Photos capture facets of a religious shrine and National Cultural Treasure

"La Naval de Manila--Sailing on with Faith," FoTOMASINO

ON THE OCCASION of the formal installation of the National Cultural Treasure marker at Sto. Domingo Church, a group of young photographers is mounting “La Naval, Mother of Faith” at the Museo de Sto. Domingo, which runs Dec. 14-Jan. 31.

Composed of 54 frames capturing the various facets of devotion to the Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario, La Naval de Manila, and of her shrine at the Quezon City church, it is the first exhibition of Fotomasino, the official guild of photogaphers of the University of Santo Tomas founded by award-winning lensman Paul Allyson Quiambao.

La Naval’s 76-year-old pipe organ to be restored

The historic musical instrument at Sto. Domingo.

The Shrine of Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario, La Naval de Manila, at Santo Domingo Church features a musical masterpiece with much historical value—the 76-year-old organ that makes use of over a thousand pipes. The musical instrument, a cultural heritage, is set to undergo restoration.

To raise funds for the expensive restoration, the officials of the shrine, headed by Fr. Giuseppe Pietro V. Arsciwals, OP, launched the adopt-a-pipe project.

The cost to  complete the project amounts to P3.5 million. The Diego Cera Organbuilders, Inc., curator of the world-famous bamboo organ of Las Piñas, has been commissioned to execute the restoration.

Antonio Hila, historian and former choirmaster of the Tiples de Santo Domingo (1987 2000), the Philippines’ oldest boys choir, says the restoration is a must.

“It’s about time [to restore the organ],” he explains. “For a church as big as Santo Domingo Church, we need that organ for the massive sound that would accompany the choirs so that the music would be more appreciated.”

La Naval festivities to focus on change

Dominican saints with La Naval

MANILA, Sept. 29, 2010—Focusing on the theme of renewal, the La Naval festivities will kick off on Oct. 1 with the traditional novena and enthronement of the Marian image at the Sto. Domingo Church, in Quezon City.

Fr. Giuseppe Pietro Arsciwals, OP, Sto. Domingo Convent prior said the focus of the La Naval celebrations—“Tagumpay at Pagbabago” (Triumph and Change) is inspired by people’s clamor for change as seen in the last elections.

“After the elections, people continue to talk about change,” he said in an email. “And this change serves as inspiration and hope to our country.”

Arsciwals explained that “triumph” has always been part of saga of La Naval, citing the epic victory of trade galleons against the heavily armed Dutch armada in 1646 and the success of the People Power I in 1986. 

He added that the feast is intended to remind people that the true change cannot be achieved through violence. Neither can it solely rely on big projects.

UST is part and parcel of La Naval saga: The Queen and her Thomasian subjects

No other Marian image in the Philippines compares with the historical and spiritual richness of La Naval de Manila, whose divine interventions have been well-acknowledged from time immemorial.

Our Lady of La Naval continues to influence lives of Marian devotees as it did in the almost desperate but triumphant battles of Filipino-Spanish forces against the Dutch armada in the 1600s. After four centuries of devastating wars, natural calamities, and rampant sacrilegious Church robberies, La Naval has gained and received immense devotion from Filipinos, being the country’s patroness.

1907 crowning reenacted in solemn splendor

The canonical coronation is a special privilege bestowed only on a very special Marian image.

This is what Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco pointed out in his homily before the solemn re-enactment of the canonical coronation of La Naval de Manila, which was canonically crowned on orders of Pius X in 1907 in the first ever canonical coronation of any Marian image in the Philippines and Asia.

When Thomasians spruce up the Queen

The thunder of La Naval is expected to ring loudest next month when the Philippine Church and the Dominican Order mark the centennial of the coronation of the Nuestra Señora del Rosario, La Naval de Manila.

Now enshrined at the Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City, Nuestra Señora del Rosario de La Naval was the first Marian image in the Philippines to be canonically crowned in 1907. It is said that Pope Pius X had immediately acceded to the Dominicans’ request for the canonical coronation by writing his permission long-hand in 1906.

100th year of La Naval's canonical coronation marked

Highlighting the 100th anniversary of the canonical coronation of La Naval de Manila, the Dominican Province of the Philippines will reenact the Marian image’s solemn canonical coronation on Oct. 4 at the Sto. Domingo Parish in Quezon City, the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary.

The reenactment will be made during a High Mass to be celebrated by Msgr. Wojciech Zaluski, charge de affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature (the new Nuncio, Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, has yet to assume his post and present his diplomatic papers to Malacanang and the Philippine bishops), and 15 bishops coming from all over the country.