San Miguel Arcangel Oil Paintings

A Reliquary of Sacred Art

WITHIN the halls of the old convento beside the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral are pieces of sacred art that were once an essential part of Cebuano piety and religiosity.

The priceless items that date back to the Spanish era come from various parishes within the archdiocese, which were brought to the Cathedral Museum for safekeeping.

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A bronze ciborium—with its intricately carved spikes and spires that was once used at the Sta. Rosa de Lima Parish in Alcoy town to contain consecrated communion hosts—is now part of the display.

The ciborium with its unique engraved appliqué is now considered a rare item as liturgical design has evolved and many opt for simple lines and carvings.

“Liturgical art of the past are really an expression of faith,” said Fr. Brian Brigoli, Archdiocesan Commission on Cultural Heritage of the Church vice chairman.

He said in the past, the Catholic Church felt that there was a need to “make the mystery of our faith to be tangible so the people would understand.”

“The work of art is supposed to direct you to the divine,” said Brigoli, adding that the old churches are usually filled with life-sized statues, furniture with ornate carvings, paintings on walls and even ceilings.

He pointed out that the museum houses some religious items that are no longer used in Holy Masses today.

A priest who carries the Viaticum was once transported from the church to the house of a sick person while sitting inside an Orimon, which is a carriage made of wood and carried on foot by four men. (The Viaticum is communion given to a sick or dying person.)

The Kiss of Peace was literally a kiss but on a silver tablet that has an engraving of Christ. One parishioner would pass the tablet to the next. Churchgoers of the past did not go around to give each other a buss like what is practiced today.

The tablet called Portapaz is from the Archdiocesan Shrine of San Miguel Arcangel in Argao town, south of Cebu.

“This is the part of liturgy, or the kind of mystery that the Church wanted to translate to tangible art form,” said Brigoli.

The chalice, or the long stem cup used for the wine, is usually made of precious metal that could be bronze, silver or gold.

One such cup once used by the former Archbishop of Cebu, the late Julio Cardinal Rosales, is embedded with precious stones.

SAN MIGUEL ARCANGEL CHURCH, CARAMOAN, CAMARINES SUR - Joel Aldor

A quick history: Caramoan is a thriving town situated on the thick, dense forests of the Caramoan Peninsula in Camarines Sur. It was first evangelized by a 60-year old Spanish friar named Fray Francisco de la Cruz y Oropesa in 1619. In 1696, it became an independent parish under the Diocese of Nueva Caceres.

The church building follows a similar rectangular architectural design employed in the churches of Tigaon, Goa and San Jose in Camarines Sur. The facade is of two levels, divided by four pilasters. A small pediment with a rose window is capped by a small bell tower in the center, and is balustered along the cornice, which is then flanked by two jar-like finials. Red bricks were used for the most part of the church walls. A niche containing the statue of St. Michael the Archangel can be found at the center portion of the facade.

The interior’s arched ceiling has been renovated though, probably because of the damage sustained by past typhoons. The retablo is no longer existing; just a simple altar of the Risen Christ. However some fascinating paintings of the Stations of the Cross can still be found inside the church’s nave. I can easily tell the paintings were done by a local artist.

The town of Caramoan is a good candidate for my future town immersions. If ever I have the time and the chance to go back to Caramoan, I’d like to know more about the church history and its parishioners. Maybe some time next year, I hope.

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