BURNED TO ashes at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, the Sto. Niño de Pandacan Parish continues to be surrounded with youth volunteers who “actively” support its re-establishment four years after the fire erupted.
On July 10, 2020, a third-alarm fire engulfed the Pandacan Parish, leaving devotees in pain and agony. Since then, several challenges keep on blazing like a fire as reconstruction challenges persist since its groundbreaking ceremony in 2021.
Despite constraints brought by the pandemic lockdown and now the extreme hot weather that has posed heat-related illnesses, the youth stick at “doing their best” to restore the “faithful spirit” of Pandacan.
“Ang youth ng Pandacan is the microcosm of youth. The good thing about the youth is sila ang lumaki sa pananampalataya; bata pa lang nag a-alaga na sila ng sarili nilang imahen ng [Sto. Niño de] Pandacan,” Sto. Niño de Pandacan Parish Secretary and youth ministry adviser Lem Leal Santiago said at a press conference on May 15 at the University of Santo Tomas.
“Hindi natitinig ng init o kahit anong panahon ang pananampalataya ng mga taga Pandacan because it's rooted in history and their culture,” Santiago added.
(The youth of Pandacan is the microcosm of youth. The good thing about the youth is they grew up with faith; they were already taking good care of the image of the Pandacan.)
(The heat or any weather cannot waver the faith of the Pandacan people because it’s rooted in history and their culture.)
Every Sunday at 6:30 a.m., the parishioners gather at the now-finished columbarium on the lower level of the under-construction church, set up as a temporary mass area to “preserve” the culture and faith of Pandaqueños that no disaster could “easily destruct.”
With the help of the young volunteers, the parish secretary emphasized that social media is used as a vehicle to “creatively” promote the grand opening of the parish. Noted to be “just in time” for the Simbang Gabi, its opening will be launched approximately in December this year. As of March, more than 80% of the structure has been completed.
“They’re using their channels [and] their social media to be able to spread the word because, of course, the church, limited lang ‘yan... And ang pwede lang talagang maglabas nito sa buong mundo ay ang kabataan,” Santiago said.
(They’re using their channels [and] their social media to be able to spread the word because, of course, the church, it’s only limited... And the only ones who can really promote it to the whole world are the youth.)
As Santiago believes the youth as “inheritors” of the parish, he stated they should persevere not just its revival but also the “community building” to accommodate people still disheartened to seek refuge after the incident.
“[The youth] are the reinforcement of this generation. Pag ‘di niyo natulungan [ang mga tao], mawawala ang devotion. I can consider them (youth) the soul of the Pandacan community because they [can] give what Pandacan deserves from them,” he said.
([The youth] are the reinforcement of this generation. If you don’t help the [people], the devotion will be gone. I can consider them (youth) the soul of the Pandacan community because they [can] give what Pandacan deserves from them.)
Sentimentality
Amid the reconstruction, Santiago said the parish continues to live up to its “prestige” as devotees still prefer holding ceremonial events in the holy site.
“This year, we had three weddings sa temporary mass area para sa mga couple na kinakasal [kahit] gusto mo ng engrandeng simbahan, [but due to] the sentimentality of people, dito nagsimula ang kanilang growth as Christians,” the youth ministry adviser said.
(This year, we had three weddings in the temporary mass area for couples who get married even if you expect them to prefer grand churches, [but due to] the sentimentality of people, their growth as Christians began here.)
According to Santiago, its “simplicity” and “rich history” are more reasons why churchgoers choose to look beyond the current bits and pieces of the parish.
Santiago said despite the fire that engulfed the church, its 300-year-old convent, and the nearly 400-year-old image of the Santo Niño de Pandacan enshrined in the church’s altar, parishioners have maintained their faith in God, particularly when they found out that the blessed sacrament, enshrined in the church’s non-fireproof tabernacle, was recovered intact from the rubble of the church four years ago.
To preserve what was left of the original Sto. Niño de Pandacan, the finger of its titular image was added on the chest of the new figure. - Cali Asajar/Manila Pulse
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