Museum to host Lenten exhibit
SANTA RITA -- The Museo Ning Santa Rita de Cascia will be hosting an exhibit of religious icons in time for the start of the Lenten season this February 18, Ash Wednesday.
The exhibit will feature new and antique religious icons from parishioners of the town, the ones used during the Holy Week processions of Holy Wednesday and Good Friday. The icons represent the different scenes in the passion and death of Christ and other biblical characters in the biblical passion story.
According to museum curator Romy Dizon, the event is in time for the pilgrims who visit the Santa Rita de Cascia Church during the Lenten season for religious and spiritual reasons. The exhibit, he said, is a reminder to Christian visitors on the passion and death of Christ.
"This is also to help visitors and parishioners reflect while they are visiting the museum," Dizon said. The exhibit will last just before the last week of March at the Museo Ning Santa Rita de Cascia main gallery.
The Museo ning Parokya nang Santa Rita de Cascia is located at the second floor of the old convent building attached to the old parish church. The building, which was restored in 1994, now houses the historical artifacts, contemporary and antique images, as well as old furnishings of the church and its old rectory.
The museum currently holds the images of the Confradia ning Cintas, a lay organization of religious devotees of Augustinian saints. The group hosts the annual Grand Augustinian Procession that features the images of Augustianian saints, which are now currently on display at the halls main gallery.
Two of the works of Presidential Merit Awardee for Ecclesiastical Art Wilfredo Layug are also on display in one of the rooms of the museum.
The facility also offers a tour of the church, which houses the first-class relic of Saint Rita. Tourists may also visit the recently restored bell tower of the parish, which is accessible through the museum.
The facility is also the caretaker of the best paintings of artist Rafael Maniago with paintings on communal scenes, kalesas and still-life on display for public viewing for free.