San Andres Apostol de Parañaque - The Watchful Patron of Paranaque City

San Andres Apostol de Parañaque

In La Huerta, Parañaque where old Traditions are still observed up until the present, the place of abode of the Patroness of Paranaque, Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso, there is also another dear Saint of the Parañaqueños held dear, St. Andrew the Apostle, one of the Great Apostles of Jesus Christ and one of the most well known in the world. It was his home that was chosen to be the Seat of the Diocese of Parañaque for its antiquity and for being a watchful Patron of the City for centuries.

The Life of St. Andrew

Andrew, like his brother Simon Peter, was a fisherman. He became a disciple of the great St. John the Baptist, but when John pointed to Jesus and said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" Andrew understood that Jesus was greater. At once he left John to follow the Divine Master. Jesus knew that Andrew was walking behind him, and turning back, he asked, "what do you seek?" When Andrew answered that he would like to know where Jesus lived, Our Lord replied, "Come and see." Andrew had been only a little time with Jesus when he realized that this was truly the Messiah.

From then on, he chose to follow Jesus. Andrew was thus the first disciple of Christ. Next, Andrew brought his brother Simon (St. Peter) to Jesus and Jesus received him, too, as His disciple. At first the two brothers continued to carry on their fishing trade and family affairs, but later, the Lord called them to stay with Him all the time. He promised to make them fishers of men, and this time, they left their nets for good. It is believed that after Our Lord ascended into Heaven,

St. Andrew went to Greece to preach the gospel. He is said to have been put to death on a cross, to which he was tied, not nailed. He lived two days in that state of suffering, still preaching to the people who gathered around their beloved Apostle. Two countries have chosen St. Andrew as their patron - Russia and Scotland.

His relics consist of a small finger, the top of his cranium and pieces of the cross. These are kept in a shrine at the Church of St. Andrew in Patras.

The image of San Andres after its restoration

Although little is mentioned in the Book of Acts regarding the life of St. Andrew, much can be learned through St. Andrew's life. He and Saint Peter gave up their lifelong careers and lifestyles, leaving everything behind, to follow Jesus. Their undying faith in a difficult world is an inspiration to all Christians.

Features of the Image

The image of St. Andrew the Apostle is that of Molave wood where the details of the image gives a hint of the period and the style of the carving. The image has that Primitive Colonial style that is prevalent during the Spanish Period. The image shows St. Andrew disrobed from his red vestment and before him is the Cross in an "X" shaped form - that is popularly known as St. Andrew's Cross for it is believed that he was crucified in an "X" shaped Cross.  The expression of the face of San Andres of Parañaque is that of in submission to his fate to be martyred and it appears to be dignified despite the martyrdom that he will face.

The image was first enshrined in the retablo mayor of the Church until it was transferred to the facade of the Church for almost 50 years. It was later restored by renown Ecclesiastical Arts restorer Thomas Joven of Pampanga and it was later re-enthroned in the main altar that can be seen today.

St. Andrew's Cathedral in La Huerta, Parañaque

The Cathedral - Parish

The Cathedral of St. Andrew was built by the Augustinian missionaries who set foot on a fishing village near the sea, more than four hundred years ago for the conversion of the natives to the faith. and would also help facilitate the conquest of islands for the King of Spain. The town was called "Palanyag", the contraction for the word "Paglalayag" which means sailing. At that time, Palanyag consisted of several nipa huts grouped as a residential settlement known as "barangays."

Rev. Fr. Elviro Jorde Perez, O.S.A. being the Augustinian historian in the 19th century, wrote that as early as 1575, the Provincial Chapter subjected the populace of Palanyag to the patronage of St. Andrew, and later on to the advocacy of the Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso (Our Lady of the Good Events), an image of the blessed Virgin Mary enthroned in the said Parish on August 10, 1625.

After the four hundred year supremacy and ruling of the Augustinians came the missionaries from the C.I.C.M. or Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. A lot of changes came during their reign, including the foundation of the parish's school, St. Andrew's School, the several replacements of the church's altar and the creation of a dome on which the crucifix that signifies the Lord Jesus Christ is placed.

Upon the turnover of of the Parish to the Archdiocese of Manila on January 1, 1994, the altar was once again replaced and enthroned the image of Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso in the center Tabernacle. In the said altar, the image of the parish's patron, St. Andrew the Apostle is found on the right hand side of the altar, while the image of St. Joseph is found on the left. In the center of the altar is where the image of Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso is found. Through the years, several renovation projects took place for the improvement of the Parish.

Before the retirement of Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, he erected new dioceses due to the increasing number of population of Catholics and one of the newly formed dioceses is the Diocese of Parañaque. Manila Auxiliary Bishop Jesse E. Mercado, DD was appointed as its first bishop on January 28, 2003.

The Processional image of San Andres Apostol
of Paranaque

Devotion

The Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle is celebrated every November 30 and it is considered as the patronal feast of the City. The fiesta of St. Andrew is celebrated with a solemn procession in his honor where students of St. Andrew's Cathedral joins the annual procession.

The most important thing to note about St. Andrew is that the few times he does appear in the Gospels, he is always leading others to Jesus Christ. St. Andrew is not outspoken, and he does not come across as one who craves the spotlight, but his gentle, caring personality comes forth and invites others to "come and see" the Master. St. Andrew is not trying to do anything exceptional. He comes across to us as simple, faithful, humble, kind, and friendly, with an openness toward others. Providence can count on him to do what is needful and bring others to "come and see" Jesus Christ in the right way, at the right time.

As we conclude this blog entry dedicated to St. Andrew, here is an excerpt from Sacred Tradition were these words were said by St. Andrew before his crucifixion:

"O good Cross, made beautiful by the body of my Lord! So long desired, so anxiously loved, so unceasingly sought after, and now at last ready for my soul to enjoy! Take me from amidst men, and restore me to my Master, that by thee he may receive me, who by thee redeemed me."

San Andres Apostol, Ipanalangin mo kami!

References:

St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle, Retreived from http://antiochian.org/st-andrew-first-called-apostle.
The Solemn Canonical Coronation of Nuestra Senora del Buen Suceso, 2000, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Paranaque City.