Historical Perspectives
Why the Canonical Coronation?

At the heart of the city of Pasig in Metro Manila, Philippines, one can find a stone church frequented by devotees from far and wide. This church, founded in 1572, became a very important Augustinian mission under the curatorship of Muy Reverendo Padre Fray Juan de Alva as its first prior. Fr. Juan de Peñalosa stood in as his assistant. The old Spanish Pasig mission was formerly built with wood and was initially accepted under the titular Con­ventus Visitationis Virginis Mariae de Passin in an Augustinian triennial ca­pitular meeting on April 30, 1575 under the District of Tondo. It became the first Marian Parish in the whole of Asia.

Before the Spanish conquistadores, around 1450, Pasig was a peaceful kingdom built around the Bitukang Manok River under the leadership of a beautiful queen, Dayang Calangitan, wife of Gat Lontok, a local Malay royalty. Dayang Calangitan (or Lady from Heaven) was a much loved lead­er who ruled the natives benevolently, making the town very progressive. The area of Pasig is a natural springboard to parts of Lake Laguna. Cascos (trade boats) were moored in this area and would ply the river with farm produce while natives would cast their nets for produce. Through her able stewardship, Pasig eventually grew to become a major sitio (place) for flour­ishing trade during her term. Dayang Calangitan must have been perceived as heaven sent – making it easier for the Pasigueño natives, called Tingues (people of the mountain), to embrace the Spanish brought Blessed Virgin Mary, La Nuestra Señora desde del cielo (Our Lady from Heaven), as its future patroness.

On April 25, 1587, the titular Conventus Visitationis de Mariae was changed to the Immaculate Conception as Patroness of the town of Pasig. In its early Spanish development, the Pasig convent was seen as a flourishing and rich center of faith. Through the years, the parish grew especially devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The different chapels of Pasig adopted an attribute of the Blessed Virgin Mary for further veneration in their respective sites. May­bonga has Nuestra Señora de los Remedios; Sto. Tomas de Villanueva has Virgin del Pilar; Palatiw has Virgen de Salvacion and Pinira (Rosario) has Our Lady of the Rosary. The most significant event which stirred the prayer­ful soul of old Pasig was probably the passage in 1632 of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage who sailed down the central canal, Bitukang Manok, on her way to her permanent home in Antipolo. Pasig and its people were  closely identified with her and  they placed themselves under her protection – albeit unofficially. The town was becoming a very famous Marian town with  the Spanish brought image of the Immaculate Conception taking pride of place at the center of the altar.

In the eighteenth  century, the first significant Marian event was the foundation in 1712 of the Cofradia de Nuestra Señora de la  Consolacion (De la Correa) in the archdiocese under the auspices of the Augustinians as approved by Archbishop Francisco de la Cuesta. We can learn from Muy Reverendo Padre Fray Joaquin Martinez de Zuniga’s book, Estadismo de las Islas Filipinas, published in 1800, that the mission parish was richly ornamented with silver jewels and a convent which is among the best in the country.

Construction  work  on  the church  and  provisions  for the  fiesta  of  the  patroness were  carried  out  by  Muy Reverendo  Padres  Juan Vague  and  Jose  Corugedo. The  church  was  enlarged to  accommodate  the  camarin of  the patroness, altar  tables,  the  sacristy  and the  increasing  number  of prayerful  souls  during fiestas. The altar retablo was  repaired  after being  eaten  by  termites and  silver  andas were purchased  for  procession. More  importantly, it was during this time that  Muy  Reverendo  Padre Fray Juan Vague wrote a letter to the Archbishop of Manila begging him to accommodate the purchase of a beautiful crown  replete with various  stones  for  the patroness,  the  Immaculate Conception at the altar. It is this very crown that was used in the canonical coronation of the Patroness one hundred and forty-one years later in 2008. On December 8th, 1870, a traveling Belgian, J. Le Mann, saw the wealth of Pasig’s fiesta reflected in the wealth of its inhabitants. The main altar of  the church was made of  solid  silver  and  the  intensity of the fiesta  in honor of  its patroness, Nuestra Señora  de  la  Inmaculada  Concepcion, was contagious.

But not all was well in Pasig a year later. Dissatisfaction rose against the administration of the Spaniards. Patriotic Filipinos were agitated with the execution of Jose Rizal, the nation’s hero. The Filipino-Spanish war broke out forcing the Augustinian Spanish friars, headed by Muy Reverendo Padre Fray Julian Diez to vacate the church and convent. Presbitero Don Victor Ramos y Aguillon, a Filipino priest, was left to tend to the flock. When Spain sold the Philippines to the United States, the Filipinos perceived that another conquistador loomed to take over.

But not all was well in Pasig a year later. Dissatisfaction rose against the adminis­tration of the Spaniards. Patriotic Filipi­nos were agitated with the execution of Jose Rizal, the nation’s hero. The Fili­pino-Spanish war broke out forcing the Augustinian Spanish friars, headed by Muy Reverendo Padre Fray Julian Diez to vacate the church and convent. Presbitero Don Victor Ramos y Aguillon, a Filipino priest, was left to tend to the flock. When Spain sold the Philippines to the United States, the Filipinos perceived that another conquistador loomed to take over.

Pasig was no exception. Before the Americans could seize the town and pre­dictably convert the church into a garrison, Padre Victor was faced with the enormous task of how to safeguard the church possessions, including pre­sumably the priceless and venerated image of the Inmaculada Concepcion, its ornaments, holy vessels and vestments and canonical books dating as far back to the seventeenth century. He learned that Dr. Francisco Sta. Ana, one of the first physicians of Pasig, had invited the French consul to stay in his Bahay na Bato (stone house) to invest it with diplomatic immunity. To be sure, the French consul hoisted the French flag in front of the well fortified residence at the Pariancillo. Like many Pasigueños, the acting pastor, Padre Victor, decided to transfer the church properties including his personal be­longings to the doctor’s house.

Lamentably, the Americans violated international law by disregarding the diplomatic arrangement and set the house on fire during the ensuing battle of February 9th, 1899. With no venerated patroness to speak of, it must have been during the American Regime, between the years 1903 and 1904, that the image of the Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig was acquired. This was achieved either through American war reparation for desecrating church properties or from the coffers of the Archbishop of Manila who saw to it that an image of its Patroness be installed. By the time of the celebration of the Marian Year in 1904 – the 50th anniversary of the declaration on the dogma of the Immaculate Conception – Pasig had recovered enough to be able to participate in the occasion. From the accounts of Don Pedro Tech, the father of the late prominent Pasigueño historian, Prof. Carlos Tech, the image of the patroness arrived in Pasig during the first years of American occupa­tion aboard one of the cascos and disembarked at the dock of Bambang. The Pasigueños, under the administration of a group called Centro Catolico zealously welcomed the image and brought it to the main altar where it was enthroned, proclaimed and venerated to this present time.

Even after the Spanish regime, the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Fathers (the Scheutist) had the passion to take the cudgels for Marian devotion in Pasig.

The Canonical Coronation

The Canonical Coronation of a Marian image is the Church’s way of hon­oring the Blessed Mother. It is a Papal act, duly expressed in a Papal Bull, wherein a Marian image venerated in a certain locality under a specific title is given the highest recognition. The image to be crowned should be his­torically old and acclaimed as a beacon of faith and hope among the people. Through the rites of Canonical Coronation, the sacred image of Mary em­bodies all the faithful within the locality entrusted to Mary’s maternal love and protection. It enjoins all the faithful in affirming and in recognizing the Church’s fervent devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the Diocese of Pasig, the celebra­tion of the 150th year of the apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes in France which heavenly proclaimed the Immaculate Conception of our Lady, and the numerous blessings and graces which have continually been manifested through the powerful intercession of Our Lady. His Most Rev. Francisco C. San Diego, D. D., the Bishop of Pasig, wrote to the Holy See, through His Most Rev. Edward Joseph Adams, D.D., the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philip­pines on July 4, 2008, requesting for the Canonical Coronation of La Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig, the Parochial and Diocesan Patroness.

By miracle and within such a short period, the Congregation of the Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments dated July 30, 2008, expressed approval of the petition making La Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Con­cepcion de Pasig the 29th canonically crowned image in the Philippines.

The momentous celebration of Our Lady’s crowning deserved more than a simple feast. Committees and a lot of hard work were put into the his­toric event. Rev. Fr. Roy M. Rosales, the Cathedral rector and concurrent Chancellor of the Diocese created the Executive Commission of the Canoni­cal Coronation comprising the Parish Pastoral Council, the Committee de Festejos, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the Hermandad de la Semana Santa de Pasig, to oversee the celebration.

The Halo and Crown

A new crown sourced from the parishioners would have to be made for the patroness. But somehow and by providence, the item on an antique crown owned by the parish came up when a Marian devotee parishioner broached the idea to Rev. Fr. Roy M. Rosales to use the 1867 Rev. Fr. Juan Vague crown, one of the old Pasig treasures. The decision was not easy, for the antique crown was in a sad state of disrepair. It would be good to note that this crown was subjected to pilferage as two of its pillars or imperialis were stolen. One thing is for sure, if the antique crown was to be used it had to be restored. A noted jeweler, known for his superb craftsmanship was called in to provide the expertise.

Three imperialis of the crown were taken to the Vatican by Fr. Roy to be blessed by Pope Benedict XVI.

A Marian coronation cannot be achieved without the traditional halo or au­reola. To complete the Marian crowning, a matching Halo or Aureola was commissioned by the same family from Pasig who undertook the restora­tion of the antique crown.

The halo mimics the crown with the infusion of various stones and golden embellishments. The halo design duplicates the filigree motif of the crown to add to the femininity and fluidity in pattern. Over a thousand stones and 12 medals were purchased from various suppliers in the United States, Thailand and Hong Kong.

Finally, on the seventh design and after three long months came united approval. It just took one day for the artist to finish the final design outside the chancery’s office in the Cathedral. The artist together with the sponsor, after several sketches and adjustments were astonished that the Halo turned out to be a collection of “Peinetas,” (small combs) used by Filipinas to compliment their na­tive dresses such as “Maria Claras,” “Sayas” and “Kimonas”. This design was made before the Filipiniana theme of this historic event was an­nounced. The flower design of “sampaguita” (na­tional flower in Philippines) was incorporated on the Halo as twelve stars cum “sampaguita” repre­senting the twelve tribes of Israel. With the filigree style, the Halo also contains twelve medals of the different attributes of our Blessed Mother such as, Our Lady the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal to name a few. Over a thousand stones were used to adorn the Halo.

The fabrication of the Halo took another three months to finish. To compliment the jeweler’s work, an engineer designed the support and the stabilization of the Halo and its metal holder stand which was executed by an expert in metal craft.

The Altar Restoration

In preparation for the great event of the Canoni­cal Coronation, the main altar and the two side altars of the Cathedral were renovated and re­stored, maintaining its original classic design and further enhanced with gold leafed carvings.

Image Restoration

It was in the morning of September 29, 2008 that the image of the Blessed Virgin was brought down from Her camarin and was brought to the Museo Diocesano de Pasig. There in this muse­um, the image would be prepared for her canoni­cal elevation.

The early 1900s antique image of La Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig was seen with its paint peeling off in some parts. As the image was initially cleaned with purified water, all parts of the image were infused with dust accumulation. But what was strange was that the face area remained miraculously preserved from dust. As the restorers lifted the under part of the base, a strong scent of mixed rose and san­dalwood filled the air. The restorers all looked amazed that over a century on the scent of wood and flowers were miraculously still there.

As the old paint was being chipped off to its base color, the sky blue mantle was actually that of a shade darker than royal blue. The sharp details of the image came out in full view such us the scars on her right and left eye and a scratch on her nose. After all these years, the parishioners saw that the Patrona is fair skinned. What was revealed was that the base color of the face was actually a morenita (darkened red). In fact, the restorers saw that the image had a resemblance to Our Lady of Guadalupe modified to suit her image as the Immaculate Conception. The existing mantle with an inch wide gold leaf turned out to be originally two and a half inches wide. The tunic was not off white in color but actually yellow.

Two strange manifestations occurred inside the museum while the image was being restored. On November 18, 2008 at 2:30 in the morning while the restorers were about to call it a night, sounds like a choir of angels singing heavenly music were heard from the wooden floors of the museum. Also, at around midnight of November 22, final­izing the paint restoration, the restorers were mesmerized upon seeing a cherub flapping its wings as it emerged from behind the Patrona’s back as if guarding the image.

As the paint restoration reached its completion, what un­raveled was a beautiful Madonna worthy of being canoni­cally crowned.

The Lady’s Manto or Mantle

A manto or mantle  is  a piece of  clothing usually of fine linen, similar to a robe but sleeveless and usually open at the  front, worn as an outer covering.  In religious  terms, the linen symbolizes Mary’s mantle; the blue symbolizes compassion, fidelity and the waters of baptism; the white of  purity  and  the  magniifcent  halo-like  embroidered gold crown of Pasig flowers is symbolic of celestial royalty that befits a queen of heaven.

La Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig may not be de vestir  (clothed) but  the manto symbolizes our respect and veneration beftting an image that is canonically crowned. It is also dressed with a cloak to conserve the stability of the wooden image and to protect it from contact with the metal crown.

The mantle consists of four layers:

First, the bottom part  is  the beso manto which is made of  very fine white  lace. By its Spanish name, its purpose is to be kissed. Extended to the back of the camarin, this shall serve as the mantle to be kissed by the faithful. The  second  is a thicker manto of blue Vietnamese silk satin purposely prepared to give body to the overall manto of the virgin.

The most expensive mantle is the third manto which is made of finely handcrafted gilded floral threads accentuated by bouillon threads on piña cloth and silk organza which gives it its royal bearing.

The fourth and last layer is the Tocado or Toca Sobremanto which is a small piece of piña cloth found at the crown portion of the image. This is made to hold  the papal blessed  antique crown of the image.

The design is inspired by Pasig fora frequently  and more  traditionally used during the Spanish period which are: the sampaguita, ilang-ilang, camia, jasmine, rosal, and much-admired leaves of kamuning, and anahaw. The design  follows the pattern of agos – a continuous flow of embroidery without any planned pattern design. The color scheme  is carefully addressed and planned to be simple yet elaborate. Styled not to compete with the really beautiful image and closely patterned with the very feminine areola design.

The carrosa that was used for the canonical crowning and the triumphal procession of the venerated virgin, was prepared by a family from Pasig. It was exclusively made for use in the replica of the Nuestra Senora del Gran Dolor from Spain and  inspired by  the carrosa or paso of Spain’s Malaga  processions  during  Lenten  Season. The exclusive use of the carrosa extends to the venerated La  Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig. Henceforth,  the  carrosa is now known  as El Gran Carrosa  de Pasig. The carrosa was finished in 2002 and  the palio (canopy) was incorporated in 2004.

The Escalera de Maria (Canonical Stairs)

An interior designer, a son of Pasig, was delegated to come up with the de-
sign of  the staircase  that would be used  for  the actual Canonical Corona-
tion.

The concept of two sets of stairs – the left set to ascend and the right set to
descend. Aesthetics aside, logically and traffic wise it works.

Maybe with  divine  intervention, the actual Canonical Coronation of the well-venerated image, with  the help of the stairs was done in a very suave ceremonial way. Not only the way the designer had been hoping and praying for, but the way that the Lady, the Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig wanted
it to be.

The Santo Traslado

The celebration for the canonical coronation of the Patrona started on the early morning of December 6th when the Hermandad de la Semana Santa de Pasig conducted the Santo Traslado (the Holy Transfer of the Holy Image from one place to the other). In the conduct of the Santo Traslado, the sacred image was usually covered by a “funda” a fab­ric like pillow case to cover the whole image as a sign of respect and at the same time for its protection as a vener­ated image. This is also done to conceal its transformation after restoration from the parishioners so that at coronation time they will see a beautiful and gran­diose image worthy of veneration.

The veneration given by the Pasigueños to their beloved Patroness was immense. That is why in every movement made during the ritual, permission was always asked from the Blessed Virgin Mary. A silent candle light procession filled the air with mixed emotions. People would experience goose bumps while pray­ing and singing praises to the Queen of heaven. After its temporary enthrone­ment, a twenty four hour vigil was made mainly by the Hermandad de la Semana Santa de Pasig.

The Canonical Coronation Rites

On December 7 at three in the afternoon, the Canonical Coronation Ritesstarted with  the  entrance of  the Diocesan clergy, Guest Bishops  from  the Sufragan Dioceses of the Archdiocese of Manila, His Most Rev. Francisco C. San Diego, D.D., Bishop of Pasig and the main celebrant, the Papal Nuncio His Most Rev. Edward Joseph Adams, D.D. Afer  introduction to the mass, three loud knocks permeated the whole church. As the main molave door opened the ladies and gentlemen, all members of the Hermandad de la
Semana Santa de Pasig, in their colorful Filipiniana costume slowly and with reverence entered the church as it led the beautiful La Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig on  top of  the  resplendent Carrosa. The misty eyed parishioners begun  to  clap  their hands and many waved  their
white handkerchieves as if to say, “Welcome home dear Lady, we missed you!”

The choir sung the glorious Magnificat by John Rutter. The carrosa solemnly stopped at the right side of the transept and the two staircases were joyfully joined to act as the stage for the canonical coronation. After the homily of the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams blessed the antique crown and halo and slowly climbed the staircase leading to the Patrona for the official canonical coronation rites assisted by Bishop San Diego, Fr. Roy and assistants. All were in awe as to the grandiosity of the event. Some were seen crying, some mesmerized but all in all heavenly graces abound­ed at the site of the Patrona being crowned.

At the end of the mass, the canoni­cally crowned image was lead into a procession through major thor­oughfares, the first time the image was able to join for over a hundred years. After Her return to the ca­thedral, the sacred image was in­terred to Her permanent residence, Her camarin to be venerated by the faithful parishioners.

As an epilogue to the whole story, a group of talented and creative Marian devotees was formed and invested last February 11, 2009, Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. This group is now known as the Abang Lingkod ni Maria, with the vision to be true servants of Mary as lov­ing Queen and Mother, and tasked with the mission to provide the needs, maintenance, and safekeep­ing of the crowned image.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

ARTICLE courtesy of the Abang Linkod ni Maria
Historical Perspectives, Halo and Crown

Feature:
Antonio S. Miguel, Curator,
Museo Diocesano de Pasig
Wilfrieda R. Legaspi, Camarera Mayor,
Abang Lingkod ni Maria
Susan Roman, Jeweler, daughter of
Ms. Anita G. Roman, owner of Central Jewelry
Altar Renovation Feature:
Joel Vilchez, Past President,
Comite de Festejos 2006

Image Restoration:
Willie Caruncho, Member, Hermandad de la
Semana Santa de Pasig
Canonical Stairs Construction:
Dan de Leon, Member, Hermandad de la
Semana Santa de Pasig

Mantle:
Antonio S. Miguel, Curator,
Museo Diocesano de Pasig
Bobby S.J. Bonifacio, Member, Hermandad de la Semana Santa de Pasig

Santo Traslado:
Willie Caruncho, Member, Hermandad dela Semana Santa de Pasig
Canonical Coronation Rites:
Erick Santos, Member, Hermandad dela
Semana Santa de Pasig

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY:

Rey Mondez
Antonio S. Miguel
Nene Leyva

REYNA CALANGITAN

PHOTO courtesy of the
Pasig City Museum through Dir. Noel Rivera;
Roderick Macutay, Artist