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.
15 comments:
Happy feastday.
I like your Mary too.
I like it too and would have taken a picture of it if I saw it.
I also like it! She has very delicate features.
I love this Mary, too. She looks so approachable.
This is all so intriguing. Are the people of Manila (or the Philippines) devoutly Roman Catholic or is it more of a cultural thing?
You seem to have a plethora of images, statues, icons, feast days, etc., and I'm just curious of people really believe or if it's just kind of the thing to do...
Very nice photo.
Beautiful statue! Happy holiday.
I think it's beautiful. Just another's interpretation. Very nice Hilda.
Maria was a Mid-Eastern woman, so she probably had not very typical European features. I really like this Filipina version, Justino seems to be a great and inspired craftsman.
Dear Hilda, thanks so much for this beautiful post!
I love Maria with all interpretations.No matter, it's all about faith and I do love her!
God bless you
Léia
This is lovely and very original! I think I've already seen the moon on another catholic image in the Philippines, was it in your blog, Hilda?
Happy holiday! I like the look of the statue. it's beautiful. Let us pray...
Jacob:
Yes, most Filipinos are devout Catholics and Christians. Churches and other worship halls are always full on Sundays, for each and every service. Whether all this religiosity translates to actual good deeds is another matter altogether!
JM:
Yes, that was here too. I pointed out the moon in one of the images of the Immaculate Conception that I posted in the past.
happy feast day to you and the ateneans.
I also find this Mary to be very beautiful. I like it.
Very beautiful dress, gorgeous hair, fairy framing - lovely piece of inspiration!
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