntra. Sra. De la Correa (Our Lady of the Cincture), was stolen between 3:00-3:30 p.m. from the Santiago Apostol Church, before the scheduled procession.

Picture of theVirgen de la Correa taken in the morning of Dec. 30, 2013, Betis fiesta. In the aftrenoon, between 3-3:30 p.m., the ivory Jesus the Virgin holds, was taken.

 The image of the Virgen de la Correa is one of two precious images of Betis church, the other, being the ivory figure of its titular patron, Santiago Apostol (St. James). Devotion ot the Virgen de la Correa is rooted in 3 historical events: the founding of the Order of St. Augustine (OSA) in Italy, the erection of the San Agustin Church in Intramuros in 1608, and the establishment of the first batch of cofradia devotees under this advocacy.

 Augustinian missionaries came to Betis in 1572 where they founded a mission. The ivory images of the Virgen de la Correa and the Niño Jesus are among the treasured legacies left by the said order. The medium-sized images of the centuries-old Virgen de la Correa and the Infant Jesus feature ivory head and hands. She wears a cloth band (correa) around her waist, which is also part of the monastic habit of Augustinians.

Members of the Pecson Family of Guagua, designated caretakers of the treasured Virgen de la Correa image, tasked with dressing up the image, and preparing her carroza for the annual procession. Ca. 1930s.

For the longest time, the designated camareros (caretakers) were the Pecson family of Guagua, in whose house, the Virgin and the Holy Child are dressed and prepared for the procession. Our Lady wears real gold jewelry donated by devotees through the years and the duo have their onw carroza of silver. During the Lenten season, the ivory Virgin, minus the Niño, is transformed into a Virgen Alegria (The Joyful Mary) who greets the resurrected Christ in the annual Salubong rites. She is borne on another silver carroza for this purpose.

 Immediately after the discovery of the theft of the ivory Niño, the Archdiocesan Commission on Church Heritage posted a message on the social networking site Facebook, to report the loss of this image and to seek for help in its recovery. The auxiliary bishop of Pampanga, Pablo Virgilio David, who hails from Betis, also sounded a call for the search of the Infant Jesus of the Virgen de la Correa, which is considered a significant part of Betis’s religious heritage. So far, no leads have been received.

 We hope and pray for the eventual and safe return of the Infant Jesus image, the same way that the once-lost images of the Sto. Niño de Romblon and Ntra. Soledad de Porta Vaga, were found and recovered.

79. SANTOS FROM THE SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH, II

Santos from the San Agustin Church, the mother church of the Augustinians who arrived in the Philippines in 1565. Built in the heart of Intramuros, this "permanent miracle in stone" survived the last violent war, and holds a unique and special place in the hearts of Manilenos. San Agustin is a veritable treasure house of ecclesiastical art, some of which are featured here:

SAN MIGUEL ARCANGEL
St. Michael, the Archangel, battling the Devil. 19th c.

STA. MONICA
Altar-size image of St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine, at the Chapel of Sta. Monica.

ASUNCION
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary, brought by Enrique Delgado, OSA in 1888. Inscribed under the globe, "G. Becessa 1555".

SANTO CRISTO

Crucified Christ, previously attributed to Juan delos Santos, but now in question. Its Baroque qualities do not coincide with the time in which the artist worked. 18th c.

INMACULADA CONCEPCION

Ivory image of the Blessed Virgin, which used to occupy the niche on the top of the grand lectern at the choirloft.

SANTO CRISTO

A large figure of the Crucified Christ carved in wood, in a retablo formerly from the Legazpi Chapel. Frontal formerly from the sacristy.

SANTO NINO

The Christ Child depicted in a Captain General's uniform. He resembles the young Philip IV.

SAN MIGUEL ARCANGEL

An all-ivory tableau showing the Archangel Michael trampling the Devil. 19th century, given by the Augustinian Sisters of La Consolacion College of Manila. founded in 1883.

SAN LORENZO MARTIR

Ivory St. Laurence, the first martyr, wears a dalmatic. He was martyred by being roasted on a spit. Missing gridiron emblem. 17th-early 18th century.

CRISTO CRUCIFICADO

Large life-size wooden image of the Crucified Christ, which used to hang in what is now the sacristy. It was brought out during the novena for the souls of purgatory. It has jointed arms and the year 1770 is inscribed on its left shoulder.

VIRGEN DE LA CORREA

This magnificent ivory headed Virgin holds a cincture and carries the Christ Child in her other arm. 17th-early 18th century

(Photos from San Agustin: Art & History 1571-2000, by Fr. Pedro G. Galende O.S.A. and Regaladao Trota Jose. Hongkong: Solutions)