The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila on Tuesday, October 14, announced the return of two historic pastoral staffs (baculo) gifted by the clergy of Pampanga when the province was still part of Manila archdiocese.
One of the pastoral staff included one, which was gifted by the Pampanga clergy to Archbishop Jeremiah James Harty in 1905.
The other pastoral staff belonged to Archbishop Michael O’Doherty and was also given to him by the clergy of Pampanga during the latter's first pastoral visit in the province.
The two staff were identified through inscriptions in Spanish detailing the time when they were offered along with photographic records of their use by the archbishops.
O'Doherty's staff was significant as it was made of sterling silver in the design of acanthus leaves and modestly inlaid with amethysts.
A pastoral staff is a crozier carried by a bishop, which symbolizes their authority as the shepherd of their flock.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila however, did not detail the specifics of the "recovery" of the pastoral staff.
The announcement of the return of the items coincided with the 76th death anniversary of Archbishop Michael O’Doherty.
Harty, an American, and O’Doherty, an Irishman, both served as archbishops of Manila during the American occupation of the Philippines.
Harty, appointed in 1903, was the first American archbishop of Manila and symbolized the transition of Church leadership from Spanish to American hands following U.S. colonization.
O’Doherty, who succeeded him in 1916, was the last foreign-born archbishop to hold the seat during the colonial era.