Santa Marta de Pateros - the Rose of Pateros

Santa Marta de Pateros

The thriving municipality of Pateros, located between Makati City and Pasig City, is famous for its balut (duck eggs) industry for years. The hardworking people of Pateros owes this prosperous industry and others that were later developed in the recent years through their undying devotion to their beloved patroness, St. Martha of Bethany of the famous Bethany siblings who are known to be friends with Jesus Christ. As Santa Marta is known to be productive and hardworking, the people emulated this trait of their patroness that led them to be one of the most hardworking places in Metro Manila.

From left: the images of "Matandang Santa Marta", the Shrine image and
"Batang Santa Marta"

The Beauty of Pateros' Rose

The image of Santa Marta de Pateros is one of the most unique and somewhow intriguing in the roster of the famed venerated images in the country. There were at least three images of Santa Marta that are venerated in the municipality, the centuries old original wooden image that is currently enshrined in her own altar in her Shrine known as "Matandang Santa Marta", the ivory image known as "The Shrine image", and the image of "Batang Santa Marta" that is used for the morning Festivies of February.

All of the images of St. Martha of Pateros shares the same features: petite with a wavy long dark hair, though the "Batang Santa Marta" image sports blonde hair, wears a beautifully embroidered, or sometimes beaded vestments, holds a palm or olive branch at the left and a Cross on the right, wears a tiara and stands on a crocodile - the unique distinction of their patroness. The image of "Matandang Santa Marta", considered as the oldest image of St. Martha in Pateros was carved sometime in the 1800's after the original image was submerged to the rivers of Pateros while the "Batang Santa Marta of the Tuazon family was carved during the 1960's,  This unique depiction of St. Martha in Pateros derives from a miracle where she appeared to the people and slayed the crocodile who eats the ducks that would endanger the balut industry.

The life of St. Martha of Bethany

St. Martha is one of the most recognizable Biblical figures in the New Testament. Martha was the sister of Mary and Lazarus. They lived in the little town of Bethany near Jerusalem. They were dear friends of Jesus, and he often came to visit them. It was St. Martha who lovingly served the Lord when he visited them. One day, she was preparing a meal for Jesus and his disciples. She realized that the task would be easier if her sister would help. She watched Mary sitting quietly at Jesus' feet, listening to him. "Lord, tell my sister to help me," Martha suggested. Jesus was very pleased with Martha's loving service. However, he wanted her to know that listening to God's Word and praying is even more important. So he said gently, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious about many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part."

St. Martha's great faith in Jesus was seen when her brother Lazarus died. As soon as she heard that Jesus was coming to Bethany, Martha went to meet him. She trusted Jesus and felt the freedom to say: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Then Jesus told her that Lazarus would rise. Jesus worked a great miracle and raised Lazarus from the dead. Later, Jesus came again to have supper with Lazarus, Martha and Mary. St. Martha served them at table as always. This time, though, Martha had a much more loving attitude. She served with a joyful heart.

St. Martha taming the tarasque

The Tarascon Tradition

According to pious tradition, St. Martha left Judea after Jesus' death, around 48 AD, and went to Provence with her sister Mary and her brother Lazarus. With them, Martha first settled in Avignon. Later, St.Martha then went to Tarascon, France, where a monster, the Tarasque, was a constant threat to the population. The Golden Legend describes it as a beast from Galicia; a great dragon, half beast and half fish, greater than an ox, longer than an horse, having teeth sharp as a sword, and horned on either side, head like a lion, tail like a serpent, that dwelt in a certain wood between Arles and Avignon. Holding a cross in her hand, Martha sprinkled the beast with holy water. Placing her sash around its neck, she led the tamed dragon through the village. There Martha lived, daily occupied in prayers and in fasting. Martha eventually died in Tarascon, where she was buried. Her tomb is located in the crypt of the local Collegiate Church. This venerable tradition led to the depiction of St. Martha stepping or taming the trasque beast holding a Cross and an asperges that somehow adopted to the iconography of the one in Pateros.

The Miracle of St. Martha in Pateros

The Miracle of Santa Marta in Pateros 

The origin of the devotion to St. Martha in Pateros was somehow unknown due to lack of records regarding the arrival or the carving to the image of St. Martha yet popular tradition has it that there was an older image of St. Martha that was venerated there until it was decided to have it sink to the river due to discoloration and deterioration, it can also be taken as a plea to bless the waters in the area and for the prosperity of the balut industry.

The devotion to St. Martha reached its height when the townsfolk recall that when a giant crocodile was was pestering the river of Pateros by attacking the ducks. At that time, during the 1700s, ducks (whose eggs are used to make the "balut") were abundant in the river through Pateros. The people of Pateros sought the intercession of St. Martha to eliminate the crocodile. One evening, under a full moon, a bayani (local hero) was on his way to the river to slay the creature when he saw a brilliant light showing the figure of St. Martha slaying or taming the crocodile, as she did in Tarascon, France centuries ago. Since then, the creature was never seen again and the duck industry flourished. The people of Pateros attributed this miracle to Saint Martha and a grand fiesta celebration was held to commemorate this miracle.

Other reported miracles

Aside from the famous slaying or taming of the crocodile miracle, there were other miracles that were attributed through the intercession of St. Martha of Pateros. Her devotees come all the way from Zamboanga, Iloilo, Laguna, Metro Manila and other parts of the country. While she is the patroness of those suffering from rheumatism, the very sick and indeed those lying at death’s door have been recovered upon making a promise to go on a pilgrimage to Saint Martha in Pateros.

There was a Spaniard who came to Pateros with a very thin and ill-looking body. He said to those who had charge of the image then that his son had ceased breath when he called on Saint Marta saying, “Oh Saint Martha, you knew grief that comes to one who losses a dear one and the joy that comes when he is restored to life. Grant me the same joy and I will make a pilgrimage where ever your statue is venerated”. Some of the oldest women in town still remember that the boy who came with the Spaniard really looked like one snatch from death.

Be that as it may, the devotees of Saint Martha have increased year by year and the residents remember that their grand fathers have spoken of the many people who come from far off places to have a Mass or a novena said in Honor of the patroness in gratitude for special favors granted them.

Diocesan Shrine of Santa Marta de Pateros

The Abode of the Patroness

In 1572, the town of Pateros was only a Barrio of Pasig and was known as "Agoho". In 1799, the Augustinian Fathers made it a separate encomienda. In 1801, it was named "Pueblo de Patero" Patero was coined from the word "Patio" or "Itik" (duck), since the major occupation of the people is duck-raising and balut-making. In July 1, 1815, the Augustinian Fathers ecclesiastically separated "Pueblo de Patero" from Pasig and since then was known Pateros with Padre Andres Viel as the parish priest. The construction of the stone church was started with no available record as to when it was completed. During the cholera epidemic of 1819, the church was offered to San Roque (Patron Saint of Calamities) to save the people from the total destruction. Since then, the town was known as the Parish of San Roque. Yet the Parish became known as the center of the devotion to St. Martha of Bethany and a special altar was erected dedicated to St. Martha and it became a pilgrimage site ever since.

In 2008, Rev. Fr. Orly Cantillon, the pastor of the Parish of San Roque in Pateros, along with the Poderes de San Marta de Pateros, filed a petition to Bishop Francisco C. San Diego D.D., Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pasig, requesting that the Parish of San Roque be titled the Diocesan Shrine of St. Martha. The request was granted and the decree was presented December 2008. The proclamation was made official February 7, 2009, followed by the annual fiesta celebration the next day.

The procession of Santa Marta de Pateros

Pateros Fiesta

An Italian print of the fluvial procession of
Santa Marta de Pateros

The fiestas of Santa Marta de Pateros was one of the most joyful and colorful in Metro Manila and it is the much awaited event in the municipality. The fiestas are held every Second Sunday of February and on her Liturgical Feast day on July 29. In both fiestas, there were two dance processions that winds the the municipality, one in the morning with the image of "Batang Santa Marta" in February and the shrine image in July and one in the afternoon until the evening with the Shrine image. On both dance procession, there is this tradition called "Pasubo" where the devotees and the entire households and business establishments in Pateros gives away food to those who joined the procession as an act of thanksgiving to the blessings they received through the intercession of Santa Marta de Pateros.

In earlier times (1700s to 1960s) the fiesta in honor of Santa Marta de Pateros had no fixed date; it was celebrated in either January, February, or March. The Poderes de Sta. Marta, whose members are old men devoted to the patroness, would choose a date within these months, taking into consideration the abundance of harvest of balut and rice grain, then choosing an evening with a full moon to serve as the light for the Pagoda sa Ilog (the fluvial parade) since there was no electricity at that time. In the 1960s, the date was fixed to second Sunday of February to avoid confusion and in consideration of the economic and environmental changes to the town. It was also said that during that era Monsignor Sicat, the former parish priest, moved the celebration to July 29.

There was even a fluvial procession in honor of Martha that then serves as the highlight of the festivities. The fluvial parade that starts at one o’clock in the afternoon and winds up at seven in the evening. This main is and most joyous feature of the town fiesta and for the various preparations are made. Two of the biggest boats in town are decorated to make the pagoda which will carry the image and no efforts are spared to make it as decorative as possible.

One of the last Fluvial processions of Sta. Marta de Pateros

Along the making of the pagoda is an enormously sized facsimile of a crocodile complete with sharp teeth in long fierce jaws and protruding eyes and scaly body. To accompany the pagoda on its way down the river are the “Parejadores”, a fleet of smaller boats. Sightseers lining the banks of the river may shout the old time cry of “subo” and the people in the boats throw sandwiches, cigarettes , suman and prepared ikmo with betel nut to chew. All this time, those who have made vows to dance in the boats to the tunes that the musicians play as they go from barrio of Buting to Ususan at the extreme end of the municipality. Lighted tapers, bamboo torches and stings of lights transform the fluvial parade of early afternoon into a beautiful sight after dark. The traditional fluvial procession ended sometime in the late 1990s or early 2000's due to the damage and pollution of Pateros River.

The devotion

The devotion to St. Martha continues to flourish within and outside Pateros and pilgrims continued to multiply over the years and miracles and answered favors continued to be reported to her shrine. Tuesdays are traditionally dedicated to St. Martha and it is also practiced in Pateros with novenas and masses. Through the devotion to the industrious St. Martha, may she help us in our everyday tasks and be our guide as we slay our own monsters, the monsters of sin and profess bravely our faith as she did to Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sa dusa't dilang hilahil at sakunang sapin-sapin, 
Martang Pintakasi namin, Kami'y iyong idalangin!


Reference:

Pope, Hugh. St. Martha. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910.
Rio, Rana (1939), The Town Fiesta of Pateros. Sunday Tribune.
St. Martha, Retreived from http://www.saintmarthachurch.org/saint_martha_biography.htm.
Tenney, Merrill C. Kenneth L. Barker & John Kohlenberger III, ed. Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House.
Martyrologium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2001 ISBN 978-88-209-7210-3), p. 398
http://stamartaysanroque.blogspot.com/

Special thanks to Mr. Abram Angelo Cagalingan of Poderes de Santa Marta de Pateros