Text and Photo: Joey O. Luces
| The altar of Saint Catherine of Alexandria Parish Church.
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The Church is the reflection of the people and their faith in God. It is a place where people gather to praise and worship Him. However, the church is not just a building, but a body of believers united in Christ with a mission to carry out and continue the work of Christ: to share the Word of God. As He said in Exodus 25:8-9, “Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it.”
The Catholic Church is the largest Christian church in the world. Here in the Philippines, more than 85 million Filipinos are Catholics. This is more than 86 percent of the population. Having a place of worship is important for Catholics. It is where they feel they are closer to God and feel like part of community of believers. Catholics belong to an organization of the Christian community called parish, and the religious center of the parish is the church.
The parish is usually named after the patron or patroness of the place, thus Catholics in the municipality of Mambusao belong to the Saint Catherine of Alexandria Parish. Like all other parishes, the Saint Catherine of Alexandria Parish has a church where parishioners gather to attend Masses and other religious activities. The church is among the biggest in the Archdiocese of Capiz. At present, the construction of the parish church’s interior which started in 2019 is in progress. In fact, even when the country was still under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) due to COVID-19 its construction did not halt. The construction is funded by the donations of Mambusaonons and non-Mambusaonons here and abroad, and even at difficult times, the generosity of the donors did not stop. They continued to send cash donations for the project.
The ongoing church construction is the brainchild of its incumbent parish priest, Rev. Fr. Jose Arturo Emilio Arbatin, known to many as Fr. Emil. He conceived this project right after his installation as parish priest. According to him, when he came to the parish last July 4, 2018, the previous parish priest endorsed a project for the retablo construction. Through the series of meetings with the officers of the Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Council, the parish came up with the said project. The parish also asked for the assistance of a priest who is in charge of the cultural heritage of the archdiocese, Fr. Rey Bernard Martinez, who is also a Mambusaonon.
Fr. Emil was inspired and excited to set his plan in motion. “What urged me to start the project was first the endorsement and then the desire to give a more fitting church for every Mambusaonon,” Fr. Emil said.
It was in May 2019 when the renovation of the church started and the first source of fund was the monetary proceeds from Reina de las Flores. Since bigger amount of money is needed for the project, the parish organized different fundraising activities like dinner and concert. The parish also sells religious articles and income goes directly to the standing fund for the project. During his birthdays, instead of giving him gifts Fr. Emil instead appeals to the parishioners to donate any amount for the construction of the church.
But what really generated big amount for the project was adopting the strategy of the longest serving parish priest of Mambusao, the late Msgr. Domingo Tanalgo. During his time when Mrgr. Tanalgo has a project for the church, he would go overseas to ask for donations from Mambusaonons living or working abroad. This initiative of the dearly loved monsignor led to the construction of one of the biggest parish churches in the province during his time.
Fr. Emil likewise traveled to obtain financial support. The very first place he visited was Manila. Then he went overseas to solicit from Mambusaonons in the United States, Los Angeles California, New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Illinois, Alaska, United Kingdom, and Hongkong. It was not difficult for Fr. Emil to reach out to them because Mambusaonons are known for their hospitality and the spirit of Inilusan (sharing).
The design of the present church is a standout as this cannot be seen in other parish churches in the Archdiocese. According to Fr. Emil, Isabelline Gothic architecture is the overall concept design of the church renovation. The Isabelline is a Spanish style characterized by Muslim or Arabic design because, at one time in the history of Spain, they were also invaded by Muslims that caused Arabic influence. Contrary to that, Gothic is mainly French architecture which is characterized by spires and pointed arches.
The centerpiece of the church renovation is the retablo. Upon entering the church’s main entrance, one’s eyes will capture a variety of painted and sculptured religious images at the altar which add sacrosanctity to the church. Some of the unique and astounding objects that can be seen are the four-bar reliefs depicting the highlights in the life of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Each relief costs Php300, 000, a total of 1.2 million. For the flooring, Machuca tiles were used (handmade cement tiles also known as Mediterranean cement tiles) priced at Php960, 000 and Php400, 000 for the installation. The three angels on top of the altarpiece that hold the torch of Amsterdam costs Php100, 000 each. The entire ambo where the priest reads the homily is worth Php400,000, and the table in the altar (whole block marble stone blasted in Romblon) where the priest celebrates the Mass also costs Php400,000.
In every construction, quality materials and workmanship should be of utmost consideration. This is the reason why big amount of money has been disbursed for the project.
“Quality comes with a price,” Fr. Emil expressed. “Approximately, Php20 million was spent for the first and second phases of the renovation. The last and final phase which is the repair of roofs and ceilings roughly costs seven million pesos. Mambusaonons are truly givers and beholden to God’s grace.”
Conferring to the church is an allegory of deep gratitude and faith. Amid the pandemic, people are still giving and this is the message that the whole world needs to know. Borrowing the words of Anne Frank, “No one has ever become poor by giving.” But it is not just money that we can give. We can also give by serving God and following His words. At the end of the day, what matters the most is the fulfillment we feel and the prosperity of our spirit.