ON THE OCTOBER FEASTDAY of St. Therese of Lisieux (a.k.a. St. Therese of the Little Flower) in France, devotees all over the Philippines honor her with celebrations.

The Talulot (Petals) Festival, for one, honored her with street dancing and music competitions throughout the day at the grounds of the Shrine of Saint Therese in Villamor Airbase, Pasay City on Oct.5, a Sunday.

This gigantic Shrine is the center of Theresean devotion in Asia. The relics of the saint have visited it twice, the latest in March this year.

St. Therese’s hometown in Lisieux, France will surely have a gigantic celebration on the upcoming beatification of Louis and Marie Zelie Guerin Martin, the saint’s parents, this October. (Beatification is a step prior to canonization or designation into sainthood.)

We last visited Lisieux this summer, when we met up with the Filipino artist Manny Baldemor. It seems we have known Manny all our life. He was around when we dabbled in gallery management in the ‘70s with National Artist Bencab and acclaimed photographer and cinematographer Romeo Vitug. He was always on the go so we never managed to pin him down. Now Manny was eager to share some news that obviously excited him. Strangely enough it was in France that we finally had time to meet.

Prolific as a painter who simultaneously exhibits in the Philippines and abroad, Manny is busy with a huge project for the Lisieux Basilica. Apparently, he already had visited Lisieux the year before and had mentally prepared a project for its Basilica of St. Therese. It was to be a mural in mosaic, extolling the Filipino people and giving tribute to the bloodless revolution of 1986. Baldemor showed us his cardboard rendering of the mural and his project statement, which said:

“No Filipino in EDSA will ever deny that what happened there was an act of God. People from all walks of life armed only with images of the Blessed Virgin, St. Therese and the Sto. Niño, as well as crucifixes, songs and rosaries formed themselves into human barricades… in the middle of the military revolt they clung tightly to their rosary beads as a baby does to its mother. The troops and tanks came and the people made a Marian celebration of the revolution. Then Grace rained from the heavens and their enemy surrendered not in capitulation, but in compassion and understanding. The people had won.”

Sister Monique Marie showed us the exact location chosen for the Philippine mural in Lisieux – on the left-hand wall upon entering the basilica, right under the stained glass windows. It seemed truly a place of honor for a people whose religious fervor endures in the face of myriad trials.

Wonderful concept

When presented to the Philippine Ambassador to France Jose Zaide in Paris, and the rector of the basilica, they agreed that it was a wonderful concept and the project had to be done, and done right. Immediately the rector, Monsignor Bernard Lagoutte, ordered a canvassing of French and Italian mosaic craftsmen for the project.

Our particular interest in Lisieux began when Boots Anson-Roa, whose favorite saint is the Little Flower was chosen spokesperson for the gigantic Church and Columbarium dedicated to St. Therese in Pasay City. Soon enough, her relics came to the Philippines and toured the country for over a month and we got to know much of the saint and how her simple ways endeared and led to her huge Filipino following.

The EDSA Revolution mosaic for Lisieux will cost Euro 37,000 or some P2.5 million in materials alone, for a project that will take six months. Boots took time out from her recent official trip to France to visit Lisieux. She reports that the funds to be raised would entail joint efforts from Lisieux and Paris through the Philippine Embassy and the Filipino people and devotees of St. Therese.

While awaiting more developments from the Philippine Embassy in Paris and Lisieux, Manny Baldemor is back at work on his various commissions and shows. He has exhibited all over Europe and Asia, has received 24 local and international awards and grants, has been chosen artist-in-residence in Japan, Israel, Chile, Portugal, Estonia and Switzerland. Another remarkable achievement is his having been chosen artist for UNICEF Christmas greeting cards for 17 straight years.

(Calls for donations for the Lisieux project have been sounded. Call Magnificat Ventures 6354680 & 6354482 for further information.)
E-mail the author at bibsycarballo@yahoo.com.