UPDATES
A compilation of news and events current and on-going from different media group in regard to
Santisimo Rosario Parish - UST

March 15, 2009 : Lenten exhibit shows folk artists' works
By Gino U. Marasigan
 Philippine Daily Inquirer
Lifesytle Section D4

FROM the sun-baked Haciendas de azucarera of Pampanga to the tiled-roof bahay-na-bato of Biñan, and to the scenic crafts town of Paete, artists join hands to mount an extraordinary Lenten exhibit, “Pasyon ni Hesus.”

Many of the pieces on exhibit are commissioned works and fabricated images of the characters who figure prominently in the story of the Passion of Christ.

The exhibit, which promotes Philippine Catholic traditions and raises awareness of the need to preserve cultural heritage, is curated by ecclesiastical exhibit designer Rei Gana Nicolas.

If the canvas is to the painter, the hallway, the dusty silong sa ilalim ng hagdanan, or even the torn-down kamalig is to Nicolas. Armed with a solid background in Catholic dogma, having been a graduate of the University of Santo Tomas and a catechist during his college days, Nicolas is an amalgam of talent and faith. He transforms lobbies and empty rooms into well laid-out exhibits with fresh concepts that may earn either accolades or criticisms.

The work is gratis et amore. Nicolas considers every exhibit he mounts as an offering to his Gran Patrona, the Nuestra Señora del Rosario, La Naval de Manila.

In the very convent where this image is venerated, Nicolas is the leading proponent of exemplary exhibits mounted from the ’90s up to the centenary of the Virgin’s Canonical Coronation in 2007. The design and layout of Museo de Sto. Domingo is his token of affection and gratitude for the many blessings bestowed on him by the Blessed Virgin.

Museum style

The execution is museum style. The images are meticulously chosen. The focus is on the image and not on the décor. This is the Nicolas way, to draw one’s attention to the beauty of the image – the milieu of its existence and the style of its craftsmanship. To reflect on the image’s story and the message that could lead to a connection with one’s daily life. A process that is both aesthetic and spiritual. Appointed as honorary adviser to the UST Museum by Father Rector Rolando de Ia Rosa, O.P., in 1991, an art educator and a production designer for movies and television, Rei, as friends call him, takes the afternoon off on a bus ride to Paete, where the exhibit’s frontispiece is being made.

Opening at UST parish church

“Pasyon ni Hesus” opens for the pabasa and the visita of Cuaresma, March 22, 10:30 a.m., when project chairman Father James Alamillo, O.P., assisted by Reverend Father Luclo Gutierrez, O.P., and Fray Bonifacio Mergal. O.P., will lead the blessing of the exhibit at the hallway of the Santisimo Rosário Parish inside UST.

Department of Tourism director Romulo de los Reyes and actress Boots Anson Roa will cut the ribbon.

Heirloom images of noted collectors such as Nolie Hans, Francisco Vecin, Dr. Norberto Martinez, Fr. Roland Castro, O.P., Father Jojo Zerrudo, Fr. Isidro Abaño, O.P., Jun Manahan, Noel Abquilan and Dez Bautista, among others, have been loaned to complete the exhibit.

“Pasyon ni Hesus, A Lenten Exhibit” will run until April 12, Easter Sunday. Project coordinator and graphic artist is James Patrick V. Jaring.


January 2009 : Pope’s New Year message
Poverty, man’s greatest ‘wealth’
By Camille Abigael P. Alcantara
 The Varsitarian

Local voice

Elaborating more on what the solution that the head of the Vatican proposes, Santisimo Rosario assistant parish priest Fr. Lucio Gutierrez, O.P. said that evangelical poverty is finding the treasure beyond material wealth, which is Jesus Christ.

“Evangelical poverty is the poverty of the Gospel, presented by Jesus Christ to His followers,” Gutierrez told the Varsitarian, adding that what is off beam with being poor in today’s communities are the unjust impositions of the rich and powerful such as corruption.

He explained that people can live in poverty by liberating themselves from the desire to possess and the inclination to have. It also helps to be more Bible and community oriented. He stressed that caring for nature and the environment is also necessary.

“A [true] rich person is not the one who has many things; the rich person is the one who does not need,” he said.


December 1, 2008 : Sto. Niño reinventions across history
By Gino U. Marasigan
 Philippine Daily Inquirer
Lifesytle Section D4

FROM Dec. 14 to Jan. 4, 2009 the Santisimo Parish inside the campus of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in España, Manila, shall open its hallway for the exhibit, titled “Niño Jesus.”

Santisimo Rosario parish priest and “Niño Jesus” project chair Fr. James Alamillo, O.P., with assistant parish priest Fr. Lucio Gutierrez, O.P., said he offers the exhibit as a gift and as an act of faith expressing “all our deep affections to the Divine Child.”

Sto. Niño, as the icon of the Infant Jesus is fondly called by devotees, will be presented as a baby born in a manger of a Belen setting, or as a Child-King in gold-embroidered vestments majestically wearing the emblems of his heavenly office and as a young boy holding the symbols of his attributes.

In the visualization and execution of “Niño Jesus,” ecclesiastical exhibit designer Rei Nicolas takes inspiration from the Sto. Niño exhibit that was mounted at the National Library more than 40 years ago. Only select images of the Holy Child were featured in that exhibit on the occasion of the Fourth Centennial of the Christianization of the Philippines.

Open-ended

The exhibit “Niño Jesus” aims to represent the rich traditions that have evolved in our country today. It shall be an open-ended summation as the Sto. Niño continuous to “reinvent Himself,” as Dez Bautista puts it.

From Malolos where the pre-war traditions of the Sto. Niño revived and which has been reinstitutionalized for more than 30 years now, it is an understatement to say that the Sto. Niño has survived in time. More so, the Sto. Niño has flourished in time, defying rock bands and the magnets of the computer age. He is the Flanders’ image 500 years ago, He is the image in our jeepneys and department stores, He is our Sto. Niño “kahapon, ngayon at bukas.”

The rector of the University of Santo Tomas, Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P., shall bless the exhibit after which children of the parish will re-enact the Nativity as the main attraction for the opening rites. Christmas carols will be rendered by the Juan Luna Elementary School children’s choir and parlor games for the indigent children of the parish conducted at the parish garden.

The public is invited to view the family heirloom images and rare collections of Tom Joven, Jerome de Jesus, Nolie Hans, Steve de Leon, Manny Castro, Rey de la Cruz, Boobee Escobar, Nonoi Fuentes, Fr. Isidro Abano, O.P., Deng Tengco and Noel Abquilan among many others.


August 31, 2008 : Child Mary, other Marian artwork on exhibit
By Gino U. Marasigan
 Philippine Daily Inquirer
Lifesytle Section D4

On Mary’s Nativity on Sept. 8, a Marian exhibit, “La Vida de la Virgen,” will be mounted at Santisimo Rosario Parish Church hallway inside the University of Santo Tomas campus in España, Manila.

Prior to the opening, a procession with the image of the Virgencita will be held around the church premises. Shower of petals, bursts of confetti and a short serenata by tenor Rheez Chua and soprano Ferry Medina await the image after the procession.

The exhibit will be blessed by the project chair, Fr. James Alamillo, OP, parish priest, assisted by Fr. Lucio Gutierrez, OP, assistant parish priest, and representatives of the Vicariate of Loreto (the parishes of the Sacred Heart in Sta. Mesa, Holy Trinity in Balicbalic and Our Lady of Loreto in Sampaloc, among others). Invited to crown the Virgencita is Rep. Trisha Bonoan-David.

Nicolas presents an array of images, paintings, prints, and reliefs not only on the theme of Mary’s infancy but also her life story as well. Notable in this exhibit are reliefs by the famous Paete rustic-genre sculptor Luis Ac-Ac. These reliefs were commissioned by the designer and the author to provide a continuous visual presentation on the life of the Blessed Virgin.

Many collectors, artists and Marian devotees have loaned their images to the exhibit. Among them are the ivory images of the Sagrada Familia and the Flight to Egypt of Dr. Vicenta Escobar, Santa Ana con Niña Maria by fabric sculptor Steve de Leon, San Joaquin con Niña Maria of Noel Abquilan, the antique painting on wood of the Death of St. Joseph owned by interior designer Manny Castro, and other beautiful pieces from the collections of Dennis Maturan, John Enriquez, Tom Joven, Jerome de Jesus and Nena Bernales. The project coordinator for the exhibit is James Patrick Jaring.

The public is invited to view the rarely seen images Sept. 6-Oct. 5.


August 22, 2008 : POSITION LETTER ON THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH BILL ISSUE
The Roman Catholic - Archdiocese of Manila

To our Honorable Members of the Congress:

Given our position on The Reproductive Health Bill authored by Representatives Edcel Lagman, Janette Garin, Narciso Santiago III and Ana Theresa Hontiveros-Baraquiel, we, as citizens of the Philippines, hereby affix our signatures to register strong opposition to its passage.

  • We stand by the Church as she respectfully signified her strong objection to the contraceptive program the Bill promotes, considering the practices which it shall engender.
  • We call the attention of lawmakers to the knowledge about the abortifacient nature and effects of contraceptives that violate the provisions in the Philippine Constitution on the protection of the life of the unborn from the first moment of fertilization/conception.
  • Moreover, the Church also poses serious objections, in that this contraceptive program, while supposedly championing the cause of women, ignores the proven harmful side effects of contraceptives and the instances where woman’s rights are violated.
  • We fault the Department of Health for the disregard of, and mere “lip service” it pays to, Natural Family Planning (NFP).  Greater promotion of the more scientific and unarguable morally superior option for the NFP must be done.  Both Sacred Scripture and Reason propose that the best form of birth regulation is self-discipline.
  • The six years of value-free sex education that the Bill proposes violate the rights of the parents to keep watchful guard over the moral education of their children.  The modules are not an education to sexuality, which is what is needed, but are information on how to have sex and use contraceptives.
  • The Church also strongly opposes the use of the term Reproductive Health as defined in the proposed Bill, as the bottom line is that Reproductive Health is made synonymous with abortion packaged as a method of family planning.
  • Finally, the proposed Bill as well as the Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2009 is setting aside more than 2 Billion Pesos of tax payer’s money for the purchase of contraceptives.  This is money that could instead be used to provide education, livelihood and basic public services.

In view we commit:

  1. to pray for the lawmakers who champion life, as we pray even more for those who  we ask not to look upon the rational being that is the human person as a mere being;
  2. to engage ourselves in intensive catecheses on the family, enshrined in Paul VI’s “Humanae Vitae” and John Paul II’s “Evangelium Vitae”; and
  3. to appreciate “the discipline of the desert” that we may be strengthened to withstand the fleeting attraction offered by a materialistic-oriented lifestyle.

We reiterate that we are against the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill.



Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario
"ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
MARIAN IMAGE IN THE PHILIPPINES"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikkiballesteros/1508905791


"This was the very image which I always pray before going to class and leaving from class, I do that everyday when I was still studying there. Another Marian image which I really love and miss.!" Nikki Ballesteros

"Sobrang ganda" Francis

"yes Kuya Francis, maganda siyang tunay!" Nikki Ballesteros

"napakaganda......" ch0i_ch0i

"indeed, when i was elementary ako always pray at this very image at UST. one of the most beautiful marian image in the philippines.." Pastie

"Ang ganda!!!" larryorquejr

"indeed one of the most beautiful images......... very regal" rico2010

This ivory and wood image is said to have been given to by Dominican fathers of the University of Santo Tomas upon the creation of parish on March 21, 1942. The image's attendants attribute its craftmanship to the studio of either Maximo Vicente or Graciano Nepomoceno. THE SAGA OF LA NAVAL TRIUMPH OF A PEOPLE'S FAITH




August 4, 2008 : UST exhibit shows rare prints and icons of St. Dominic
By Gino U. Marasigan
 Philippine Daily Inquirer
Lifesytle Section D4

He was a man of vision, a leader of his time. He was a man of prayer and the symbol of a burning zeal for the salvation of souls.

He is Sto. Domingo de Guzman, founder of the Order of Preachers whose mission was to spread the Gospel by preaching and teaching in apostolic poverty.

Born of a noble family in 1170 at Caleruega, Spain, the young Dominic completed his studies at Palencia and was ordained to the priesthood. He became a canon regular in the Cathedral Chapter at Osma.

At that time, the Albigensian heresy was raging like wildfire in southern France. It was against this milieu that Dominic left the quiet contemplative life and actively counter the heresy. He spent more than 10 years traveling in the countryside of France, begging from door to door and preaching indefatigably.

The Order of Preachers was formally approved by Pope Honorius Ill in 1216. Dominic died in Bologna on Aug. 6, 1221, and was buried, as he wished, beneath the feet of his brethren. He was canonized in 1234 by his close friend, Pope Gregory IV.

On the occasion of his feast on Aug. 8, the Santisimo Rosario Parish at University of Santo Tomas shall mount the exhibit “Sto. Domingo de Guzman.” It is organized by the parish priest, Fr. James Alamillo, O.P.; assistant parish priest Fr. Luclo Gutierrez, O.P.; and project coordinator James Patrick Jaring. Ecclesiastical-exhibit designer Rei Nicolas mounts the show and gathers prints and statues depicting the life of St. Dominic and other saints of the Dominican Order.

Of special interest is a rare print of Sto. Domingo from an old book owned by John Enriquez. A rosary from Caleruega, S pain, a gift of Fr. Jun Sipalay, O.P., to Nicolas, is among the memorabilia included.

Also included are beautifully carved images in wood and ivory from the collections of restorer Tom Joven, Jerome de Jesus, Jun Manahan, Noel Abquilan and Jojo Valencia.

Nicolas previously mounted the exhibit for the centenary of the canonical coronation of La Naval de Manila at the Museo de Santo Domingo at the Sto. Domingo Church last year.

“Sto. Domingo de Guzman” runs Aug. 7-17 at the UST Santisimo Rosario Parish hallway.


July 31, 2008 : Santisimo parish helps calamity victims
By Christine Joyce S. Placino
 Varsitarian

THE SANTISIMO Rosario Parish has recently extended humanitarian aid to victims of natural calamities in China and Sta. Cruz, Zambales, through food and cash donations.

The relief package consisted of more than 10 sacks of rice and other food supplies like instant noodles aside from P24,000 in donations which Santisimo Rosario parish, headed by Fr. Jaime Alamillo, O.P., had distributed among the affected families in China and Zambales.

“Aside from the collected amount, some people still gave monetary donations,” Alamillo told the Varsitarian. “All donations were sent within the first week of June.”

The charity project came at the heels of a 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Sichuan province at the southwestern part of China last May 12 and killed about 69,000 people. A few days after, typhoon “Cosme” battered Pangasinan and Zambales, placing the two provinces in a state of calamity.

Both events damaged infrastructures, curbed basic necessities, and displaced many families, prompting Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales to direct parishes to request donations for the earthquake victims in China.

The parish subsequently begun a separate relief project for typhoon victims in Zambales.

Announcements for collection of donations in kind or cash were made in every mass held from May 25 to June 1. The overwhelming collection turnout for the victims in China was immediately coursed through the Archdiocese of Manila. Three Santisimo parish staff members personally went to Zambales to deliver the relief goods for typhoon victims.

“We conduct these operations because we know that even though our resources are limited, the people are always willing to help and give out anything they can,” Alamillo said.
 


June 10, 2008 : Santissimo parish opens ‘bigasan’
By R.G. Padilla
Varsitarian

THE SANTISSIMO Rosario Parish has launched its own “Bigasan ng Parokya” in response to the Archdiocese of Manila’s move to cushion the impact of the on-going rice crisis, which is expected to last five more years.

The parish-wide program caters to needy families from five barangay zones in Sampaloc district – zones 41, 44, 45, 46, and 47.

UST parish priest Fr. Jaime Alamillo, O.P., said that Santissimo Rosario has enough weekly supply of rice to meet the demands from the five zones.

“Santissimo Rosario Parish is supplied 40 sacks of rice per week but the rice is sold at the same price in rice outlets,” Alamillo told the Varsitarian.

Rice sold at outlets authorized by the state-run National Food Authority (NFA) are sold at a subsidized price of P18 and P25 per kilogram. But unlike the parish, only 21 sacks of rice are supplied to these stores by the NFA per week.

To ensure that poor families get to be prioritized by the subsidy, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has given them Family Access Card system.

“Although everyone could get rice products, cardholders have the advantage,” Alamillo said. “For cardholders, the process is quick.”

However, authorities recently warned distributors about fake cards, which could be used to obtain rice products.

Caritas Manila for its part has coordinated with the DSWD to weed out buyers with bogus Family Access Cards. The DSWD has also ordered local officials to verify their lists to remove dead recipients and residents who have already changed addresses, whose accounts may be used illegally.

The Department of Agriculture authorized the Church to distribute rice last April after reports of theft and fraud in NFA-authorized outlets.

Other than rice, poor families can also avail themselves of medical services in their respective parishes using the same card.

“The government and society should protect the poor, especially those from the agricultural sector,” Alamillo told the Varsitarian.

Caritas Manila Director Fr. Anton Pascual is negotiating with San Miguel Corp., Unilever Philippines and other companies to acquire basic goods like cooking oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, noodles, soap, among others, at lower prices.

“We want to sell necessities for 20 to 30 percent lower than the market prices,” Pascual said in an interview. “We want to make consumer goods available to the ultra and moderate poor."