Tuesday, April 03, 2007 Stewards of the Saints By Karl A.E.F. Cabilao
My hand was always clutched tightly with that of my lola’s whenever we head out from the church for the Holy Week procession. No, I was not unsettled by the fact of being buried in a sea of people.
Excitement would fill up every corner of my little body whenever I see all those images of saints, all dressed up on their vibrantly-decked carrozas ready for the Passus procession. That was nearly twenty years ago.
Now, I still get feverish when Holy Week comes. Although my lola would prefer to watch the procession with me by the sidelines, doing so would still bring back the good ol’ childhood memories. Just gazing at those saints all still magnificently dressed up on their well-decorated carrozas made me think just how the dedication and faith of their keepers have remained and have become stronger as years passed.
In Centro, Mandaue, the various saints that religiously take part in the Holy Week processions here are under the custody of prominent families. These families act as “sponsor” for the carro decorations for procession on Holy Wednesday and Good Friday. And these so-called “keepers of the faith” have their own engrossing story to tell about their hallowed images.
One of the oldest images, that of St. John the Evangelist was bought in Spain in 1920 and was originally owned by two brothers who are priests, Bartolome and Nicanor Ceniza Cortez. Then care and custody was given to the priests’ first cousin Ireneo Villamor and wife Bersabe and passed on to the next batches of their family. Now, St. John is still with the Villamors.
Some of these families are taking care more than just one saint. Spouses Basilia Sanchez and Lino Flores were the owners of the images of St. Peter the Rock and Maria Salome. Descendants from their families, as expected, took the safekeeping cudgels. For the childless Mauricia Sanchez Ceniza, the original caretaker of the image of Maria Cleofe, she passed on the image’s custody to her favorite niece Roberta Cabahug Ceniza. The first time it entered the procession, the image was aloft a wooden andas crudely lighted with kalburo.
Image of Jesus’ mourning Mother, Mater Dolorosa proved that the curse of never ending sorrow would befell to its custodian families. For more than 20 years, the heirs of Reginaldo and Beatriz Flores continue to be the faithful keepers of this beautiful image that survived the bombing of World War II.
Another touching scene is depicted through the image of the Pieta – the Holy Mother coddling her Son’s dead body after being taken down from the cross.
In the 1980’s, spouses Dr. Ignacio Cortes and Natividad commissioned Francisco dela Victoria to create the Pieta image, which was a welcome addition to the procession that time.
In the late ‘80s, the procession saw the inclusion of more images, particularly those depicting the Sorrowful Mysteries. One of these, the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, was even ordered by its owners Mercedes Flores Perez and Jose Lozano, Jr. from Paete, Laguna. The Scourging at the Pillar, originally owned by Teogenes Ouano and Dulce Castañeda, survived a fire that hit the owners’ abode in the early ‘90s. It was turned over to the church for safekeeping. Now, the image is under the care of Jun Lozano. The custody of the Crowning with Thorns image was given to the family of Atty. Amadeo Seno, Sr. and wife Utropia by Bishop Camilo Gregorio in the late ‘80s.
These are just some of the stories behind each image. Truly, these are tales that truly inspire each of us to contribute not just to the richness of tradition but also strengthen our faith and devotion. So as I again watch the procession this year, I say a silent prayer not just for my family (yup, lola included) and myself but also for the families behind each and every saint taking part in the passion on the streets.
(Thanks to Atty. Hidelito Pascual, Diosdado Suico and Louella Flores-Cabañero for their write-up and research on this subject on the National Shrine of St. Joseph Fiesta 2006 Souvenir Program.)
