Sta. Ines de Bulacan - The Untouchable Virgin - Martyr

Sta. Ines de Bulacan

In the quiet town of Sta. Ines in Bulacan, Bulacan, there is this certain venerated saint, loved by the whole town for the miracles that she wrought to the people for centuries. However, there is a catch - Men, both straight and gay men - are not allowed to touched this miraculous patron of the town. This might sound bizarre to some but this is actually the scenario of the town.

This is the mystique of the venerated image of Santa Ines of Bulacan, Bulacan that baffled the modern mind. Sexist to most people but for those who are conscious to religious traditions in the country still wonders on this peculiar trait to the miraculous Virgin and Martyr.

The image

The image of Santa Ines (St. Agnes of Rome) is that of a de bastidor image where it the image is meant to be vested. The image has a wooden mannequin type of body while the face and hands are that of ivory. Ivory cracks are visibly seen in the image that proves the antiquity of the image. The image holds a palm branch that sometimes it is intertwined with lilies, the traditional symbols of purity and martyrdom in Catholic iconography. She also holds a book with a silver lamb on top of it to signify that her name Agnes in Latin means "lamb".

St. Agnes of Rome

The life of St. Agnes

St. Agnes of Rome was born in 291 AD and raised in a Christian family. Agnes was very beautiful and belonged to a wealthy family. Her hand in marriage was highly sought after, and she had many high ranking men chasing after her. However, Agnes made a promise to God never to stain her purity. Her love for the Lord was great and she hated sin even more than death!

Whenever a man wished to marry Agnes, she would always say, "Jesus Christ is my only Spouse."

According to legend, the young men she turned away became so angry and insulted by her devotion to God and purity that they began to submit her name to authorities as a Christian follower.

In one incident, Procop, the Governor's son, became very angry when she refused him. He tried to win her for his wife with rich gifts and promises, but the beautiful young girl kept saying, "I am already promised to the Lord of the Universe. He is more splendid than the sun and the stars, and He has said He will never leave me!" In great anger, Procop accused her of being a Christian and brought her to his father, the Governor. The Governor promised Agnes wonderful gifts if she would only deny God, but Agnes refused. He tried to change her mind by putting her in chains, but her lovely face shone with joy.

The martyrdom of Sr, Agnes

Next he sent her to a place of sin, but an Angel protected her. At last, she was condemned to death. Even the pagans cried to see such a young and beautiful girl going to death. It is said that she was condemned to be dragged through the streets naked yet Agnes' hair grew instantly to cover her entire body and all the men who attempted to rape the beautiful virgin were immediately struck blind.

Yet, Agnes was as happy as a bride on her wedding day. At first, Agnes was tied to a stake, but either the wood would not burn or the flames parted away from her. This prompted an officer to draw his sword and behead the girl. She did not pay attention to those who begged her to save herself. "I would offend my Spouse if I were to try to please you. He chose me first and He shall have me!" Then she prayed and bowed her head for the death-stroke of the sword.It is believed that her blood, which poured out to the stadium, was soaked up with cloths by Christians. She died a virgin-martyr at the age of 12 or 13 on  January 21,304.

Agnes was buried beside the Via Nomentana in Rome. Her bones are currently conserved beneath the high altar in the church of Sant'Angese fuori le mura in Rome, which was built over the catacomb that held her tomb. Her skull is preserved in the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone in Rome's Piazza Navona.

St. Agnes is widely known as the patron saint of young girls. She is also the patron saint of chastity, rape survivors and the Children of Mary. She is often represented with a lamb, the symbol of her virgin innocence, and a palm branch, like other martyrs. She is shown as a young girl in robes holding a palm branch with the lamb either at her feet or in her arms.

The image's peculiar beginnings

The origin of the revered image of Santa Ines begins in 1720 which is according to the people of the town, a fisherman from Pariahan (then the name of the town) was in the middle of the stormy sea when he saw a strange mysterious light at the far end of his boat.

When he came nearer to see it, the fisherman was surprised to see an image on a floating basin. He tied the basin to his boat and towed it for home. Upon sighting land, the fisherman attempted to lift the basin with the image and bring it ashore, yet strangely, he could not even lift it. Other fishermen came to help him, but the basin would not budge. But when the women came to their succor, they handily and easily lifted the image safely to the shore.

With this mysterious event, the townsfolk considered the event a miracle that they immediately constructed a chapel and put it under the patronage of Sta. Ines—a name that was on the book held by her left hand. Eventually, the saint’s name replaced “Pariahan” as the name of the barrio.

Why men cannot touch this image?

In the course of history of this venerable image, there were cases that when men, even priests, tried to touch this image, bad events took place from sudden strike of calamities, misfortunes, oftentimes the strange change of the weight of the image. One particular case is that in 1994, a priest persuaded the people, to stop this "bizarre belief" that he bravely touched the image, then all of a sudden, thunder and lightning struck the town and a strange yet ravaging rainstorm happened at the same time. This incident led the priest to take back his proclamation and never persuaded to do such ever again. Since then, no priest dared to touched the image ever since and in respect to the devotion to this miraculous saint.

Santa Ines in her andas with warning signs for uninformed men

There are other cases that the image did not want anything that has to do with men. There were cases that when male designers made a vestment for Santa Ines, the vestment would not fit her, either its too loose or too tight for the image. There were also cases that even gay men sneakily joined the procession of Sta. Ines which is exclusively flanked by women, but whenever the andas of the Patroness suddenly won't move or became strangely heavy, the women began to suspect that there was a male in the procession and they immediately ask these gay men to leave or stay in the corner and then the procession continued swiftly.

On why men are not allowed to be associated with the image can be answered by looking at the life of St. Agnes where men, evil men, tried to sexually abuse her in a prostitution den, but they failed miserably and these men also condemned her to death that won her the palm of martyrdom. Probably this can also be applied to the mystique of Santa Ines of Bulacan, Bulacan and also a lesson to the modern world on the value of chastity and purity.

The Visita of Sta. Ines in
Bulakan, Bulacan

The enduring devotion

Several miracles were reported through her intercession from miraculous cures, dream visitation, nocturnal visits to her devotees among others is still persistent to this day and the number of devotees seems to grow and pilgrims from the whole Bulacan province and other parts of Luzon, Metro Manila and even in the Visayas and Mindanao regions flock the Chapel of Santa Ines to ask for her intercession and she didn't disappoint.

Her well attended Fiesta is celebrated every January 21, the Liturgical Feast of St. Agnes and in the course of the 9-day novena, the petite Santa Ines  is dressed indifferent vestments every day. The image is brought in procession twice —in the morning and in the evening—borne on a decorated andas by women, who also heap tributes of songs and poems to their beloved patron in a tradition called “Luante”. To remind uninformed men, signs bearing the warning “Paunawa: Bawal Humawak Ang Mga Lalaki” are placed strategically on the andas

In the Fiesta of the Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion of Bulakan, Bulacan, the image of Sana Ines accompany the Blessed Virgin along with other patron saints of each barangay or town in Bulacan, Bulacan and the participation of Santa Ines is one of the most anticipated yet the same warning to uninformed men is also observed.

The devotion to Santa Ines de Bulakan might be bizarre to almost everyone and dismiss it as fanaticism by other sects and even fellow Catholics. One might miss a certain point on this devotion - the preservation of purity and chastity that is very foreign in the modern world and this might be the lesson that Santa Ines is trying to teach her devotees and the people as well - to value purity and chastity for our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit and we should not tamper it with impure thoughts and vile actions that will offend God.

May Santa Ines inspire us to persevere,even offering our lives, to preserve our purity and chastity,as part of living a holy life for God. Santa Ines de Bulakan, Ipanalangin mo kami!