Jose Maria V. Zaragoza: The architect who built edifices of faith

Few are blessed to have their legacies cast in stone; fewer still are privileged to have their legacies cast in a place of worship. In many ways, the late architect Jose Maria V. Zaragoza lived his life for the glory of God, and used his talent for this purpose. He designed places of worship like the Sto. Domingo Church, St. John Bosco Parish Church, the Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Posadas Village, to name a few. The Villa San Miguel was also one of his earlier works.

The following piece is a tribute to Zaragoza on what would have been his 100th birthday, lovingly written by his daughter Loudette Zaragoza-Banson:

How many of us will be around to celebrate our 100th birthday? This is indeed a blessing reserved for a few.   How many of us have structures, which bear our mark that stand long after we have crossed the great Beyond?  This again is a gift for a few.  My dad, architect Jose Maria Zaragoza lived till his 81st year.  We remembered him in a special way on the 6th of December 2012 because he would have been a hundred years old. Just saying a hundred years to myself gives me so many reasons to be thankful. I see him still in the structures he designed and built.

A birth anniversary is celebrated because it reminds us to be grateful for the gift of life.  Daddy is now enjoying eternal life — this is a truth my faith makes me embrace. Why then do we still need to celebrate? We celebrate because of God’s GOODNESS to us.  Not too many people are called to do huge magnificent structures. God, in His unique and marvelous way, chose Daddy to design places of worship like the Sto. Domingo Church, St. John Bosco Parish Church, the Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Posadas Village to name a few. The Villa San Miguel was one of his earlier works. Its walls and halls were witness to the whispers and laughter of two great popes. A landmark stands along Ortigas Avenue as a sign of his genius: the Meralco building. He built the first mall in Greenhills in the ‘70s: Virra Mall.  He was given the unique task to design the background of the Pontifical altar for the first beatification held outside Rome. It was a 40-foot mural that served as a backdrop of the altar where a Mass was celebrated by His Holiness Pope John Paul II to beatify our first Filipino saint, St. Lorenzo Ruiz at the Rizal Park.

Nick Joaquin once said that our culture is the culture that buys small and thinks small. We are known for the sari-sari store, the “tingi” system and the barangay. He challenged the Filipinos to annihilate the petty and rise to greatness. I would like to think Daddy left us with a heritage of greatness, boldness and creativity. This is reason to celebrate!  Yes it is true what Pope John Paul II said during the beatification: to do great things is a gift for some but to do everything with excellence is a duty for all. Dad was gifted with both: the task to do great things, which he did to the best of his ability.  He showed us by example that we must work for excellence at all times.

He found fulfillment and welcomed the challenge to do complex structures. He put together not just building materials but people’s talents and worked towards consolidation and synthesis. He was bold and daring when he mastered a particular style in architecture to go and explore new lines and curves. I really don’t know much about the technical aspects of building design, but I do know what Daddy’s personal foundation and original inspiration was. I am referring to the greatest woman of all time: the Blessed Virgin Mary.  He prayed much while he worked and he was totally devoted to the Blessed Mother.

Dad conceived of magnificent things for others but for himself, he was content with his reliable white Volkswagen Beatle.  He drove my younger sister and me in this simple but sturdy vehicle to school every day, sans air-conditioning along the not so congested EDSA in the late ‘60s till the early ‘70s. Even if my Dad enjoyed music immensely, the only rhythm, cadence and melody in the car were the Hail Marys we prayed during our 30- to 40-minute drive from our home in Quezon City to our school in Makati. After the rosary, we recited almost chant-like a prayer for every bead of the rosary in Spanish: “Sagrado corazon de Jesus en vos con fio” (Oh most sacred heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee.) He set the mood, the focus and the purpose of our day. He even told us about the life of the saint of the day, which greatly inspired my younger sister and me. His life was so deeply rooted in his love for God and his devotion to Mama Virgen. That is why I am confident that perhaps with the help of those who believe in the preservation of cultural treasures, Dad’s work and memory will live longer than a hundred years.

Last Dec. 6, we celebrated the man and his work not just to propagate his memory nor fulfill the desire to clone him but as his daughter, I believe that the paramount virtue I would like to bequeath is his great spirit.  He soared in his humanity as he was rooted in his deep love for God and the propagation of His Kingdom, thus contributing works not only of historical importance, but also for God’s greater glory.

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