Bell Ringers of the Gesu

“…No, I never heard it ringing, till there was you.”

Some time back I wrote of the Ateneo College Class ’64 (High School ’60) gifting the Gesu in Loyola Heights the carillon and Angelus bell on their Ruby (40th) anniversary. Ambassador Toto Zaide, a good friend of my late boss STAR publisher Max Soliven, is of this batch. This year, the “senior” Eagles are “Golden Boys” (50 years after Ateneo de Manila High School 1960). So what can they do for an encore? 

Dr. Raul Sunico, a Blue-and-Gold one, (Ateneo HS ’65 and present UST Dean of Conservatory of Music and president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines), whispered to Ernie Fajardo and Ben Morales what they could give. (When Raul played the carillon at the 2005 blessing, he had to improvise on the keyboard because of missing tones on the 18-bell carillon. That’s the inside story on how Eagles ‘60/’64 voted  to top with five more bells to bring the carillon to 25 as their gift to their alma mater on their Golden Jubilee.)

Last Oct. 24, Rev. Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, S.J., president of the Ateneo de Manila, celebrated Mass at the Gesu and blessed the new bells. He was assisted by Fr. Felix Unson, S.J. Belgian Ambassador Christian Meerschman witnessed the blessing of the bells, which are cast by Petit & Fritsen in Antwerp, like the original 18 bells and the Angelus bell. 

In his homily, Fr. Ben thanked the Eagles Class ’60/‘64 for their gift and Ambassador Meerschman for his presence, affirming the continued cooperation between our two countries. He recalled that Fr. Bill Masterson, S.J., had reserved the highest point of Loyola Heights for a chapel, but with already three — Grade School Chapel of the Holy Guardian Angel, High School Chapel of St. Stanislaus Kostka and the Immaculate Conception Chapel in College — there was less and less enthusiasm for building another one. But Fr. Ben’s small-town-church-plaza upbringing overcame the inertia and realized the original dream for a church as centerpoint. “Otherwise our icons would be the Blue Eagle gym and the covered basketball courts... not that these are not important...” given the Jesuit cachet for mens sana, in corpore sano (sound of mind and body). The Gesu was built in the Second Millennium and formally invested in 2002... “in time for the first Ateneo basketball championship after 14 years in the UAAP.” Yet it was missing an integral part of the original architecture... until Eagles Class ‘60/’64 gave the Gesu its voice with a carillon.

This time Fr. Ben blessed the additional bells, which were dedicated to St. John & St. Paul, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. John Vianney, St. Bernadette and Mother Teresa with a prayer for their remembered teachers. Paparazzis were Toting Bunye (former Presidential Spokesman and now Monetary Board member), Ding Wenceslao, Bert Fenix and Sito Santillan.

After the ceremony, Raul Sunico played A Song for Mary and Blue Eagle the King… still improvising the missing notes on the carillon.  (The full tones will play when the five bells are installed.)

The Class repaired to the Moro Lorenzo Hall for merienda where they regaled each other with stories that get better in the retelling… with their Latin teacher Severino Estrera listening, for a change. Pet Jingco and Bombit Aragon promised another surprise at the December homecoming.  What might that be? Abangan.

InterCon to serve Assumption cookbook favorites

Yes, Assumption girls can cook — even if sometimes “cooking” means directing their cook into coming up with the best paella or Iberian Chicken in town. But some actually don aprons and put on toques, knowing that the hand that rocks the ladle rules the world.

Assumption “cooks” have gone a long way. Why, even InterContinental Manila’s Café Jeepney is teaming up with my batchmates Marivic Puyat Limcaoco and Annie Lim Kawpeng, the ladies behind the bestselling Pearl Edition of the Assumption High School Class of ’79 Cookbook, for a choice selection of dishes based on recipes in the book. They will be included in the restaurant’s lunch buffet spread from Nov. 6 to 24. Among these featured cookbook favorites to be prepared by the hotel’s chefs are Herbed Chicken Liver Paté, Pot Roast Beef, Pancit Kawayan, Lengua con Setas, Mustard Glaze Corned Beef, Beef Stroganoff with Parsley Rice, Chamorro Stuffing, Gourmet Chicken Adobo (my recipe!), Sweet and Sour Spareribs, Maya-maya in Ginger and Oyster Sauce, Liz’s Garlic Crab, Jansson’s Temptation: Anchovy Potato Casserole, Beef Rolls with Italian Sausages, Assumption Tart, Brown Sugar Pound Cake, Limoncello Tiramisu, Dulce Gatas, and Lola Nena Pardo’s Prune Cake, to cite a few from the menu cycle.

Assumption College Bazaar shoppers on Nov. 6 and 14 will be given a 20 percent discount on the lunch buffet price on those dates upon presentation of their bazaar tickets. Assumption students and graduates will be given a 30 percent discount on the buffet price during the promotion run when dining in groups of 10 while one of them gets to dine for free for every group of six partaking of the lunch buffet. Copies of the cookbook will be on sale at Café Jeepney during the promotion period.

(For Café Jeepney reservations or for more information on this promotion, please call 793-7000.) (You may e-mail me at [email protected])