San Agustin de Tanza - Cavite's famous "Tata Usteng"

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San Agustin de Tanza "Tata Usteng"
In the collective consciousness of the faithful in lowland Cavite, three famous Patrons are community not heard in their lips and centers of devotion, that of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga or "Nana Choleng" of Cavite City, Santa Maria Magdalena or "Nana Nena" of Kawit and our San Agustin of Tanza or more popularly known as "Tata Usteng". Arguably the most famous image of St. Augustine in the Philippines, Tata Usteng lavished his devotees with answered favors, unbelievable miracles and other phenomena that was engrained to the hearts and minds of Cavitenos and his devotees outside Cavite.

The image

The famed image of San Agustin of Tanza is that of a wooden detallado image of St. Augustine as a Bishop wearing his canonical garb, holding his staff, wearing his mitre and holding a book topped with a scale model of a church in allusion to his title as "Doctor of the Church". Although the image was carved as a whole, devotees would still vest the image made from a myriad of materials and embroidery styles as ex votos for him in thanksgiving to a petition that he granted. The image at present is enshrined in his own altar at the Diocesan Shrine of St. Augustine in Tanza, Cavite.

 The Life of St. Augustine
An estampa of San Agustin de Tanza


Augustine was born in Tagaste, Souk-Ahras, Algeria on November 13, 354 to Patricius, a pagan, and Monica, a fervent Catholic. He was endowed with abundant human and intellectual gifts as well as an inquisitive mind and a passionate spirit, all of which brought him great pain at times that led to his wayward years that caused much suffering to his mother, St. Monica. With the help of St. Ambrose of Milan, he was converted and baptized in 387. He was ordained priest in Hippo in 391, and became bishop of that See in 397, all the while continuing in his monastic lifestyle. His eloquent teaching and his books "Confessions" and "The City of God" earned him the title Doctor of the Church.

The origins

It is believed that the image of San Agustin began sometime in the 18th century when the image was found in Banadero (Also known as "Rio Obispo") in Postema, Amaya. A farmer was burning dried cogon ("kaingin") when he found out that that a certain portion of the field was not burning. When he approached, he saw an image which looked like that of St. Augustine of Hippo. The farmer immediately carried the image to a hut and narrated his experience to a municipal officer named Fabian Ignacio, who later brought the image to the town.

Tata Usteng's original condition prior to his restoration
At first, it was placed near the stairs of the municipal hall and it was first mistaken as a horse stand. That was until Reverendo Padre Narciso Manas dreamt of St. Augustine asking him to bring his image to a church and enthrone him there for public veneration. Padre Narciso immediately obeyed and have the image enthroned at Santa Cruz Parish in Tanza, Cavite.

The Parish of the Holy Cross was found in 1780 in Tanza, Cavite and since the enthronement of the miraculous image and when miracles of San Agustin began and the devotion grew and became stronger over the years. On July 26, 2016, The Parish of the Holy Cross was elevated as the Diocesan Shrine of St. Augustine.

The miracles

Soon after the enthronement of the image of San Agustin, numerous miracles and strange occurrences were reported and duly recorded up to the present. The popularity of San Agustin in the parish of the Holy Cross in Tanza soon became an important pilgrimage site in Cavite province and the devotees began to call him affectionately as "Tata Usteng" (Derived from his name "Augustin"). One of the most famous was when the sacristan mayor named Gregorio Arca jokingly asked why he had not trim his beard for his fiesta, Gregorio suddenly could not walk. It was as if his feet were planted on the ground. After the priest prayed and asked forgiveness from "Tata Usteng". Gregorio could walk again.
The wall miracle in 1986

It is also said that as his feast day, August 28 draws near, it is said that "Tata Usteng" roams the town's of Indang, Mendez and Alfonso in Cavite and oftentimes outside Cavite province, disguised as an old beggar. He would ask people over to his house in Tanza near the Church for the fiesta. When they did, they'd see "Tata Usteng" resembled the old beggar who had come to them.

Miracle of 1994
In modern times, Tata Usteng continued to manifest to his devotees. On February 10, 1986, a chapel was being constructed in a Baranggay in Tanza yet the patron saint was not yet chosen. On that rainy night, a silhouette of Tata Usteng appeared and the part of the silhouette was surprisingly dry while the rest of the chapel wall was soaking wet and caused much attention of the devotees. The mysterious phenomenon was taken as a sign that the chapel must be dedicated to St. Augustine. Another mysterious phenomenon took place in 1994 when children saw a silhouette of Tata Usteng on top of a tree in one of the residents in the area.

The strong devotion

Over the past centuries, people from Tanza, most parts of Cavite and other parts of the country would pay a visit to his shrine in Tanza to ask for his intercession. The month of August is the highlight of the devotion to "Tata Usteng" for almost the whole month of August is filled with much devotional activities in honor of St. Augustine. There are three sets of novenas prior his feast day and a series of processions, most particularly the traditional Caracol. A special veneration or "Pahalik" is also one of the most awaited in the festivities for the image comes out of his altar and enthroned in a special place for the public veneration.

The devotion to St. Augustine in Tanza is one of the most enduring devotions in Cavite and stood the test of time for centuries. What does the devotion to St. Augustine tells us in this modern times? The message of this devotion is that despite of our imperfections and falls, we still hope for a better life with the God, like what happened in the story of the life of St. Augustine. His life, teachings, examples are the tools that Our Lord gave us to help us survive in this world that we lived in.

Before we conclude this blogpost dedicated to Tata Usteng, here is a prayer that is said to Tata Usteng in every need:
San Agustin de Tanza

 Minamahal naming San Agustin, taglay ang lubos na pananalig at pagtawag sa Diyos Ama na pinagbubuhatan ng lahat ng pagka-ama sa lupa. Kami ay napaampon sa iyo at tumatawag din sa iyo bilang isang ama. Dala ng mahabang kasaysayan ng pakikipag-ugnay ng aming bayan sa iyo at sa iyong pagtugon sa aming mga kahilingan na nagpapahayag ng iyong maka-amang pagtangkilik, ikaw ay naging malapit sa amin ito rin ay nagmula sa iyong kabantugan sa pangangasiwa bilang Obispo sa sambayanan ng Diyos na ipinagkatiwala sa iyo. 

 Puspos ng karunungan ng Diyos, inalagaan mo ang noon ay munti pa at lumalaking simbahan sa pagbibigay linaw sa kanyang mga aral. Kaya ikaw ay tinagurian bilang isa sa mga Ama ng Simbahan. Ngayon aming ama, patuloy mong ipamalas ang iyong maka-amang pangangalaga sa amin. Ang iyo nawang pagpapamalas na ito ay maghatid sa aming pagkilala sa Diyos Ama na may lalang sa ating lahat at tunay na pinagmumulan ng bawat biyayang ipinakikiusap namin sa iyo. Idalangin mo sa Diyos na makamit namin sa buhay na ito ang mga kinakailangan namin, lalung-lalo na ang kahilingang ito… (Ilahad ang kahilingan)

 Pagkalooban nawa kami ng Diyos ng Banal na Karunungan na patuloy na magsasaliksik sa Kanya at sa Kanyang kalooban, upang si Kristo ang katotohanan at karunungan ng Diyos ay maghari sa amin ngayon at magpasawalang hanggan. Amen

References:

Darang, Josephine (2006), A Purely Personal Book of Miracles: A collection of columns published by Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sound Publishing Corporation, Makati City.
Montano, Mariano (2002), Alamat ng Imahen ni San Agustin, Retrieved from https://sanagustindetanza.weebly.com/alamat-ng-imahen-ni-san-agustin.html on August 24, 2018.

 Some of the photos used for this blogpost is courtesy to Mr. Michael Angelo Daquioag. Special credits to the owners of other photographs that were also used to this blogpost. +AM+DG+

Comments

  1. UnknownJune 28, 2020 at 8:36 PM

    I was very blessed to have been able to personally visit this church and see the image of St. Augustine as well as view his relics in front of the statue.

    Highly recommend for everyone to visit this place once the pandemic is over!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJuly 7, 2021 at 10:27 AM

      Hopefully next month po. Thank you very much for your recommendation. God bless.

      Delete

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