IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHEDRAL CIRCA 2000

This is the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Zamboanga City, Philippines circa 2000.

from Wikipedia:

The present structure of the cathedral was built in 1998-2002 in cruciform, of which the candle-like design is appropriate to the cathedral's patron. Inside the main church is marble statue of theImmaculate Conception designed by Philippine National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon Abueva. 

the old rectory of the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is still seen.

At the altar is the statue of the Immaculate Conception made of marble and sculpted by National Artist, Napoleon Abueva.

The altar was also carved from a solid block of marble also by Napoleon Abueva.

from Wikipedia:

Napoleón Isabelo Veloso-Abueva (born January 26, 1930), more popularly known as Napoleón Abueva, is a Filipino artist. He is a sculptor given the distinction as the Philippines' National Artist for Sculpture. He is also entitled as the "Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture". He is the only Boholano given the distinction as National Artist of the Philippines in the field of Visual Arts.^[1]

the altar of MCIC in 2000 in preparation for the visit of the Relics of St. Therese

The Immaculate Conception in MCIC by Napoleon Abueva

Msgr. Cris Dela Cruz, then the Parish Priest and builder of the MCIC, introduced me to Napoleon Abueva. 
I felt fortunate to have met a National Artist for the first time ever and he was a Visayan at that. 

(Could I meet any other National Artist in my lifetime?) 

And, he also had the same first name as my father.

with Archbishop Carmelo D.F. Morelos and Carmelite sisters

They also made a resin version based from the original sculpture, which is now placed in the center of the Centro Pastoral land.

Centro Pastoral 2005: on the left hand side is the resin version of the Immaculate Conception 

I'd like to share more about the life of Napoleon Abueva which I picked up from Wikipedia.

Biography and career

Napoleon Abueva, nicknamed Billy, was born on January 26, 1930 in Tagbilaran, Bohol to Teodoro Abueva, a Bohol congressman and Purificacion (Nena) Veloso, president of the Women’s Auxiliary Service. His father was a friend and contemporary of former Philippine President Manuel Roxas and Ambassador Narciso Ramos. He was a member of the Provincial Board, and later became the Provincial Governor of Bohol. He ended his career as a Congressman in 1934. Both of Abueva's parents died serving their country.

Abueva has six other brothers and sisters: Teodoro (Teddy), Jr., now based in New York, USA; Purificacion (Neny -deceased), married to Atty. Ramon Binamira (dec.) of Tagbilaran City; Jose Abueva (Pepe), former president of the University of the Philippines; Amelia Martinez (Inday), now living in Chicago; Teresita (Ching) Floro, now living in Sydney, Australia; and Antonio (Tony), a landscape artist who met a tragic fate aboard Princess of the Orient; his body has not been found.

In 1943, at the height of the Second World War, Napoleon Abueva became an unwilling victim of the atrocities of the Japanese. With his father, a leader in the underground movement, and his mother in the women's Auxiliary group, the family was hunted. His parents were captured, tortured, and killed in Valencia. Billy was then only 14 years old, but this did not spare him from the brutality of the invaders. He accompanied his grandmother to Ilaya, Duero where they were captured by some Japanese soldiers. His grandmother was later freed, but he was hog-tied, brought to Guindulman, and tortured for more than a week. He lost his front teeth, and the blue-black marks on his wrists and ankles took weeks to heal.^[1]

As a young boy, Billy studied at the Tagbilaran Elementary School, and later at University of Southern Philippines, Holy Name College (now Holy Name University), and Rafael Palma College (now the University of Bohol) before making it as a sculptor.

A home-grown talent, he was given a break in 1951 when he won the Pura Villanueva-Kalaw Scholarship. He then took up a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines where he graduated in 1953. This was followed by a Fulbright-Smith Mundt Scholarship in 1954-55, after which he got a foreign Students Scholarship at the University of Kansas (1955–56). At the same time, he won another scholarship at the Instituto de Allende in Mexico City which he did not avail due to conflict in schedule. It was also in 1955 that he finished his Masters in Fine Arts at the Cranbook Academy of Arts, U.S.. In 1956, he attendedHarvard University for another scholarship grant.

At U.P, one of his mentors was Guillermo Tolentino, also a national artist, who created the oblation at the university entrance . Tolentino later relegated to him the task of replicating the sculpture for the Campus of U.P. Los Banos.

Abueva has helped shape the local sculpture scene in the Philippines. Being adept in both academic representational style and modern abstract, he has utilized almost all kinds of materials from hard wood (molave, acacia, langka wood, ipil, kamagong, palm wood and bamboo) to adobe, metal, stainless steel, cement, marble, bronze, iron, alabaster, coral and brass.

In 1976, he was proclaimed as National Artist of the Philippines for Visual Arts by then President Ferdinand Marcos. He was the youngest recipient of the title at age 46.

Some of his major works include Kaganapan (1953), Kiss of Judas (1955), Thirty Pieces of Silver, The Transfiguration, Eternal Gardens Memorial Park (1979), UP Gateway (1967), Nine Muses (1994), UP Faculty Center, Sunburst (1994)-Peninsula Manila Hotel, the bronze figure of Teodoro M. Kalaw in front of National Library, and murals in marble at the National Heroes Shrine, Mt. Samat, Bataan. One masterpiece he dedicates to the Boholanos is the Sandugo or Blood Compact shrine in Bohol, Tagbilaran City, a landmark at the site of the first international treaty of friendship between Spaniards and Filipinos. This is now a tourist attraction in Bohol province. This shrine is an expression of Abueva's awareness of his roots, and a manifestation of his artistic talents.

Abueva also performed the death mask procedure of opposition leader Ninoy Aquino in 1983, as well as that of Fernando Poe, Jr. in 2004. Both masks are now displayed at the Center for Kapampangan Studies, Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac. Incidentally, he also made a death mask of Cardinal Sin.^[2]

He is married to Cherry Abueva, a psychiatrist, and has three children, Amihan,Mulawin, and Duero. Before his stroke, he used to teach at the Industrial Design department of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts.^[3]

It is an honor that a National Artist be the sculptor of the  marble Immaculate Conception in the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception which is also now a landmark and an icon of Zamboanga City.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHEDRAL, ZC CIRCA 1998

The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Zamboanga City, Philippines is presently one of Asia's largest modern cathedrals and is the seat of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga.  

BUT, Do you remember the old Immaculate Conception Cathedral?

I guess most of the people couldn't remember the old cathedral especially the younger kids, so I'd like to share some historical data about this.

from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Cathedral_of_the_Immaculate_Conception_(Zamboanga_City)

History

The first church was originally located at the front of Plaza Pershing, where the present Universidad de Zamboanga stands. The church was designated a cathedral in 1910 when the diocese of Zamboanga was created. In 1943, the cathedral was one of the edifices bombarded by Japanese soldiers during World War II. In 1956, the cathedral was relocated beside Ateneo de Zamboanga University, formerly known as the Jardin de Chino.

Features of the cathedral

The original cathedral

The cathedral located at the Plaza Pershing was made of wood and concrete. The image of the Immaculate Conception was located at the main altar, with two Jesuit saints Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier on each side. The image of the patroness was said to be spared from the bombs of World War II and was transferred to a road now known as La Purisima Street.

The old cathedral at La Purisima (1956-1998)

The former structure of the cathedral was designed in 1956. The site was used to be the chapel of the Jardin de Chino. The facade consists of the life-size sculpture of Immaculate Conception at the left side and the bell-tower at right. The chapel of the saints were located inside the area where the image outside was located. The stations of the cross were made of stained glass at each side and the added station, "Ressurrection", was located near the right altar at the confession area. Then the bronze relief of the last supper was located at the day chapel which serves later as the perpetual adoration chapel.

The Old Cathedral at La Purisima circa 1998. The facade consists of the life-size sculpture of Immaculate Conception at the left side and the bell-tower at right.

 

The stained glass in the facade is that of the Immaculate Conception.

The stained glass of the Immaculate Conception in the facade

The stained glass of the Immaculate Conception in the facade of the Old Cathedral
is again place in the present Cathedral and with enhancement of its glory.

new stained glass with the original central stained glass
at the facade as viewed from inside the church

Here are photos of the altar in 1998. 

These were taken during the Baptism of Nicoll and soon after the Cathedral was scheduled for demolition to be replaced by a new Cathedral.

the altar of the Old Immaculate Conception Cathedral

In the Immaculate Conception Cathedral with the Parochial Vicar, Fr. Jude Duncombe  

with Baby Nicoll

These are pictures in the other areas of the Cathedral.

This is the image of the Immaculate Conception which was originally place in the altar. This now has a special place within the Cathedral grounds, where devotees could light a candle.

The present Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a landmark in itself. The Cathedral was started and finished during the time of Archbishop Carmelo D.F. Morelos.

Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in 2005

present Metropolitan Cathedral of Immaculate Conception with the Century Bell

from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Cathedral_of_the_Immaculate_Conception_(Zamboanga_City)

The Metropolitan Cathedral (1998-present)

The present structure of the cathedral was built in 1998-2002 in cruciform, of which the candle-like design is appropriate to the cathedral's patron.

The new structure of the Cathedral was designed by Abarro and Associates through the efforts of former Msgr. Crisanto de la Cruz, who said that the decay of the old cathedral's ceiling damaged by termites was one of the reasons why the reconstruction should take place. The design of the new cathedral was unveiled in December 1997. The old structure had been demolished a day after Easter in 1998, preserving its stained glass window and sculpture from the facade, which respectively are located at the rear portion of the new church and at the left side. The Cathedral was solemnly dedicated on December 6, 1999 with Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal of Cebu and President Joseph Estrada Ejercito as guests of honor. The day chapel, columbarium, baptistery, the multi-purpose hall and office were constructed in 2002.


A new addition to the Cathedral is the PhP4,000,000 Century Bell Tower, broke ground on the day of Immaculate Conception, 2010. This belfry, located at the Ateneo side of the Cathedral, marks the existence of Zamboanga's archdiocese for 100 years.

It is difficult to remember how the old Cathedral looked now that it has been changed to the grand modern but meaningful Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.