Don Bosco Center of StudiesAn Affiliate of the SalesianPontificalUniversity GOD AND THE FILIPINO PEOPLE A short reflection of my visit to the churches of Pampanga and of Ilocos Sur A Reflection Paper submitted to Rev. Fr. Nestor Impelido, SDB Institute of Theological Formation In partial fulfillment of the subject History of the Church in the Philippines By Bro. Regino Carlo P. Godinez, SDB September 24, 2010 P a g e |2 Pampanga Tour Excited and restless: these two adjectives had been with me for almost a month since I enrolled in this subject in the second week of June this year. I already knew about the upcoming study tour to Ilocos, but to my surprise, a bonus item was provided for³a tour to Pampanga! This happened last July 30, a Friday. After that memorable day ended, I could not help but appreciate the richness and depth of my Catholic religion, at least in the context of the local churches here in my motherland. Although I only saw a fraction of the beauty of the Philippine church through the magnificent antique and modern church structures in Pampanga, I have the satisfaction that indeed there is something deeper than the grandeur, beauty and historicity of those churches we visited! It is the reality of aGod·s immanence³ present in the concrete affairs of the people³that make it more than meets the eye. The trek to Pampanga from Makati was not too long³about an hour·s drive. The generosity of Fr. Nesty·s cardiologist greeted us with a hearty McDonald·s breakfast in Pampanga. What impressed me was the joy in his face while he was watching us consume our ¶big· and tasty meals. Itgave me the enthusiasm during the day as I visited, together with my companions, to the selected churches there. What·s common with all the churches we visited, aside from their Augustinian origins, was their notable antiquity. Many of them had a long nave, with carved majestic retablos. Seriously, I thought Fr. Nesty·s immense knowledge on those churches was unbelievable³as if he were the owner. As regards the structure of the buildings, many of the walls, albeit some were damaged, were made of the old-style bricks and square-cut stones. The first church was that of the San Guillermo parish church in Bacolor, where the Television series ´Santinoµ was being shot. It was once a huge and tall church, but was destroyed by an earthquake and was rebuilt by Fr. Eugenio Alvarez in 1886. Almost two decades ago, this lovely church was buried almost halfway from the ground up by the mighty Pinatubo lahar about two decades ago. Reflection Paper on the Study Tours to Pampanga and Ilocos P a g e |3 I have to say that among the churches that made a lasting impact to me was the Parish of Santiago Apostol in Betis, in Guagua, Pampanga. A Baroque-inspired church, it was a lovely site inside the structure with paintings all over the interior walls and ceilings³almost like the grandeur of the Vatican·s Sistine Chapel. The exterior wasn·t as eye-catching as that of the interior. Indeed I ought to agree with the sage who said the oft-quoted line ´don·t judge the book by its cover.µIt had a wooden and well-maintained floor. Quite a number of the church·s ornaments were unquestionably antique. Looking at the beauty of the church, I was able to sense the religiosity of the people going to mass in that wonderful church. Fr. Nesty mentioned about the use of such frescoes for catechetical purposes. Well, if I may add something, I felt that the frescoes and other artworks were definitely a reflection of the people who built the place and designed and beautified it. I always believe I can know the spirituality or the values of the person when I get to see his or her house. And I say kudos to the people of Betis, in Guagua, for the job well done! Not only did they give me the impression that they are a loving and warm people, but also they are deeply devoted and have a well-founded Catholic tradition, let alone the number of priests that the town has contributed to the church! Our final activity for the day·s tour was nothing short of splendid. The day was capped by a celebration of the Holy Eucharist in the Sta. Monica Church that boasts of its most unique façade, like that of anenormousretablo. Although I did not find the church as lovely, artistic and impressive as that of Betis, it still made a very good impression on me. For one thing, it was my first time to attend a mass in the church. Secondly, during that mass I was able to realize how God loves us because of bestowing upon us the grace of visiting all those fantastic antique churches that are definitely priceless and a beauty to behold. In that culminating activity, I was able to look back at the whole day and told myself ´I have to be thankful«µ Indeed I thanked God for that rare opportunity to visit the houses of worship of the Pampangeños. During the whole-day tour, many of us felt not so comfortable inside the bus: its air-conditioning system was not so good. But on my part, I was seated in Reflection Paper on the Study Tours to Pampanga and Ilocos P a g e |4 the front and so I had plenty of space and it was a bit cooler than at the back. I wasn·t so distracted during the whole day as far as the bus ride was concerned. Never did it occur to me that there were many beautiful churches in Pampanga. All I ever knew before was that our Sto. Niño de Cebu was the finest in the whole Philippines. But my Pampanga experience made me think twice of my old conviction! Ilocos Tour After an ¶appetizer· tour to Pampanga, I was looking forward to the main course: Ilocos! Hearing from the many delightful accounts of the previous batch·s tour, I was already gearing up for the up and coming adventure. And when the day came at last, I was beaming with delight. However, the long drive to Ilocos was accompanied by a rather unpleasant sleep. I wasn·t used to sleeping while sitting down and not stretching my long legs. Nevertheless, when we arrived, I mused at the possibility of not enjoying the day anymore since I had a terrible sleep. Observing some of companions, it seemed they also felt the same way I did. In my own estimation, many of us slept for only a total of three to four hours and rest was unease. But that was not the case! The first day was in fact the turning point of my great interest in the study tour. Hence, I·ve devoted much time recalling my Vigan experiences with delight. After a modest but nourishing breakfast, off we went to Vigan, Nueva Segovia, to the Conversion of St. Paul Cathedral.It was just beside a meek plaza, with a huge but almost- dried-up pond. It had an attractive white façade. It was founded in 1575, with paintings of the ´Twelve promises of the Sacred Heartµ hung in a frame in every pillar inside the church. It had six side altars, two pulpits on which the homilies of old were delivered, fourteen chandeliers. The retablowas a grand, goldplated wooden attraction. We also went inside the Spanish-style Arzobispado de Nueva Segovia, which was adjacent to the Cathedral. What really caught my attention in this first-day visit was the existence of a museum in the second floor of Reflection Paper on the Study Tours to Pampanga and Ilocos P a g e |5 the Arzobispado, housing the pre-Vatican II liturgical artifacts and archives of the church. To me, it opened my eyes to the reality of Vigan·s centuries-old Catholic tradition. A visit to the heritage village nearby was equally breathtaking. We had our lunch in one of the restaurants and bought many of our T-shirts in the souvenir shops there. I never thought I·d be in a place famous for its Spanish-style neighborhood, kept intact since the time of the Spaniards. I was really amazed at how they beautiful they were. I·ve already seen such houses before in Cebu. But I·ve never seen an entire vintage village. I couldn·t help myself as I ran into the heart of the heritage village and savor the beautiful array of such rarity. I was really amazed at the antiquity of the whole town and how it managed to maintain its tradition. Somehow, looking at those vintage liturgical relics was a peek into the Catholic past of Vigan and how they celebrated with enthusiastic devotion the important liturgical ceremonies then. My bewilderment of Vigan was capped by the mayor·s warm reception of us. We were given the opportunity to pose with her even if there weren·t any appointments that are usually reserved to big politicians. Mayor Medina humbly greeted us and shook with our hands. During the casual picture-taking, together with her were the vice-mayor and one of her council members. That was not the end yet. The mayor herself invited us for breakfast at her own home. Sunday, August 22, was the agreed date and the third day of the weekend tour. When we went there for the Ilocos-style breakfast, we were all the more moved at such a hospitable reception that is normally not being done in the houses of some other First Families, let alone eat breakfast with them! But what awaited us was not just a well-prepared meal but an inspiring Medina household³the husband (former mayor) and wife (the mayor) with their lovely children, plus an entourage of employees. According to Fr. Nesty, what we just had that day was unprecedented. Somehow, at hindsight I feel proud that I·m part of an iota of the Ilocos Tour history. Such a humble city with a deeply-rooted cultural heritage and Catholic Reflection Paper on the Study Tours to Pampanga and Ilocos P a g e |6 tradition made my first day in Ilocos simply awesome. It was a very wonderful experience such that I totally forgot about my uneasy bus ride just a few hours ago! Looking back at my Vigan experience makes picture out an immanent God who is not only found in those magnificent structures we went into, but also in those persons who patiently respondedto our simple queries for directions, who assisted us in our buying of souvenirs and ¶pasalubong·, and in those who gave us warm smiles and lasting hospitality. The lovely place matched well with the warmth and kindness of those in the city. As far as I·m concerned, I treasure my Vigan experience so much that I can still narrate to any interested fellow the important details what happened there! Much of our second day was devoted to travelling northbound. We first passed by the famous San Agustin Church in Paoay, which is included in the Unesco World Heritage list.Such a lovely façade and a truly remarkable feat of human engineering, considering it was only in 1704 that the cornerstone of the church was built. Then we also visited Sta. Monica Church. It was followed by the Parola of Cape Bojeador, then the ruins of the Pasuquin Church. Next we stopped by the St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Bacarra, with a gigantic belfry already damaged by an earthquake. It was not as exhausting anymore as the first day. What I loved most during this day was the visit to the San Agustin Church in Paoay. I can say now is the Church with all its antiquity and dilapidated trusses and some damaged buttresses still retained its splendor. The Third day, Sunday, was spent first at the home of Mayor Medina, as I already mentioned earlier. Then we also entered the Syquia Mansion, the heritage house of former president ElpidioQuirino and his wife then, Doña Syquia. It was a well-adorned palace with the preserved household furnitures, decorations, paintings and many others. In the afternoon, we made a stopover in the Church of San Juan Bautista, in Badoc. Then we also went to Sinait, to the San Nicolas de Tolentino parish. Then in the last day, Monday, we visited the church in Calasiao, which is of Dominican design. It·s the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul. And then in the afternoon, Reflection Paper on the Study Tours to Pampanga and Ilocos P a g e |7 we also stopped by the Shrine of our BirhenngManaoa, which was deemed to be a place with a truly devout Catholic people. Ilocos Tour Impressions Obviously I have written much about the first and third days of our splendid study tour to Ilocos. The reason is something very dear to me:if not because of the exquisite Vigan experience, I wouldn·t have had the motivation to look forward to the next days. The people, the places, the church architecture and the panorama of nature that I saw, touched and felt left a vibrant impression in my person. Aside from all this, I have also been observing the passion, zeal and brilliance of our tour guide³our history professor par excellence³as he accompanied us with the great dedication of an extraordinary mentor. That in itself was very compelling. Fr. Nesty was so enamored at his craft of dissecting all the details of the wonderful churches that we visited that I myself got enthused at his teaching us. I couldn·t help but revisit the passage in John 12: 21, when the Greeks requested Philip, Jesus· disciple, to show them Jesus: ´Sir, we should like to see Jesusµ. In this case the Greeks are we the history students, who insistedon seeing Jesus. And Fr. Nesty has become Philip, the one who, together with Andrew, led them to Jesus whom they were looking for. Through Fr. Nesty·s showing us the wonderful Churches, our search for the answers and our thirst for the history of those magnificent churches were satisfied. Reflecting upon what happened, that first day became something in which the love of God was so clear that we all responded to it in a positive manner. The conglomeration of all the days· events was a painting of love of the Lord for all of us so that we would be able to enjoy and savor every ounce of that study tour. The many minute inconveniences paled in comparison with the beauty that God provided for us during the rest of the tour weekend. It might be too much to say that there was actually the spirit of the Eucharist that accompanied us during the tour. But I say it truly did accompany us. The true meaning of the Eucharistic sacrifice of Jesus Christ³i.e., the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross in Mt. Calvary³went Reflection Paper on the Study Tours to Pampanga and Ilocos P a g e |8 beyond the time-space continuum. Our small and simple study tour is still part of this Cross event! We journeyed towards Ilocos in order to witness some aspects of Jesus· act of dying on the cross and how he has remained until now in the hearts of all mankind. The physical structures that we encountered in Ilocos were mere expressions of the one and only salvific act³the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. And Jesus indeed has become one with us: ´The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory«full of grace and truthµ(Jn 1:14). And as what Bro. George Celis, SDB mentioned to me in one of our casual conversations, it is still the same God that the people of those humble Ilocos Sur towns had been worshipping for over three hundred years. All accidents have changed but the substance still remained³God. It was God who has provided the Filipinos with a receptive culture to the missionaries; it was the same God whom the Spanish missionaries preached to the formerly pagan Ilocanos. The God that they worship now has been the same ever since the first rays of dawn in the Christian history of the Philippines. St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans 16: 26, tells us the Jesus Christ is the ageold mystery that has now become ´so clear that it must be broadcast to pagans everywhere to bring them to the obedience of faith.µPhilippines was a pagan nation before the entry of Spanish missionaries and conquistadores. And when the early missionaries, specifically the Augustinians, started to evangelize and catechize the Filipinos in the northern part of Manila Ilocos, it is the work of the Holy Spirit that enabled the mystery of Jesus Christ to be known to them. First of all, I cannot but be grateful for this gift of evangelization to us Filipinos. Now we know that the eternal truth, which actually seeks to be known even in foreign and pagan, was actually the first to make the move. God himself initiated the Filipinos· Christianization even if we are far away from the center of the Catholic religion; the gift of salvation is ´for all those whom the Lord our God will call to himselfµ(Acts 2: 39). I wonder why the Philippines was such a fertile land for the seed of Christianity to flourish that fast! Could it be that the Holy Spirit blessed our land with receptive Filipino souls to the truth of Christ? Possibly, yes! And I believe our Reflection Paper on the Study Tours to Pampanga and Ilocos P a g e |9 reception was done also because the method of evangelization done by the first missionaries was aided by the power of the Holy Spirit.Without question, we became witnesses of an all-knowing and provident God who was and is still at work with the people today. He is both transcendent, and at the same time immanent. That is the mystery of God communicated to us, so to speak, by the beautiful imageries of majestic antique churches, of wonderful cultural heritage, the nature and persons that met us with a smile. Conclusion Both Pampanga and Ilocos Sur offered me a second look at the beauty of the Christian, nay Catholic faith. All those wonderful experiencesfurnished me a very confident feeling that my faith in Jesus Christ is also being sharing by a multitude of Filipinos. With what I saw in those churches, people and historical lessons, I could say my being a Catholic and a future priest at that will definitely not be put to waste. For it is through these wonderful places of worship that I can celebrate the Glory of God! I was thinking of why not visiting these places when I will have become a priest in a few years· time. Why not!? The antiques and the deeply-rooted Catholic populace in those local churches we visited bequeathed me an awesome feeling throughout the educational expedition. But the reality of God is definitely more awesome than none. I saw with my own eyes the truth of God·s existence! End Reflection Paper on the Study Tours to Pampanga and Ilocos
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