Vdl.Rem.

"VIRGEN DE LOS REMEDIOS" 
Coronation Sept. 8, 1956

This is how Kapampangans abbreviate Her name. The Virgen de los Remedios has been always a part of each Kapampangans wherever they go. But what has been so special of her? 

1952. The whole Pampanga is being torned down by destructions -- made by the godless ideology spreading throughout the land. At that time, on the 1st of May, the pastor of the land, Bishop Cesar Ma. Guerrero, called to the Virgen for help. He then established the Crusada ning Pamanisi at Lugud (Cruzada de Penitencia y Misericordia) to rally his kabalens to renew their Catholic faith. The image from Barrio Baliti, City of San Fernando, became the key icon of the crusade. 

So the Virgen went roaming around Pampanga the whole year, towns by towns, barrios by barrios, chapels by chapels [Recently I featured the old photo of Barrio Santa Monica chapel with the Virgen and the Santo Cristo of the crusade]. Hundreds and thousands of people turned back to God, to the Church. Many were healed, their spirits renewed. No one of each towns visited would forget to give thanks to the Virgen for all the blessings they received and obtained. The hearts of those rich were suddenly opened for the poor; giving birth to the charitable "lamac". 

1953 came. Time to return the Virgen to Barrio Baliti. But a request for a year 2 of the Cruzada was appealed by many. So Bishop Guerrero asked again to the Baliteños to pick up the Virgen for another. But they did not allow him to, because they have missed the Virgen so much and they thought the ownership would be removed from them. But Bishop Guerrero did not lose hope. He ordered Victoriano Siongco to make a replica of the Virgen just to save the day. The crusade pushed throughout. 

. . .'Til 1956 came. Bishop Guerrero mailed the Holy See to canonically crown the Virgen. But a problem was met: the antiquity of the image is needed in order to crown her. Uh-oh. . . The replica was just that few years old then. "Mangaddi ta' namu" [Let's just pray then.], Bishop Guerrero said.

Te Deum laudamus! 8th of September 1956. The Virgen de los Remedios was solemnly crowned by Monsignor Egidio Vagnozzi, the Pope's emissary. Over 70,000 Kapampangans witnessed the Virgen's canonical coronation.

After that, the devotion to Her grew even more. Years had pass, yet the news of the miracles obtained from the Virgen continues to spring up. Calamities, typhoons, lahar, volcanic eruptions, landslides and many more cataclysmic events tested each Kapampangan's faith. Yet through Her intercessions, "tsiken pid mu yan!" 

And last Sunday, 8th of September, the whole Pampanga celebrated the 57th anniversary of the Canonical Coronation of the Virgen de los Remedios with the theme: "Maria, Aslag ning Casalpantayanan" [Mary, the Light of the Faith]. In spirit, I joined my brethren in rejoicing and acclaiming God's grace for this blessing!

I humbly dedicate this 9th posting in honor of the Queen of All Kapampangans.

Luid ya ing Indu ning Kapaldanan!

Luid ya ing Reina ding Anggang Kapampangan!

Luid ya ing Kristong Ari!

Sangpit sa Señor!

The Santo Niño de Cebu in procession.
ca. 1964

Magalang Church (Pampanga)

The "altar mayor" of Magalang Church, 

Pampanga

October 30, 1949

Taken during the Solemnity of Christ the King 

with Magdalena A. Tumang as the Presidenta.

© Robby Tantingco

PEANUT GALLERY

"O res mirabilis!" (O what a great wonder!)

During the Faithful's Communion inside the Church of San Roque de Manila Parish
Santa Cruz, Manila
circa 1950

This is a photo taken during the (probably) 5:00 A.M. Holy Mass in the humble Parish of San Roque de Manila in Blumentritt, Santa Cruz, Manila. In the photo, the people receives our Lord in the Holy Communion; with bent knees in the communion rail, praying that they may welcome Jesus in their hearts, in their lives. 

For further information, the Mass in the photo (approximately in the 50s) is the now-known as Traditional Latin Mass -- the extraordinary form of Roman Catholic worship where the Liturgy is in Latin, the universal language of the Church founded by the Lord Jesus Christ. 

And I quote the angelic doctor Saint Thomas Aquinas in regards of the photo's deeper meaning and message: 

"O res mirabilis, manducat Dominum: pauper, servus et humilis."

And yes! Aquinas is clearly right. It is but a great wonder to see who "eat" and partake in the Lord's Body and Blood in this divine mystery: the poor, the slaves and humble-of-hearts. It is also but a great and inestimable gift of God to His Church -- to receive Him as He is, wholly present and tangible in the Bread and Wine offered and shared in the wondrous altar. 

Really "a heaven on earth" . . . 

(The Traditional Latin Mass in the present times)

DOMINE, NON SUM DIGNUS. A Traditional Latin Mass (Sunday Mass "Laetare") said by Msgr. Seamus Patrick Horgan, 1st Secretary of the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, D.D., in the altar patronato of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, La Naval de Manila, inside the Santo Domingo Parish Church. 5th of April, 2013.
Photo by: CUStoS pro Mitra
Edited by: S. M. Amamangpang

Kambal na Simbahan: Parokya ng Loreto

The Holy Name Society (HNS) of Our Lady of Loreto Parish poses in front of the pre-war Altar Mayor of the church with Rev. Fr. Jose Pamintuan as their Chaplain celebrating heir 2nd anniversary. (10th of January, 1937)

This pre-war church of Our Lady of Loreto is the third to be built. The second church was destroyed during the Chinese uprisings in Manila in the Spanish colonial era. 

This church was also known as "simbahang adobe" (adobe church) due to the materials used to construct the church. This church was formerly administrated by the Franciscans (O.F.M.), later transferred to the diocesans in the mid-1930s. 

Unfortunately, everything in this adobe church, except the "imagen venerada" of Our Lady of Loreto, were destroyed during the Battle of Manila, ending the World War II. The image was miraculously saved from the casualties, but nothing was left in the adobe church except a small crypt, believed to be the remains of the good benefactor of the church. 

Bisítas ning Mílábas

"Old Barrio Santa Monica Chapel",

ca. 1953

photo by Doris Simpao

This small chapel was built by the efforts of the Don Sixto Alfonso and Dona Epifania Mercado and the residents of Barrio Santa Monica in Santa Rita, Pampanga, in the year 1926. This shot was taken during the "pámandálo" (visitation) of the "cruzada" of the Santo Cristo del Perdon and Nuestra Señora de los Remedios de la Pampanga, in the early days of the crusade. 

The reredos of the chapel depicts Saint Monica, the titular, with Saint Augustine on her right and (probably) Saint Rita on her left. Attached to it is a Tridentine altar, with the Tabernacle on the middle and three altar cards (or diptych): the Center Card, where the "Gloria", "Credo" and the "Canon Missae" are inscribed; the Right Card where the "Last Gospel" (Jn. 1) is found; and the Left Card where the prayer "Lavabo inter innocentes" is inscribed.   

The chapel also has its communion rails, where the Christfaithful receives the Lord after the absolution of their sins during the communion part of the Mass. 

In its entirety, the chapel is simple, yet extravagant in design. The simple arañas (chandeliers) with the accents of drooping flower arrangements give a classic ambiance in the interior. 

  

After the closing of the Vatican II, it was abandoned and a new, larger, modern chapel was built. The remaining parts of the chapel, including its sacred vessels, are nowhere now to find. 

Sadly, this house of God was left lonely, filled with bulky furniture and stuff. Hope this would be revived in the future. 

:)

Una Belleza Genial

"A Filipina Beauty",

photo by John T. Pilot

How it all started?

How did I start to collect antiques?

I was then a boy. Our home is still made of pinaud roofs and a room, with lauanit walls and flooring made from bamboo. We used to have a small and large bangguera where we put some bulky materials, unlike the usual where it used to display eating utensils. Half of the old bale kubu is a concrete bungalow, here we receive guests, eat together, and sometimes sleep together as one family. This cradle molded my childhood.

I can vividly remember when I saw my grandma's old photos. I was then browsing secretly her aparador when I encountered a bunch of oldies. I found her wedding picture with the ingkung Bencio. I was fascinated of the beauty of her, obviously showed in her old picture. And there were more pictures, some I do not recognize who are in the pictures. That's was when I was a kid. I returned them in their places, hoping some day I could beg them to my apung indu.

And after I finished my high school, I begged these photos to her, and she faithfully entrusted them to me.

My grandpa in the 60's when he went abroad in Saudi Arabia.

With her niece in the year 50's.

ALÂNG ÁNGGÂNG LUGUD. My grandpa, Jovencio Macasias y de Jesus, and my grandma, Luz Labitag y Garcia de Macasias, in their wedding pose in the 21st of May, 1958, a day before the feast of Saint Rita. It was Rev. Fr. Ireneo Gangcuanco who solemnized the Wedding at the century-old Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish in Santa Rita, Pampanga.

DALÁGÂNG KAPAMPÁNGAN. My grandma in the year  1970.

Welcome!

Sálángî támu pû!*

Tuloy po kayo!

Welcome!

Hi! Welcome to my new blog!

I dedicate this blog in the name of antiquities and everything. Personally I am fond of old things and knick-knacks! I love to see and collect antiques like old books, sacred images and pictures, likewise. Sometimes I regret-up-to-death to lost some of my collections. But I hope and pray that God hath placed them in good hands, wherever they maybe. (giggles)

By the way, in the following days I will be posting some of my antiques here so you may see them. If you'll be interested to buy them, just let me know. (but it's hard to give them away for they have been in my custody for years, hehehe!)

Also, I will feature here some old photos from our fellow bloggers and FB friends so you may have your daily dose of the heyday of the yesteryears -- where everything is fine, classic and beautiful.

[*This term literally means, "May you be lightened up" and is in a polite speech.]