In line with the celebration of the 170th anniversary of the declaration of the dogma of the Inmaculada Concepcion, the San Agustin Museum in Intramuros, Manila, opened an exhibit featuring important images of Our Lady on Nov. 28.

It was 10 days prior to the exact date of the declaration by Pope Pius IX on Dec. 8, 1854.

The exhibit, “Purisima: Augustinian Devotion to the Immaculate Conception,” is curated by Billy Malacura, formerly of the Metropolitan Museum and now of the Geronimo Berenguer de los Reyes Museum in Cavite.

Held at the Clausura of the museum, the exhibition ends on Feb. 2, 2025, the feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary.

In his message during the program, San Agustin Museum director Fr. Ricky Villar highlighted the history of the devotion to the image, which was started by the Augustinians way before 1854.

He likewise stressed the religious and cultural significance of the Inmaculada Concepcion to the faithful.

“The exhibit introduces the faithful to the early evangelical missions of the Order of St. Augustine in the Philippines as one of the forerunners of the devotion, predating the 1854 Dogma,” he said.

The devotion to the Immaculate Conception, he added, grew after the arrival of the Augustinians in Cebu in 1565 and in Manila in 1571, with celebrations in places such as Manila lasting for days.

For them, the Augustinians of the San Agustin Church have for centuries paid homage to the image of Our Lady, as has the parish of the Inmaculada Concepcion, since about 1945.

These are evidenced by the 17th- to 18th-century archival books on the Blessed Virgin Mary from the 1600s up to the 1700s that show how the Augustinians had continuously included the Virgin in their studies.

These books are stored in the church’s library, now called the San Agustin Center for Historical and Archival Research, located on the second level of the museum.

Images with varying names

Featured in the exhibition are the Inmaculada Concepcion images, with varying names, found in Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, and those from other religious orders such as the Order of the Augustinian Recollects, Society of Jesus or Jesuits, and the Franciscans.

In Metro Manila, these are the images of the La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon, Nuestra Señora de los Remedios de Malate, and La Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig.

From Luzon, these are the Inmaculada Concepcion de Tarlac (Concepcion, Tarlac); Inmaculada Concepcion de la Victoria (Victoria, Tarlac); Inmaculada Concepcion de Guagua in Pampanga; La Purisima Concepcion de Baliuag, also known as Birhen sa Patio (Baliwag, Bulacan); Inmaculada Concepcion de Malolos (Bulacan); La Inmaculada Concepcion de Batangan (Batangas City, Batangas); and the Nuestra Señora de Caysasay (Taal, Batangas).

From Visayas, featured is the image of the La Inmaculada Concepcion de Oton of Oton, Iloilo.

Those from the other religious orders are the La Inmaculada Concepcion de los Franciscanos of the Franciscans, Antipolo’s Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje of the Jesuits, and the Inmaculada Concepcion de Dasmariñas, Cavite of the Augustinian Recollects.

Interesting feature

An interesting feature of the exhibit is the other image of the La Purisima Concepcion de Malabon, also known as Impong Maria of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente of Malabon City, which was included, per the curator, to foster the “spirit of synodality.”

Apart from these, some prints of the Virgin are also exhibited, as well as old small images displayed at the adjacent old sacristy and images of the Santa Ana de Hagonoy in Bulacan and Santa Ana de Taguig.

Rarities are the old altar image of the Inmaculada Conception of San Agustin church and the facistol image made of ivory, exhibited for a short time during the exhibit opening.

Among the attendees during the opening were National Commission for Culture and the Arts chairperson Victorino Manalo, National Historical Commission of the Philippines chairperson Regalado Trota Jose, who gave a short lecture on the images of the Inmaculada Concepcion in the Philippines and in Spain, and Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, among other dignitaries.

In his message, Villar thanked the attendees as well as the parishes and collectors who collaborated with the museum on the special exhibition. —CONTRIBUTED INQ

Erratum: In an article on Baliwag Church by this writer on Nov. 25, there was a mention that the exhibit was first held at the church and transferred to the museum thereafter. It was entirely hosted by the Museo ng Baliwag.