Immaculate

December 8 is the feast day of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Many of the private schools in the Philippines are run by Catholic religious congregations, and since this day is a holy day of obligation for Catholics, these schools will all be closed. The Immaculate Conception is the patroness of the Ateneo de Manila and the annual grand alumni homecoming has traditionally been held on the Saturday closest to her feast day, rather than the school's foundation day. The celebration always begins with a Mass, held at the Church of the Gesù since it opened in 2002. This is followed by a procession to the high school covered courts, complete with candles, a recitation of the rosary, and an icon of Mary on a carroza (float) pulled by the men.



I love the spray of flowers placed on the carroza: all white anthurium, lilies, chrysanthemums and baby's breath.

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There’s a photo in each post, but this is not just a photo blog.
The descriptions are perfect for learning more about Filipino culture and life in Manila.

This is what Liz wrote about my blog when she added My Manila to the Blogs of the World section of Pocket Cultures. I think it's one of the best things anyone can ever say about what I'm trying to do here and I really appreciate both the write-up and the link. Check out Pocket Cultures—the blog was set up just last year by a group of friends from Europe and North Africa who share the same curiosity about different world cultures, with a special emphasis on the practical, day-to-day lifestyles of its peoples.

Maria

Today is the feastday of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus. All Jesuit institutions in the Philippines (and maybe worldwide for all I know) are on holiday today. Today is also the anniversary of the dedication of the Ateneo Church of the Gesù. This image is just above the altar of the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, one of the two side chapels of the Gesù. Sculpted by Justino "Paloy" A. Cagayat Jr. of Paete, Laguna (a town known for its highly-skilled wood craftsmen), this is a very unusual Immaculate Conception because of her Filipina features and dress. Some people find it hard to get used to since most images of Mary here are very European, but I like it.

Cherubim on high

December 8 is the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, the patroness of the Archdiocese of Manila. To commemorate this Roman Catholic holy day (which, beginning this year, is no longer a holiday in the Philippines), I offer you another view of the Manila Cathedral, which is also known as the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. The symbol on the round plaque underneath the cross is the coat of arms of the Holy See which features the papal tiara and Saint Peter's crossed keys.



ADDENDUM: Because so many are asking. This feast day used to be a holiday for Catholic institutions all over the Philippines. But on May 20, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)—think of it as the government of the Catholic Church in the country—declared that it will no longer be so. It is still a holy day, however, and Catholic schools are asked to organize activities related to the solemnity (Mass, Rosary, forums and programs on Mary) "to capture the true spirit of the holy day and make its celebration more meaningful."

Patroness of the university and of the country

The Immaculate Conception is the patroness of the Ateneo de Manila University and of the Philippines. So it was not surprising that the short procession from the Manila Cathedral to the ruins of the San Ignacio Church in Intramuros last Sunday included a beautiful statue of her on a richly decorated carroza (float). Both the statue and the carroza are much more ornate than the one the university uses every December.

Women

Since the year 2000, the Ateneo de Manila University has experienced a flurry of landscaping—among other, more serious matters, of course. This is especially true of the spaces between buildings which used to be covered only with crabgrass. Now, flowers, rock gardens and charming paths beautifully set off the campus' gorgeous trees. Earlier this month, traditionally the month of Mary for Catholics, a Marian walk between Gonzaga Hall and Berchmans Hall was blessed.



Mary, especially in her form as the Immaculate Conception, is the patroness of this Jesuit university. She is usually depicted with the moon at her feet, though I've seen versions with clouds or cherubs and various combinations of these three elements.



2000 was the year when the university's School of Arts and Sciences was split off into four schools (Humanities, Science and Engineering, Social Sciences, Management), each with its own dean, and all under the Vice President for the Loyola Schools. The first VP was Dr. Anna Miren Intal and the current VP is Dr. Maria Assunta Cuyegkeng.

And it will remain so

THEME DAY: EMPTY • At the chancel of the Manila Cathedral, there is a lovely pulpit on one side of the altar, but it has stood empty for many years because priests now give their homilies at the lectern on the other side. Above the retablo is an image of the Immaculate Conception, the patroness of the Archdiocese of Manila and after whom this minor basilica is also named.



Containing nothing, not occupied, lacking substance or value, the absence of activity, having no purpose, and to remove the contents of. These are the different meanings of empty and we're bound to see all illustrated by City Daily Photo bloggers. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Glorious wood

As a Catholic university, the Ateneo de Manila has several chapels aside from the Church of the Gesù which I've featured during the day and at night. One of my favorite chapels is the Immaculate Conception Chapel in the Loyola Schools. It was redesigned extensively in 2000 by architect Vincent Pinpin and looks very different from when we used to attend Sunday mass there when I was a kid. I love the simplicity of the chapel now, with all its beautiful wood, big windows at the sides to let in lots of sunlight, and the few panes of colored glass up front behind the altar. The crucifix rotates and on the other side is the resurrected Christ, used during the Easter season. The small statue of Mary is a replica of a bigger one which is probably as old as the university. The original statue used to stand in the grand staircase of the Intramuros campus in the late 1800s. It either survived the 1930s fire and transfered to the entrance of the Padre Faura campus, or there was a second statue exactly like the first one. I don't know if I can ever find out for sure, but I do know that the Padre Faura statue was mostly destroyed during WWII. However, the upper portion was salvaged and when the university moved to Loyola Heights in Quezon City in the 1950s, the statue was restored by an alumni class that studied in the Padre Faura campus. That restored statue is now kept in the university archives.

Dedication

The arch over the central doorway of the Manila Cathedral is inscribed with the Latin phrase "Tibi cordi tuo immaculato concredimus nos ac consecramus." As far as I could understand the word-by-word definition in the World Star website, it means "We consecrate to your immaculate spirit and entrust to you for safekeeping." The Manila Cathedral is also known as the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. I hope that Vogon Poet gets to visit today so he can confirm or correct my translation.

Getting ready

This is the closest I've gotten to the dome of the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, better known as the Manila Cathedral and the seat of the Archdiocese of Manila. It was taken from the roofdeck of The Manila Collectible Co., which can be rented for events (but I don't recommend it during dreary rainy days, like the day we were there). The Cathedral has been closed since February of last year for structural renovations, the most important of which is seismic retrofitting. The current cathedral is the eighth church to be built on the site, and at least four previous structures were destroyed or heavily damaged by earthquakes.

School history

As I promised, here is the Heritage Room of the Ateneo de Manila Grade School where yesterday's mural is located. The room displays mementos from the school's 150-year history, and statues of the Immaculate Conception, the school's patroness, and St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order which runs the school. Another room off to the right, which I wasn't able to take a photo of, features portraits of all past headmasters of the Ateneo Grade School, who have all been Jesuit so far. If I'm not mistaken, the Heritage Room was built soon after the school celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2009.

An homage to the humanities

As part of the Ateneo de Manila University's 150th anniversary celebrations, the Loyola School of Humanities staged "Magis" (Latin for "more," which summarizes the Jesuit ideal of the pursuit of excellence) on September 9. It was a three-hour cultural gala that celebrated and paid tribute to Philippine national hero Jose Rizal, the university's most eminent alumnus, and to the Ateneo's performing artists, composers, filmmakers, popular entertainers, journalists, outstanding teachers, National Artists, and recognized figures in Philippine theater, literature and visual arts. The show ended with a procession of the images of the Immaculate Conception and St. Ignatius, after which everyone, from the performers to the audience, stood up to sing "A Song for Mary," the Ateneo de Manila's alma mater song.

Archdiocese, cathedral, basilica

The cathedral of the Archdiocese of Manila, known by all as the Manila Cathedral, is located in Intramuros. It is the sixth cathedral to rise on the site since 1581. The first cathedral, made of bamboo and nipa, was built after Pope Gregory XIII issued a papal bull in 1579 creating the Diocese of Manila under the Archbishopric of Mexico. In 1595, Pope Clement VIII elevated the diocese into an archdiocese. The cathedral at the time, the third structure, was described as having "three naves and seven chapels" and seems to have been the design followed in its next three reconstructions. The present church was built after WWII, from 1954 to 1958. In 1981, Pope John Paul II honored the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral by declaring it a minor basilica and it now also retains the title of "Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception." The plaza with the fountain in front of the cathedral is called "Plaza de Roma" which I will feature in a separate post.

Proxy

A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.

~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Church of San Miguel, in the district of the City of Manila with the same name, traces its history back to 1603. The current church, however, was only built in 1913. From 1946 to 1958, it became a pro-cathedral when it served as the seat of the Archdiocese of Manila after the Manila Cathedral—the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception—was destroyed during WWII. In 1986, the church was designated the National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels.

No less grand

The main facade of the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, better known as the Manila Cathedral, has three doorways. The central doorway, which is the biggest, has large wooden doors with bronze relief panels depicting the history of the church, over which is a grand arch inscribed with the dedication of the church. The two side doorways are slightly smaller though their arches are just as richly ornamented with elaborate reliefs.

Wood and stone

Because Ateneo de Manila is a Jesuit university, there are many small chapels and prayer spaces around its campuses. I've featured the Church of the Gesù several times, the St. Stanislaus Kostka Chapel of the high school and the Immaculate Conception Chapel of the college. This tiny chapel in the lower ground floor of the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center is my favorite because of its simplicity and its serene lighting. When the stone and bamboo fountain is on, it's perfect for prayer and meditation. For a tiny chapel (it can only accommodate about thirty people), it has quite a long name: the Prayer Room of Jesuit Saints and Blesseds.

Go to Joseph!

The Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica, whose formal name is the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, but is more popularly known simply as the Manila Cathedral, has a set of stained glass windows dedicated to Joseph, husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus. The Latin "Ite ad Joseph" in the small, circular window means "Go to Joseph" and is an admonition to Catholics to seek the intercession of Saint Joseph.

Monstrance

The Ateneo Church of the Gesù has two side chapels. One chapel is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and the other is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This Sacred Heart Chapel is also known as the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament because it is the one used for the exposition of the consecrated Eucharistic Host—note the monstrance built into the base of the crucifix.

My guardian dear

There is an old story by Ateneo de Manila Grade School teacher Mr. Juan Javier which explains how the Holy Guardian Angels became the patrons of the Grade School and the special guardians of young Ateneans. The story takes place at Padre Faura, during the term of Fr. Henry Lee Irwin SJ as Headmaster.

Mr. Javier narrates how, on the evening of September 28, 1933, a group of Ateneo boarders were seated outdoors after having dinner. Nearby was a shrine of the Immaculate Conception. As they were singing and laughing, an earthquake shook the ground and a wall collapsed on them, but to the amazement of everyone, the students were not hurt. At the school assembly the following Monday, the Headmaster, Fr. Henry Lee Irwin SJ, declared that October 2 would, from then on, be the school feast day. This was because the community believed that it was the Holy Guardian Angels that saved the students from harm during the earthquake. The feast of the Holy Guardian Angels falls on October 2. Every year since then, the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels was celebrated at the Grade School with a procession, a school-wide Mass, and salu-salo (get-together). When Ateneo de Manila Grade School transferred to Loyola Heights in 1954, the chapel was dedicated to the Holy Guardian Angels. Images of the Guardian Angels were also commissioned for the chapel and the garden.

Every human being has been blessed by God with a guardian angel. They are messengers of God's love—our personal protector and guide. They lead us to God, helping us live a life of faith, excellence, and loving service. As patrons of Ateneo de Manila Grade School, they are forever our companions and friends in the Lord. May we be guardian angels to others—especially to those in need.

Angel of God, my guardian dear, 

to whom God's love commits me here, 

ever this day, be at my side, 

to light and guard, 

 to rule and guide. Amen. 

It is with deep gratitude to the Lord that this Holy Guardian Angels Park is blessed and dedicated on the 20th day of October 2010.

~From the plaque in the Holy Guardian Angels Park of the Ateneo de Manila Grade School

One Big Night

Today's the day—the grand celebration of the Ateneo de Manila University for its 150th anniversary, its sesquicentennial! And the reason why I haven't been online much these past couple of weeks. We begin with a wreath-laying at the Ateneo Heroes Memorial, then a Mass at the Church of the Gesù, where the Marian procession starts which brings the congregation to the high school grounds where the rest of the event is but which is also a commemoration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception last December 8. From 6pm to 8pm, a musical celebrating the history of the university from 1859 to the present, especially commissioned for today, will be performed by members of all the student performing arts groups, though scripted, arranged and directed by theater professionals who happen to be alumni. After the musical, the real party begins with bands from the 1970s to the 2000s, also with members who are alumni, playing until midnight. The problem with working in the office that organizes these things is, all of us have work assignments throughout the entire event. So please keep your fingers crossed that I can watch some of the performances (and take some decent photos), because if I can't, I'll have to wait for the video recording and I really like live performances much better. Whatever happens, I think all of us will be glad to get our lives—and full night's sleep—back. The gates leading to the campus are decorated both for the sesquicentennial and the Christmas season. The stars with tails are traditional Filipino Christmas decorations called parol, symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem which led the three wise men to the stable where Jesus was born.



Actually, the Ateneo de Manila's 150th anniversary was on Thursday, December 10. But it being a school (and work) day, we couldn't have a big or late night to-do. So how did the university commemorate the day? As befits a Catholic institution, with a Mass. As simple as that.