Saturday, January 21, 2012

The Arrival of Beata Imelda Lambertini: Can't Wait for Marikina's Holy Rosary 2007

July 2007, after an SSF event in Malolos, Bulacan, if I am not mistaken after the Sponsor A Santo (SAS) anniversary...

Being a devotee of Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval in Quezon City, my October means joining the procession in her honor in Sto. Domingo, I was not even aware that there is a "Holy Rosary" procession in Marikina. I first heard of this October tradition in Marikina from Atty. Oliver (Magnum Opus, Flickr ID)on our way home from the SAS anniversary, aside from talking about our family's respective Holy Week images, he also eagerly told me the preparations he is making for the Primera Salida (or the first time his image will participate the Marikina procession) of his newly commissioned San Antonino de Florencia. His stories of the fiesta and his knowledge of the Dominican saints amused me so well, that I started wanting to be part of it as well. Then he told me the story of Beata Imelda Lambertini (Blessed Imelda Lambertini), and ever since that conversation, I can't get her off my head. Her story touched me that then and there I have decided that I will join Marikina's Holy procession--this year. I have long dreamed of being a part of the La Naval fiesta procession, and I thought that this is the closest I can get to achieving that dream. Secondly, I am having an image of the Fatima children made, maybe I thought, I can use the body of Lucia (given that she is the eldest among the children of Fatima, so size-wise given that Imelda is 11 years old, it may work). However I soon realized that it will not work given that the Marikina images are life-sized. So I decided to have a new image made. Through my new-found friends from Marikina (who are as enthusiastic as me when it comes to Pagsasanto, religious images) I was able to know and to meet Mang Bert (Bert Gubaton) of Pasig. One fine day, after printing a picture of Beata Imelda, I went to his shop near Santolan LRT and sealed the deal (I also thought of this as my birthday gift to myself, others may want gadgets I on the other hand want my "santo's")...2 months later the image was completed, painted in ivory finish in homage to the Santo's of the La Naval tradition.

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At home after picking-up the image from Mang Bert's shop in Santolan. I can still clearly remember this day, it's as if we are a school service fetching kids...went to Makati City first to pick-up the image of the Children of Fatima from the Workshop of Mang Kiko (Francisco Vecin) and afterwards to the shop of Mang Bert. Happy Birthday to me indeed! Beata Imelda does not have clothes yet so I had to garb her with a Japanese Kimono inspired robe which I used before during UP's Lantern Parade, and since this is what I am working with, finished the look with an obi...but of course Beata Imelda is Italian, this is just temporary...

Making her dress

Proposed Beata Imelda Lambertini
Sketching her dress which our neighbor and my sastre(for my images)will use as guide

See separate entry on Inspiration for Beata Imelda, pictures taken in an exhibit in UST about the La Naval tradition.

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Trial and error, a scientific method which still holds true in Pagsasanto...hehehe

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Beata Imelda, seemingly praying to Our Lady of Fatima, who in her apparition in Portugal introduced herself as well as the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary

More plans

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Carroza plan: Beata Imelda Lambertini 2007
Carroza study for the procession...

Hanging out in Marikina

Few weeks more before Marikina's Holy Rosary procession, and a lot of hanging out in Marikina at Dindo's place with Atty. Oliver...

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The images of Atty. Oliver: San Antonino de Florencia, San Juan and Mater Dolorosa

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Vestments of San Antonino are still on the works as well; Lower-right, Ave fixing the veil of the Mater Dolorosa, seemingly like an angel removing the "lambong" during the Salubong rites...

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Mater Dolorosa

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San Juan

The Skillful hands of Ave

Dressing the Mater Dolorosa and finishing off with a very laborious tocada (of the Spanish Virgens) or in other words, an elaborate wimple.
 
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Before and after, without tocada and with tocada

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More Santos's...

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From L-R: Sta. Ynes de Montepulciano, owned by Dindo's family; the halo of San Juan with trinkets hanging to give that extra "movement" during the procession; Our Lady of the Rosary; Sto. Nino's and other table top Marian images

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Sto. Nino

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