La Virgen

In late November to early December, the San Roque Church played host to a Marian exhibit. Actually the host (or hostess) was San Roque's patron saint, Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga.

The images included the Mater Dolorosa, Nuestra Señora de la Turumba, Nuestra Señora de la Leche, Nuestra Señora del Rosario and many others.

I took these photos at a time when the exhibit was closed, and got shooed away by a caretaker, who mumbled that visitors weren't allowed when there was no one around to watch, because Las Virgenes' accessories and finery might get stolen. In the past and in other places, thieves have not spared these images. And so I hesitated to upload this post, fearful that bad people might get wind of Our Ladies' whereabouts. But now the Marian exhibit is long gone from Cavite City and I can safely post the pictures.

Here are the many faces of La Virgen, this blog's tribute to Her, who gave Holy Birth to the Man whose cumpleaño the world is celebrating this season.



In the backdrop is the yet unfinished ceiling of the San Roque Church, corrugated sheets still. Holding court among all was the image of La Soledad so familiar to Caviteños.

San Roque Church renovation update

Tiene egroup el mga Caviteño que ta ayuda na construction del San Roque Church, el casa de La Soledad. Ya habla ilo, mga dos o tres año pa raw bago caba el iglesia, pero cabao ya raw el physical structure. Ya umpisa el construction di quel 2001. El nombre y email address del egroup sanroquerenovationgroup@yahoogroups.ca.

I was in Cavite the past days, and I've been marvelling at the devotion of those supporting the church's construction. There was one particular supporter that caught my eye.

Primero, ya mira yo con ele cerca na palengke, pero ta maneha yo y no hay yo camera at that time kaya no yo ya pudi saca litrato. The next day, ya mira ya naman yo con ele, ta dale vuelta na kalye Rafael Palma. Ta maneha ya naman yo kaya no yo pudi saca picture. After that, no ma yo ya encuntra con ele.

And then, just as I was leaving Cavite, I saw him, her, it. Black Toyota Innova parked along Lapidario St in San Antonio, faith and support to Our Lady of Solitude written all over. Near the front is the line: "Help Build Our Church."

Viva La Soledad

For all Caviteños everywhere, here is a belated greeting on the feast of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga, Cavite City's patroness. Happy Fiesta!

Below is the official poster commemmorating the event, courtesy of Ms. Joy Picache dela Rosa of the Cavite City Library and Musuem. Gracias, Ma'am Joy!

Misa Chabacano

Credit must be given where it is due.

The Mass being said every second Saturday in Chabacano is translated by Ms Joy Picache dela Rosa, curator and librarian of the Cavite City Library and Museum (CCLM). At right is a sketch of Ms Joy which appears in CCLM's monthly newsletter.

Ms. Joy sent me an email, and I'm taking the liberty of posting it here:

Hello, I read in your blog that you were able to get a copy of the Misa Chabacano.

Actually, I do the translating of the Sunday Mass from the Tagalog and English misalette to Chabacano. We hold the Misa Chabacano every 2nd Saturday, 6 PM at San Roque Church. Since I am a member of the Lay Ministry of the Word, you can usually find me serving as lector at the Misa Chabacano.

Hope to see you there...

Caviteños who would like to hear Mass in Chabacano are invited to attend.

Ms. Joy knows everything and anything there is to know about Cavite City and Chabacano, for all of you out there who have questions and comments. She publishes the monthly newsletter Aviso and if you would like to get your copy via email, let me know and I'd be glad to forward your email addresses to her, for inclusion in CCLM's mailing list.

The Apostles' Creed in Chabacano

At the San Roque Church in Cavite City, anticipated masses are said in Chabacano every other Saturday evening.

My grandmother and uncle usually attend these masses, and they gave me a copy of the mini-misalette.

The mass is called Misa del Pueblo. In Tagalog, Ang Misa ng Sambayanan, in English, the People's Mass.

I will eventually share the misalette with you in this blog, but for now, let me just give you The Apostles' Creed in Chabacano. It needs no translation.

Ta cre yo cun Dios, el Padri todupoderosu
Qui ya haci el cielu y el tierra;
Y cun Jesu Cristu, Su unicu Hiju, el Señor di niso
Qui ya concebi por mediu del poder del Espiritu Santo.
Y ya naci cun Santa Maria Virgen; Ya sufri por mandu di Ponciu Pilatu;
Ya clava na cruz, ya muri y ya interra; Ya baja na lugar del mga muertu;
Na tercer dia, ya livanta: Ya subi na cielu
y ta sinta na manu derecha de Dios, el Padri todupoderosu;
Desde alla, di vini Eli otra vez para juzga
El mga vivu y el mga muertu;
Ta cre yo cun el Espiritu Santu;
Na Santa Iglesia Catolica, Na comunin del mga santu;
Na perdon del mga culpa; N resureccion del cuerpu;
Pati na vida eterna. Amen.

Fiesta ng Cavite

Kapag nababanggit ang piyesta ng Cavite City, ang unang pumapasok sa isip ng mga Kabitenyo ay ang Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga. Ang imahen ay matatagpuan sa simbahan ng San Roque.

Punung puno ang paligid ng simbahan kapag ganitong piyesta. Dumarating ang mga debotong Kabitenyo at pati na rin yung mga galing sa malalayong lugar. Sabi nga ng nanay ko na nasa Amerika na ngayon, nami-miss niya daw ang kanyang novena sa Reina ng Kabite.

Tradisyun na para sa mga Kabitenyo ang dumalo sa concelebrated mass na nagsisimula ng 9:30 am. Maraming pari ang nagmimisa at minsan pa ay kasama ang Arsobispo ng Diocese of Imus na sumasakop sa Cavite City. Pagkatapos ng misa, pumipila ang mga tao sa imahen ng Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga, nananalangin, humihingi ng pabor o dispensa, o simpleng tumutupad sa panata.

Napakahirap lumabas-masok sa simbahan kapag piyesta. Bukod sa pagdagsa ng tao, marami ding vendors na nagtitinda ng kung anu-ano sa harap ng simbahan. Idagdag pa yung mga jeep na nag-aabang ng pasahero. Talagang parang standstill ang harapan ng simbahan kapag piyesta.

(Nang kunan ni Karla ang mga litratong ito, matagal nang tapos ang misa. Maluwag na ang kalye sa lagay na yan).

Dati-rati, naghahanda ang nanay ko tuwing piyesta. Hindi ko na maalala ang mga putaheng hinahanda niya, pero sigurado akong laging may ube at leche flan. Minsan may macapuno at fruit salad. Minsan magdadala pa ng pagkain ang mga bisitang namimiyesta.

Pagkatapos kumain, mag-aayaya ang lola ko na dumalaw sa iba pang mga kamag-anak. Kakain na naman doon. Bawat bahay na pupuntahan kapag piyesta ay magpapakain kaya dapat mag-iwan ng lugar sa tiyan para sa lahat ng kakainan.

Ngayon, nakikipiyesta na lang kami kasi karamihan ng mga malalapit naming kamag-anak ay nagsipag-abroad na, pati na ang nanay ko na dating punong abala tuwing piyesta. Ang pinuntahan namin ngayon ay si Auntie Linda na aming kapitbahay. May handa silang hipon, friend chicken, dinuguan, mixed veggies, tahong na may salsa (adobo kaya yon?), atsara, potato salad, macaroni salad, fruit salad, at ube. Pinagsaluhan namin ang masarap nilang handa, at pati na rin ang kwentuhan at balitaan tungkol sa mga anak niyang nasa Amerika na rin.

Bisperas ng Piyesta

Lights are ablaze in Cavite City as it celebrates the feast of Nuestra Senora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga, which falls on the second Sunday of November.

When we were kids, and even when we had kids of our own, one of the highlights of fiesta celebration would be the trip to the
chubibo or the karnabal on the eve of the actual fiesta. The rides and games used to located in the land where the new San Sebastian Campus now stands, and going there was a big deal. Our cousins and later nieces even came to spend the night in Cavite just for that.

These past years, the chubibo has made a home out of the space fronting the market. There are three chubibos (a term which I think really refers to the ferris wheel) , plus the usual caterpillar, a mini-roller coaster, and merry-go-round.

"Take me down memory lane," my daughter said, so we went around the karnabal area and even rode on the Horror Train (after which we could only say, "Harang!" but I will leave that story for later).

Meantime, there was a strong police presence all around the chubibo area which made for safe and secure carnival riding.

Cavite City Fiesta

These last two months of the year are the most festive times in Cavite City. "Alegreng alegre alla" (Very happy there!) is what people would say.

That's because after All Saints' Day comes the feast of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga, patroness of Cavite City. For Caviteño families, these are occasions for bonding and for returning to the hometown, especially with the Christmas spirit hanging in the air.

As I've written before, Ñora Soledad holds a special place in the lives of Cavite families like ours.



For devout followers of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad who are far away, you might want to visit a site put up in her honor here.

Reina de Cavite

Sung on the feast day of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga every second Sunday of November is this hymn. The lyrics below came from the website Ciudad de Cavite.

Reina de Cavite

Reina de Cavite per siempre seras
Es prenda tu nombre de jubilo y paz
Reina de Cavite per siempre seras
Es prenda tu nombre de jubilo y paz

Madre Immaculada, prez del serafin
Luz de Filipinas, protegenos sin fin
Luz de Filipinas, protegenos sin fin.

I have not attended the procession in years, although I know that the last lines in Tagalog go: "Ilaw ka ng Pilipinas, tunay kang tanglaw namin."

Soledad

The Patroness of Cavite City is Nuestra Señora de la Soledad (Our Lady of Solitude) de Porta Vaga whose image is enshrined at the San Roque Church.
(Click here to go to a website dedicated to Our Lady of Solitude.)

It seems however that the Church reconstruction has been endlessly ongoing for the past several years. The Church is being enlarged to accommodate the growing number of churchgoers, and it is literally rising above the city.

My own memories of San Roque Church are traumatic. I remember that old parish priest, late 60s or early 70s, who growled at me while I was trying to receive Communion and asked me whether I was old enough to do so. I ran crying. He must have been one of those old grouches forced into the priesthood, venting his ire on little girls like me.

Cavite City residents atttest to the miraculous nature of the image of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad. It's the stuff family lore is made of. One of the stories my grandmother tells is one that she swears happened one night when she was a child sent out to buy medicines. Just as she felt most scared, there appeared an old woman who accompanied her through a dark stretch of road. Next thing she knew, the old lady had disappeared. My grandmothers' folk believe the old lady was Our Lady of Soledad. (The child in the photo at left is my grandmother Luz Peña, now 94 years old. The photo, torn with age, must have been taken in the 1910s).

My mother also mentions talk among Caviteños that Nuestra Señora de la Soledad appeared to former First Lady Imelda Marcos when she wanted to build an airport there. Nyora Soledad must have scared the wits out of Meldy.