Monday, April 9, 2012

Holy Week 2012: San Jose Del Monte Bulacan Series 6

Good Friday Procession
St. Joseph the Worker Parish
Poblacion, San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
April 6, 2012


Slide1 (Small)
SSF's Paciencia on an altar in front of our place in Poblacion. Our family has three images joining the town's Holy Week processions, the Dolorosa and Kristong Gapos during Good Friday; and the Alegria during the Salubong dawn procession.

Slide2 (Small)
Parish activities during the Holy Week

Dressing the Images

We arrived at San Jose Holy Thursday evening thinking we can do more work. Nana Esther, a relative who lives a few houses from us gladly welcomed us to her home. After a few hours sleep, around dawn Good Friday, we woke up and started dressing the images, more like a dress rehearsal (eg how the veil on the Dolorosa should fall; how the cape of the Kristong Gapos should be folded etc) since I am still waiting for my Tita's who will actually do the sewing and pinning to ensure the garments are secured safely and will not fall off during the procession.
 
Slide3 (Small)
Bottom-right, brought last years black dress in case my Lolo's and Lola's don't agree with the idea that the Dolorosa will wear an embroidered white dress for the Good Friday procession.

Inspired by the Dolorosa of Sto. Domingo, our Dolorosa is wearing white this year and to my surprise no one from my Lolo's and Lola's said a word...usually they are not welcome to change...one of my Lola's even said, we really don't care as long as it is beautiful...I guess this just means that they have completely transferred the role of ensuring the Dolorosa is readied for the procession to us, the new generation. Nana Esther said, "terno ang mag-ina."

Slide4 (Small)
Bottom-right, dress of the Alegria on a mannequin-body (dress rehearsal for Salubong)

Stations of the Cross

6:00 am

Slide5 (Small)
Although quite early and from what I heard, quite long, this activity was very much well attended by the parishioners. 

Preparing for the Procession

12:00 noon

Thinking we can do more work by arriving Holy Thursday evening, we did just that unfortunately we were not able to check if we have all we needed  with us. In the end we were not really able to do much work in the evening and in the morning of Good Friday. To make matters worse, some of the flowers we bought in Dangwa were left behind so one of my Tito's need to go back to Dangwa and get the flowers (and buy additional flowers just in case...). Good thing though that in Good Friday, roads even NLEX is almost devoid of vehicles...thus no traffic!

Slide6 (Small)
Red or yellow...red or  yellow...choosing which Sayal to use

Slide7 (Small)
Taking Kristong Gapos to the Parish...almost 5 pm. According to the program, the procession will start at 5 pm...the Dolorosa is still being secured on top of her carroza, I decided to leave ahead given that Kristong Gapos is 3rd in the line-up...shucks we are always late...

The Procession

Slide8 (Small)
The beautiful facade of St. Joseph the Worker Parish, although it was already renovated many times we are lucky that the priests overseeing these renovations remained true to the form and history of the church.

Slide9 (Small)
From L-R: Agony in the Garden, Kristong Gapos (Jesus captured and bound), Parishioners attending the Veneration of the Cross service and the Santo Entierro (literally the dead Christ)

Slide10 (Small)
From L-R: Agony in the Garden, Angustia (The Blessed Virgin holding the symbols of Christ's Passion), Sta. Maria Magdalena, Kristong Gapos, Crowning with thorns and St. Peter. I just realized now that we still do not have an image of the Paciencia...I thought the seated one is the same as the Paciencia but looking at the image closely, the iconography is quite different. In some Parishes, the Paciencia is referred to as Ecce Homo.


Slide11 (Small)
From L-R: Sta. Maria Salome and St. John


Slide12 (Small)
Mater Dolorosa and her carroza 2012. Instead of a lace which is usually used as the sobre sayal or the second layer of cloth placed to cover the wheels and chasis of the carroza , one of my Tito's suggested placing pictures of the seven sorrows of Mary (left and right sides of the carroza), in the front side and back side of the carroza are pictures of the Dolorosa (two versions).

Slide13 (Small)
From L-R: Gathering crowd, Angustia, Nazareno (Carrying of the Cross) 


Slide14 (Small)
From L-R: Nazareno, Veneration of the Cross (Kissing the Cross), Taking turns to kiss the Cross and Crowning with thorns


Slide15 (Small)
From L-R: Kristong Gapos, St. Peter and the Santo Entierro and the mourners


Slide16 (Small)
From L-R: Kristong Gapos start and during the procession


Slide17 (Small)
From L-R: Our Parish may not have an extensive santo line-up but the number of Parishioners attending the procession is overwhelming...but I still do pray that someday we may have additional images joining the procession. For images of Christ we still need scourging at the Pillar and the Crucifixion. For the mourners we still need Sta. Maria Cleofe/Jacobe (at least), Sta. Maria and Sta. Marta, Sta. Juana de Cuza etc. For now any interested parishioners should not opt to have another image of the Blessed Virgin made. We need to at least complete the story of Christ's Passion (at least the 5 sorrowful mysteries).


Slide18 (Small)
From L-R: Kristong Gapos and St. Peter; the Dolorosa arrives at the Parish...end of the procession. The procession started around 5:30, approximately the procession lasted for about an hour...I wish it was a bit longer...


Slide19 (Small)
Blessing of the Images...hmmm no prayer and veneration of the wounds of Jesus which usually is the culmination of the Good Friday procession...was it forgotten or omitted.

Slide20 (Small)
Kristong Gapos, Spanish inspired carroza with less is beautiful floral arrangement this year...not bad...I didn't feel dead-tired this year...although lighting should be fixed plus the potencias are not placed correctly...haay dami ng butas sa ulo ng santo...but net net the procession went on smoothly...it did rain hard for a couple of minutes but the procession was held with no major problems except for the carroza wheels eating the curtains or the sayal whenever we have to make a sharp turn...three things that need to be fixed next year...I still wish that the procession was longer...

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