Vestment interest

The Benedictines, the oldest among priestly orders, have always been closely associated with the arts. In architecture, they are credited for the monastery, the quintessential expression of Romanesque architecture. The grandest of this was the abbey at Cluny, a self contained structure that had all that was necessary for the bodily existence and spiritual nourishment of men of contemplation, as well as the world-weary.

Abbot Suger, who belonged to the order, was the builder of the church of St. Denis. Located just outside of Paris and begun in 1140, the landmark structure was the prototype of the Gothic cathedral.

In the field of music, the Benedictines are well-known for beautiful Gregorian chants and are acknowledged to be the inventors of musical notation. The abbot of Cluny from 927 to 942, Odo’s great accomplishment was arranging the tones of the scale into an orderly progression by assigning them a system of letters from A to G. This would later be refined into a system wherein certain syllables were assigned to each degree on the scale by another monk, Guido of Arezzo, in the 11th century.

The one art form known to have been consistently practiced by the monks was the copying, illustrating and binding of books in place called the scriptorium, a tradition followed by all Benedictine houses.

The Benedictine’s long-standing artistic heritage continues with Dom Martin de Jesus H. Gomez, OSB, a monk of the Monastery of the Transfiguration, Malaybalay, Bukidnon, whose contribution is the book Worship and Weave. Published by the Ayala Museum and the Monastery of Transfiguration, the volume was launched last June 23 at the courtyard of the Filipinas Heritage Library.

Acording to Dom Martin, the book project was an offshoot of a six-month exhibit on priestly garb held in 1998 at the Ayala Museum to celebrate the centennial of Philippine independence.

It took two-and-a-half years for the book to see print with Dom Martin traveling to more than 20 ethnic communities throughout the land researching on textiles and guiding weavers on the religious motifs that were incorporated into the native fabrics.

Worship and Weave offers a welter of information about church vestments, indigenous textiles and the process of their manufacture as well as a glimpse into the lifeways of indigenous peoples.

The book is divided into two parts. "Worship," which is the first part, begins with a brief overview on the origins of church vestments. From here it proceeds to tackle the repertoire of priestly raiments. Each vestment, such as the alb, chausible and humeral veil and insignia of bishops like the mitre, pallum and ring, are discussed thoroughly. Dom Martin usually begins each article with the history of the vestment before moving on to its evolution, manufacture and little-known but interesting bits of information.

An example of the latter is the pallum, a narrow band of white wool worn around the shoulders over the chausible by the pope, patriarchs and archbishops. It is traditionally made in Rome from the wool of lambs blessed each year on the feast day of St. Agnes.

"Worship" also contains an inventory of Christian symbols, the colors for the proper seasons, as well as a presentation of various materials used in the making of liturgical vestments, topics which likewise are presented in a very scholarly manner by the author.

The book’s second part is a veritable diary of Dom Martin which traces his entrance to the monastery in 1990, his structured life as a monk, and how his being assigned to special projects like the annual concert of the monastery boys choir at the Cultural Center of the Philippines eventually led to the dream project The Filipino Liturgical Vestments Exhibit, which in turn provided the impetus for the book.

Dom Martin lets the reader into the process of his research, has travels to ethnic territory, interaction with local weavers and the production of indigenous textiles.

Would you believe?" says Dom Martin, "That as early as the Second Vatican Council, article 305 of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal states: ‘In addition to traditional materials, vestments may be made from natural fibers of the region or artificial fabrics in keeping with the dignity of the sacred action and the person wearing them …’ So I thought, why not use our local materials as they are not only beautiful but well suited to our tropical climate."

From Tinguian to Isneg, Yakan to Tiruray, the manner by which Dom Martin adapted these tribes indigenous fabrics into liturgical use is a product of genius and inspiration. We see in Dom Martin’s creations Yakan and T’nalak patterns beautifully incorporated into stoles as well as delicate calado patterns typical of those done by Lucban embroiders adorning canopies and panels, to name a few.

The wealth of information contained in the book is complemented by the lovely photographs of George Tapan which serves as a breaker between the book’s two parts. Through his lens, Tapan expertly captured the look and feel of the 50 vestments included in the book.

Those familiar with weaving will surely gush at how Tapan was able to show clearly the way warp weaves into weft or the manner by which the floating weft or an embroidery are incorporated into the various fabrics.

Dom Martin’s text and Tapan’s photographs are bound together into a seamless whole by book designer Felix Mago Miguel.

Known for his facility to internalize each volume he works on, Miguel has come up with a design that mirrors the serene countenance of a monk. The book breathes quiet elegance, more so when compared to an earlier Miguel project, Cuaresma, which because of the nature of the subject, was in the words of Miguel, "loud."

No doubt it is not only academicians and scholars who shall benefit from the rich anthropolical data contained in Dom Martin’s Worship and Weave. The book is also a valuable reference for the religious community with regards to the correct use of liturgical vestments. As for the ordinary reader, Worship and Weave not only offers a window to better understand the Catholic faith through its attendant rituals but also widens awareness about traditional artists and indigenous art forms.

Worship and Weave affirms what a long line of Benedictine monks have proven throughout the ages – that there is a perfect blend between theology and culture.