185. MARIAN IMAGES OF PAMPANGA

MARIAN IMAGES, from Marian Festival of Pampanga, 29 November 2003, on the occasion of Guagua Town Fiesta, with the theme Virgen Maria: Modelo Ning Lugud (Virgin Mary: Model of Goodness). Marian Festival Chairman: Mrs. Estella G. Navarro/ Co-Chair: Mrs. Alma S. Twano.

VIRGEN DEL CARMEN

Owned by the late Dr. Angelo Roque, c/o Mrs. Lourdes Orense and Family.

VIRGEN DE LOS DESAMPARADOS

Owned by Dra. D. Ancheta del Rosario and Family

VIRGEN DOLOROSA

Owned by Mrs. Consolacio Bacani / Mrs. Rosario Guanzon

VIRGEN DE LA EXPECTACION

VIRGEN DE LAS FLORES

Owned by Mr. Emmanuel Canlas and Family

MARY, HELP OF CHRISTIANS

Owned by Mrs. Nenita Singian and Family

STA. MARIA MADRE DE DIOS

Owned by Mr. Jayvi D. Lusung and Family

VIRGEN DE MANAOAG

MARY, MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACES

Owned by Apo Lina and Company

NTRA. SRA. DE LA VICTORIA

Owned by Mr. Eustaquio Pinlac and Family

VIRGEN DE SOTERANA

Owned by the Barangay Pastoral Council of Bancal

VIRGEN DEL ROSARIO

VIRGEN DE LOS REMEDIOS

Owned by the late Mr. Serve Capati

VIRGEN DE LA NAVIDAD

Owned by the Jingco Family/ Mr. Richard J. Calaguas and Family

ROSA MISTICA 

Owned by Mr. Aldrin S. Bernardo and Family

VIRGEN DELA CANDELARIA

Owned by Engr. and Mrs. Angelito Twano and Family

VIRGEN DE LA MERCED 

Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Pablo L. Narciso and Family 

VIRGEN DE LAS ESTRELLAS

Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Cesar  L. Diyco and Family

184. Santo Sighting: STA. CATALINA DE ALEJANDRIA

STA. CATALINA DE ALEJANDRIA OF ARAYAT, PAMPANGA

One rarely seen santo in the Philippines is the figure of St. Catherine of Alexandria (Sta. Catalina de Alejandria), who is regarded as the patroness of such Philippine towns as Arayat (Pampanga), Leon (Iloilo), Carcar (Cebu) and Dumaguete City. Church figures and processional statues depict this great virgin-martyr holding a sword, with the head of Emperor Maxentius at her feet. Sometimes,  a spiked wheel, symbol of her martyrdom, is set on her side. The above image of Arayat's Sta. Catalina adheres to her prescribed iconography. The santo is of wood with silver accoutrements, and lavishly dressed in embroidered garments

Santa Catalina, as a santo figure, is seldom seen in commercial antique shops, possibly because the saint is largely unknown outside of the places of veneration. So it was a surprise that a fellow collector sent me photos of a carved santa for sale--immensely popular in Europe, by the way--which, according to his runner, was obtained from Ilocos.

Indeed, this Sta. Catalina sports a distinctive Ilocos commercial carving style--with a fairly generic cafe and a typical octagonal base. Usually, such santos were outfitted with a manikin body and with wire armature arms--but this example has a body that is carved in the round.

The santa is incredibly complete--with a wooden crown on top of her head which still has remnants of a human hair wig. Her emblems and iconographic elements--the sword, the head of Maxentius at her feet-- are also present. She has also kept her original paint and coloration-light blue cape, white vestment with a pink peplum--with painted floral patterns. An incredible find indeed--but too bad, it did not go to me. But happy to note that another collector will take care of this rare Sta. Catalina, most certainly--by taking it to a church museum!

183. NTRA. SRA. DE LA SOLEDAD DE PORTA VAGA

NTRA. SRA. DE LA SOLEDAD DE PORTA VAGA. Ca. 1690s. Formerly in the Ermita of Cavite Puerto, now in San Roque, Cavite City. La Virgen Maria. 1904. 

By Antonio E. Sta. Elena The Sunday Times Magazine

November is a memorable month for the people of Cavite City. Every year, on the second and third Sundays of this month, the feast of the Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga, their patroness and protector, is celebrated.

 The kapistahan, however, is on the second Sunday, when thousands of devotees from the uplands and the neighboring towns come to Cavite City to pay homage to the Venerable Old Lady, as she is called. The third Sunday is set for the town people of Cavite City.

 The feast of the Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga is a tradition with the Caviteños and a way of life attesting to their attachment and their devotion to the Blessed Virgin.

 Many miracles have been attributed to the Caviteños’patroness, whose image is encased in glass, measuring approximately 24 by 38 inches, showing a demure, sad face that is inclined to the right and with hands folded in prayer. The Virgin is wearing a deep lavender dress, the hem of which is inlaid with precious stones.

 The face is said to be an exact replica of the framed image of the Blessed Virgin which a fisherman allegedly found drifting on the waters across the Spanish fort of Cavite. That was more than 300nyears ago, and the image has been given the title of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga.

 Soldier’s Vision

 At Angelus, so the legend runs, the Blessed Virgin would leave her place in the shrine and take a stroll atop the forbidden walls of Porta Vaga. One time, a young guardia civil on his beat was taken aback by the presence of a tall lady in white who walked past him. The soldier thought she was the wife of one of the Spanish officers, so he didn’t mind. But when he suddenly realized, that nobody, not even the wife of the officer of the garrison was allowed on the walls, much less this late hour of the afternoon, he called out: “Who goes there?”.

 Getting no reply, he called out even louder: ”Stop, or I’ll shoot!”, he said, aiming his rifle. The strange visitor stopped, turned and faced the Guardia Civil.

 “Sentinel, sentinel”, she spoke in a soft, clear voice. “Don’t you know who I am? I am Maria—light of the day.”

 The soldier dropped to his knees, and with bowed head said, “Forgive me, Mother, I am only a soldier and I have my duties to perform”.

 When he raised his head, the mysterious lady had vanished.

 Another story tells of a raging storm and a flood that threatened to engulf Cavite City many, many years ago. Torrential rains and the waters surrounding the isthmus of Rosario and the town of San Roque, rose knee-high on the streets, stalling all vehicles and making transportation impossible. The town people became alarmed. Fathers gathered their families and began to pray to the Blessed Virgin.

 Flood

But it kept raining for hours and the waters continued to rise. The loud voices and wailing of the children and mothers, mingling with the sound of the wind and the rain gave added cause for increasing alarm and fear.

 Meanwhile, more families knelt together and prayed harder, calling the name of the Blessed Virgin loudly.

 Suddenly, the wind ceased and the rain stopped. When the people opened their windows, they were surprised to see a tall lady clad in white walking atop the water. They couldn’t believe their eyes.

 As the strange lady continued walking, the people noticed the water under her sandaled feet fast subsiding. In no time, land had reappeared. The people jumped in delight. But just as soon, the lady in white vanished like vapor. Whereupon, the people dropped to their knees again and made the sign of the cross. They knew it was the Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga who had saved their lives.

 The old historic walls of Porta Vaga and the ermita or church, were demolished during the war, but the image and shirne of the Blessed Virgin were spared. It was transferred to the parochial church of san Roque in the heart of the town, where it is now the object of continued veneration by the Caviteños.


(ADDENDUM:  On March 16, 1984, the icon of the Virgin was stolen from its altar but was recovered on August 15, 1984, divested of all its original gold decorations and precious stones. Devotees restores the image to its former glory, and on August 19, 1984, it was re-enshrined in the altar with much rejoicing)

182. Images of the Boy Bishop: SAN LUIS OBISPO

IVORY IMAGE OF SAN LUIS OBISPO. An heirloom image of a family from Lucban, Quezon.

San Luis Obispo de Tolosa is known primarily as the patron saint of Lucban, Quezon and Baler, Aurora. Little is known of him in other places of the Philippines, but in the United States fore example, the mission house named after him (Saint Louis, Bishop of Toulouse), occupies a prominent place in California history, it being the fifth mission founded by San Junipero Serra in 1772.

SAN LUIS OBISPO. The oldest known San Luis image from Lucban, which used to occupy a niche in the facade of the old church.

St. Louis was born on 9 February 1274 to Charles of Anjou and Maria Arpad of Hungary  in Brignoles, Provence, and spent his childhood years in Nocera, Italy. While his father was at war, he was taken to Barcelona as a captive and studied under Franciscan friars for 7 years.

LUCBAN'S SAN LUIS. Another local image of the boy bishop from the church of Lucban.

When he became of age, he was named archbishop of Lyon despite his captivity; he assumed his father's secular titles upon his father's death, gaining his freedom in 1295.

SAN LUIS IN AN URNA. An antique tabletop image of San Luis Obispo, from a Lucban family.

Thereafter, he went to Rome and gave up all his royal inheritance in favor of another brother, Robert of Anjou. He took the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and two years later, in 1297, Louis was consecrated Bishop of Toulouse. There, he earned a saintly reputation with his activities--feeding and serving the poor.

HEIRLOOM IMAGE OF SAN LUIS. Carved in the round, this private devotional image of San Luis is another Lucban family heirloom.

He died at age 23, exhausted from his labors, on 19 June 1297. His case was promoted by Pope Clement V in 1307, and he was canonized by John XXII on 7 April 1317.

SAN LUIS ENSHRINED IN A RETABLO. A 1960s image of San Luis carved by a Bicolano craftsman rests in a side altar of the Lucban church.

His cult became popular first in Medieval Hungary, but the Franciscans spread the devotion in Europe, observing his feast day in their calendar and taking his relics in 1423 to Valencia, where he was made patron saint.

SAN LUIS FOLK SANTO. An offering from one of Manila's antique shops. Personal Collection.

As expected, very few images of San Luis de Obispo can be found in the Philippines, mostly concentrated in Lucban.  Rarer still are home devotional santos of this young bishop-saint, a few of which are shown here.

SAN LUIS, POPULAR STYLE. A naive carving of San Luis Obispo, with very folksy qualities. Private Collection.

His iconography shows the boy bishop as a young, beardless religious, attired in a bishop's robe and holding a crozier and a book, often with a discarded crown by his feet.

(Many thanks to Mr. Jayson Maceo, for the use of his photos)

181. THE NINOS OF MALOLOS, CA. 1979

The Malolos Sto. Nino Fiesta was conceived and organized in 1966 by Dr. Luis Santos. The idea of an exposition of different Sto. Nino images came later, as suggested by resident Zeny Tengco. Since then, the annual Nino Exhibit has become an anticipate affair every January. Presented here is a selection of Sto. Nino images exhibited on the occasion of the Sto. Nino Fiesta of Malolos, and the International Celebration of the Children's Year from way back 1979---exactly 35 years ago.

STO. NINO, PATRON OF MALOLOS. 

Owned by Dr. Angel S. Tantoco and Family, this heirloom image has been in the family for many generations. It accompanies the Immaculate Virgin during the fiesta procession and is the acknowledged patron of the children of Malolos. Of ivory, it is characterized by its sweet smile, dreamy eyes and a majestic stance. It is carved in the classical style, and it is arrayed in a costume similar to that worn by King Louis XV of France.

STO. NINO DE AMOR

Owned by Ms. Corina Tengco, this image was given to her by her mother. A holy card (estampita) of an Infant Jesus inspired the styling of this image. He bears a basket of fruits as a symbol of love.

STO. NINO DE LA PASYON

 Owned by Mr. Dez Bautista. The antique head of this image was bought from an old family in Tarlac whose house was lost to a fire. Only one room survived, the room in which this image was kept. It is believed that the reason why this Nino is always on tears is because of the portents of death he always sees.

STO. NINO DE PANDACAN

 Owned by Mr. Steve de Leon. The origin of the image of the original Sto. Nino de Pandacan is shrouded in myth. The image was said to have been found by children playing near the side of a well. Owing to His miraculous nature, a church was built near the well where the Nino continues to rest and venerated.

STO. NINO DE ATOCHA

 Owned by Mrs. Zeny Tengco. The owner accidentally saw a medal of the Holy Child Jesus of Atocha in Rebullida, so she was inspired to have a statue carved. He is dressed as a pilgrim, with a staff, a drinking gourd, a basket and wears a cape with a shell symbol.

STO. NINO PRINCIPE

 Owned by Mrs. Ching Lopez. It is enshrined at the Tantoco House as a companion piece of the Sto. Nino de Malolos. It derive its title from its royal raiments-- a little prince.

STO. NINO DE PRAGA

 Owned by Carmencita and Augusto Paez-Banzali. A vintage Infant Jesus of Prague purchased from a talyer in Quiapo.

(All photos from the "Sto. Nino, Nino Jesus sa Malolos 1979, Souvenir Program")

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.