Sto. Domingo de Sucat, San Nicolas de Tolentino de Cupang and San Roque de Alabang - The Triumvirate of Muntinlupa City
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| Sto. Domingo de Sucat, San Nicolas de Tolentino de Cupang and San Roque de Alabang |
Through the years, the devotion to St. Dominic de Guzman of Barangay Sucat, St. Nicholas of Tolentino of Barangay Cupang-Buli and St. Roch of Montpelier of Barangay Alabang is very unique for these images have a shared history and later became a unifying force that led to the development of the faith and camaraderie between the three barangays of Muntinlupa City.
The origin of the devotion
According to local tradition, one day, while the people are doing their daily routines, a mysterious log was found floating in the shores of Laguna de Bay and caused much curiosity to the townsfolk. The log was immediately fetched from the shore and tried to pieces it for utilization. However, as they began to stab the mysterious log, it is said that blood oozes out from the it and it caused much wonder to the people.
After much discernment, the townsfolk decided to carve out three images from the mysterious log that will be given to the three barangays of Muntinlupa, which was then that some parts of the area belonged to Binan while other parts of the area belonged to Rizal province. The images that were made from the log were those of Sto. Domingo de Guzman, the Great Founder of the Dominican Order; San Nicolas de Tolentino, the First known Augustinian Saint after the Grand Union and famed thaumaturgist; and San Roque de Montpelier, the famed Franciscan Tertiary and pilgrim known for his patronage against plagues.
The image of Sto. Domingo de Guzman was given to Barangay Sucat while those of San Nicolas de Tolentino and San Roque were given to Barangay Cupang-Buli and Barangay Alabang respectively. Since the enshrinement of these images to their respective barangays, numerous miracles were attributed to their intercession and further cultivated the Catholic faith to the populace of Muntinlupa for years up to this day.
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| Sto. Domingo de Guzman of Brgy. Sucat |
St. Dominic de Guzman was born in Calaruega, Spain in 1170. Then as a Cannon Regular of St. Augustine, he saw the horrors of the Albigensian heresy that was rampant at that time and he wanted to win them back to the Catholic faith. Driven to oppose the errors of the Albigenses, he founded the Order of the Preachers, that later received official approval in 1216, to preach to the heretics the truths of the faith and converted many of them, saving the Western Church from heresy and anarchy. He introduced to the world the beautiful prayer of the Holy Rosary that was given by the Blessed Virgin Mary herself that would become the instrument of peace and an armor against Satan and his works. He died in Bologna in 1221.
The image of Santo Domingo of Barangay Sucat is that of a petite image of St. Dominic de Guzman wearing his habit, holding a Cross-staff, a star on his forehead (alluding to the story of his godmother seeing a star in the forehead on the infant Domingo during his baptism), and a dog with a torch beside him (alluding to the dream of Blessed Jane of Aza where she saw a dog with a torch in his mouth and setting the world on fire, which she believed will be the future of her Son). The image is the focal point of veneration in Barangay Sucat and enjoyed much veneration since the image arrived in the area. The image of Tata Inggo, as he is known to his devotees, is currently enshrined at St. Dominic de Guzman Sub-Parish in Sucat, Muntinlupa City, under the jurisdiction of the National Shrine-Parish of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Numerous miracles were attributed to his intercession and his devotees grew as years go by up to the present that his feast day, August 8, is celebrated very festively as an act of perpetual thanksgiving.
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| San Nicolas de Tolentino of Brgy. Cupang |
St. Nicholas of Toletino was born in Castle St. Angelo, Italy in 1245. From his childhood, St. Nicholas was a model of virtue and innocence. He entered the Order of St. Augustine and he became a famous preacher and thaumaturgist (Miracle Worker). St. Nicholas was blessed with mystical gifts because of his many labor a in service and constant prayer. At the same time, he continued to advance in sanctity and his zeal for the salvation of souls became as fervent as ever that he was also known as the Patron of the Souls in Purgatory on the account his intercessory help to these souls to reach heaven in his lifetime and continued after his death and canonization. He died in Tolentino, Italy in 1310.
The handsome image of San Nicolas de Tolentino is also a petite image of St. Nicholas of Tolentine garbed in his Augustinian habit, a paragua (an umbrella like halo) and presented with his traditional attributes: holding a lily, a symbol of his chastity, a solar disc on his chest (alluding to a vision of a star that is said to be given by God as a token of his sanctity and a sign that he will be laid to rest in Tolentino in the very spot the star settles) and a plate with a fowl (alluding to a miracle where he brought a cooked fowl to life since he vowed to never consume meat as his act of charity to animals). A strong devotion to San Nicolas was developed since his enshrinement in Barangay Cupang-Buli due to the numerous miracles that were attributed through his intercession, including his protection of Cupang from strong typhoons. The miraculous image of Impong Kulas is currently enshrined at the Parish of San Nicolas de Tolentino, established in 1987, in Barangay Cupang, Muntinlupa City. His feast day is celebrated with much rejoicing every September 10 then followed by a fluvial procession which is done every Sunday after September 10.
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| San Roque de Montpelier of Brgy. Alabang |
St. Roch of Montpelier was born in Montpelier, France to a wealthy parents where his father is the governor of the place. He was orphaned when he was twenty and he later entered the Third Order of St. Francis of Assisi. He went on pilgrimage to Rome and devoted himself to caring for the victims of a plague that was ravaging Italy. He became a victim himself at Piacenza but recovered and was reputed to have performed many miracles of healing. On his return to Montpellier, he was imprisoned for five years for he was suspected as a spy in pilgrim's disguise by his uncle, who was governor. (His uncle failed to recognize him, and Roch failed to identify himself.) Roch died in prison and was only then identified as the former governor's son by a birthmark in the form of a cross on his chest. When miracles were reported at his intercession after his death, a popular cult developed and he is invoked against pestilence and plague. He is also the patron of invalids. His feast day is August 16.
The image of San Roque de Alabang is also a petite image of St. Roch of Montpelier in his traditional attributes: wearing a pilgrims garment with a golden cape, hat and boots, a pilgrim staff with a drinking gourd, a dog on his side that helped him to his miraculous recovery from the plague that he also caught while administering the sick, and an angel holding a slab bearing the words in Spanish: "Los que fueren heridos de peste, Imploraren en el favor de San Roque alcanzaran salud." (Those who were wounded by the plague, Implore in the favor of San Roque to achieve health.) which is said that an angel appeared to the people on St. Roch'a tomb holding this slab to ask favors to end the plague that triggered at that time. The Tata Roque of Alabang, currently is enshrined to his altar in the Parish dedicated to his honor in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, became a living witness to the development of Alabang from its humble beginnings to one of the most progressive areas of Muntinlupa City and Metro Manila. His feast day is celebrated every August 16 and it is one of much awaited every year and it is celebrated with much rejoicing as well in thanksgiving to the numerous miracles that he wrought to Barangay Alabang.
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| The Sunduan Tradition in Muntinlupa City |
The tradition of "Sunduan" in Muntinlupa City is one of the most cherished traditions of the city where the three images will unite for a single day. The Sunduan tradition is whenever one of the three patrons will celebrate a feast day, the two other patron saints will visit the Barangay of the Patron and the reunited three patrons will there for the rest of the night for veneration of the faithful. For Barangay Sucat, the Sunduan takes place on the eve of the Feast of St. Dominic, while in Barangay Cupang-Buli, the Sunduan takes place on the day before the first day of the novena or at times, on the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas of Tolentino. In the case of Barangay Alabang, the Sunduan tradition was practiced until the 1990's and for some unknown reasons, the Sunduan in Alabang halted, however, the image of San Roque de Alabang participates in the Sunduan rites in Barangays Cupang and Sucat.
The quiet yet longstanding tradition of the Sunduan in the three barangays of Muntinlupa City shows us how the devotion to the three Patrons of the city became a unifying force of the city and became an important cultural force that shaped Muntinlupa City to what it is right now. This unique tradition also helped in cultivating and deepening of the Catholic faith in the city and for the fact that the this tradition continues up to this day, it shows us that faith in Muntinlupa City will continue on and will be more vibrant in the coming days.
Santo Domingo de Guzman de Sucat, San Nicolas de Tolentino de Cupang and San Roque de Alabang, pray for us and for the City of Muntinlupa!
References:
Aguilar, Antonio Martinez, OAR (1972), San Nicolas de Tolentino: A Biographical sketch, San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish, Augustinian Recollect Fathers, Pluto St., Congressional Subdivision, Quezon City.
Pirlo, Paolo, SHMI (2001), A Year with the Saints, Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate, Isabella de Rosis St., Multinational Village, Paranaque City.
Special thanks to Mr. Jai Moldez, Mr. Christian Eguillon and Mr. Vincent de Guzman for photos of the Sunduan, Sto. Domingo de Sucat and San Nicolas de Tolentino de Cupang and information for the Sunduan Tradition of Muntinlupa City. +AM+DG+
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