CEBU, Philippines - Our bustling city of Cebu contains little corners of serenity. One such patch of tranquility is Tabor Hill, which sits on a five-hectare property in nearby Barangay San Jose.
For a place that's so peaceful, it's a hive of activity. But perhaps in all of Tabor Hill, it's the Chapel of the Holy Relics that intrigues the curious and the contemplative, the humble and the hopeful. No surprise there: the chapel shelters over 600 relics, says its curator, Fr. Dennis Duene Gutierrez Ruiz, OAD. The 34-year-old chaplain earned a graduate degree in the cultural heritage and history of the Church from the Gregorian Pontifical University in Rome.
It all started in 2002, when Fr. Ruiz received from a nun some first-class relics of St. Augustine and his mother St. Monica. Her gifts were intended for a convent in the Philippines where the two saints are the spiritual founders. This inspired the young priest to learn more about the lives of saints and martyrs.
Because his nearly eight-year stay in the Eternal City, which included a stint working at the Office of the Relics in the Vicariate of Rome, Fr. Ruiz was able to collect more relics, which are not-and should not-be sold because they shouldn't be tainted by commerce.
But of course, obtaining these valuable items isn't easy at all. A strict procedure and specific hierarchy should be followed. All requests must be endorsed by either a bishop of a diocese, or the superior/provincial father-general of a major congregation. The letter must also specify that the relic will be used for public religious purposes, such as a church altar. People who profit from trading in relics are guilty of simony, according to Church teachings.
All of the chapel's relics have authentic, numbered documents from the Vatican, says Fr. Ruiz. Based on the system devised by the Catholic Church, first-class relics are a body part of a saint-perhaps strands of hair, fragments of bone, bits of skin or dried blood. Second-class relics are items used by a saint during his or her lifetime, while those deemed third class are objects that have touched a first-class relic. Fourth-class relics are objects that have come into contact with a second-class relic.
The relics are kept in individual containers called reliquaries, which are specially made to store and display these holy objects. Inspired by baroque design and crafted by Cebu's finest artisans, each reliquary stands 20 to 32 inches tall and has gold-leaf gilding and symbols.
Above the chapel's main altar is a striking painting that depicts the Holy Trinity. The central figure is Christ, and it showcases soil from Mt. Tabor, Israel-the exact location where the Transfiguration took place.
As Tabor Hill is part of the Augustinian family, there are several relics from their saints, such as St. Ezequiél Moreno, who was a member of the Order of Augustinian Recollects who went on mission to the Philippines and ordained priests here. Perhaps the saint that's closest to Fr. Ruiz's heart is St. Rita of Cascia, the patron saint of lost causes. An image of her can be found below the altar, where she lies in calm repose, her relics embedded in her chest.
Other relics include the dried flesh of St. Teresa of Ãvila and a bone fragment of St. John of the Cross-both Doctors of the Church-are among those housed in the chapel.
The relics of three congregation founders also have a place of honor: St. Ignatius of Loyola of the Society of Jesus or the Jesuit order, St. Jean-Baptist de la Salle of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools or the Lasallian Brothers, and St. John Bosco of the Salesians of Don Bosco. All three religious orders are best known in the Philippines for the schools associated with them.
Relics from religious figures from in recent times include dried blood from Saint Pio of Pietrelcina or Padre Pio, who was famous for bearing the stigmata, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, and Blessed John Paul II, the beloved pope who will become a saint in 2014.
Reliquaries for the country's popular saints, which include San Isidro de Labrador, San Vicente Ferrer and San Antonio de Padua, are mounted on special stands. Fr. Ruiz's dearest wish is to have relics of the two Filipino saints, San Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod. But sadly, it's destined to be left unfulfilled. San Lorenzo died in Japan and his remains were cremated, and while San Pedro's body was cast into the sea after his death. As such, these martyrs left behind no relics.
Whether you visit Tabor Hill to simply appreciate the richness of the Catholic heritage or to fervently pray for the intercession of your favorite saint, the Chapel of the Holy Relics is a sanctuary for those who always keep the flame of faith alive in their hearts. (FREEMAN)