Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu celebrates 13th anniversary

Renowned iconographer Clodoveo “Louie” Nacorda opened an exhibit of sacred images and tableaux depicting Jesus’ suffering and death at the Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu in this March 2017 file photo. | Contributed Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu turned 13 last November 26, 2019. The anniversary of the museum was an intimate celebration of few people with the administration and the ‘friends of the museum’. It was celebrated with the blessing of the new Chapel of Relics and the Gallery of Religious Arts and Images.

Fortunate enough to have the Archbishop of Cebu His Excellency Most Rev. Jose S. Palma, D.D. who is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu Inc., to have presided over the solemn blessing of the two new galleries. The anniversary was mainly focused on the blessing rites and thus became the highlight on the event.

The Chapel of the Relics houses the 70 first class relics of the saints part of the rich collection of His Eminence Julio Cardinal Rosales, the first Filipino Cardinal in Cebu.

First class relics are the physical remains of saints used for veneration and the celebration of their memorials. However, this chapel is not just meant to exhibit and display these relics but a place where devotees can pray and meditate and can even offer their intentions and petitions.

Besides, the devotees can even borrow the relics in their reliquaries and bring them out of the museum for devotional purposes. Such as a family having a devotion to a certain saint made available at the chapel can bring the relic and the reliquary to their house for devotion and petition. This can be done upon entering to a special agreement prepared by the administration of the museum.

This new project of the museum was made possible by the generous sponsorship of the officers and members of the Holy Rosary Group and at the same time they were also the Camarero of the relics at the chapel to whose care and management are entrusted to them.

The retablo at the chapel was constructed by Glemend Stained Glass and Retablo Fabrications owned by the family of Mr. and Mrs. Glendo and Ann Maria Mendiola. The family is also a benefactor to the museum.

The Chapel of Relics is located at the ground floor of the museum inside the Founder’s Gallery.

The Gallery of Religious Arts and Images is at the second floor of the museum. This is part of the permanent exhibits of the museum. This features the religious art collection of the museum gathered by Msgr. Virgilio Yap the museum’s founder and the first director of the museum. This collection ranges from paintings, carvings and even mixed media that has something to do with the expression and portrayal of faith.

The gallery highlights the work of Martino Abellana, a renowned Cebuano painter who hailed from Carcar City dubbed as “The Dean of Cebuano Painters”.

Abellana painted a copy of the work of Fernando Amorsolo, a National Artist for Visual Arts, of his painting on the First Baptism and the First Mass in the islands of the Philippines.

The opening of the new galleries is part of the preparation of the museum for the coming Quincentenary of the Christianity this 2021 in which the museum will turn 15 respectively. This is to place the museum as the highlight of the history and the growth of faith from the coming of the first Spaniards up to the present structure of the Archdiocese of Cebu.

Upcoming projects for the museum in time for the 2021 celebration are the new curatorial design of the permanent exhibits, construction of the museum office and the museum coffee shop. /dcb