By Jose Eleazar R. Bersales

To mark the Diamond Jubilee of the Archdiocese of Cebu, the Cathedral Museum of Cebu and the Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church will soon launch a book project entitled Balaanong Bahandi: Sacred Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu.

To be published in collaboration with University of San Carlos Press, Balaanong Bahandi aims to continue the pioneering work of Fr. Felipe Redondo who first chronicled the history of the Catholic Faith in Cebu through the book entitled “Breve reseña de lo que fue y de lo que es la Diócesis de Cebú en las Islas Filipinas” published in 1886.

With excerpts from a translation of Redondo’s magnum opus, over 1,000 full color photographs interspersed with vintage pictures in 58 chapters will bring together the Church’s treasured heritage: houses of faith that have not only withstood the vagaries of time and the elements but spawned new parishes.

Balaanong Bahandi will be the ultimate guide to the Archdiocese’s architectural heritage, showcasing all the churches in Cebu from the earliest missions to contemporary parishes, including all of the outstanding artistry they contain: bas reliefs expressed in coral stone, carved images in ivory and wood, ceiling paintings by the famed Canuto Avila and Raymundo Francia, handwritten pages in canonical books, bronze bells, and many other tangible manifestations of over 400 years of Christianity in Cebu.

To help raise funds for the proposed book, a month-long exhibition of 50 of the hundreds of select photographs that will appear in the book will be held at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu to be opened on July 3, 2009. The exhibit opening will also coincide with the pre-selling of the upcoming book at discounted rates.

By purchasing copies in advance, buyers not only get a 20 percent discount on the 300-page full color book, they will also share in the noble task of promoting and ensuring the protection and preservation of Cebu’s heritage churches as proceeds from sales will go to the Cathedral Museum of Cebu Trust Fund and the heritage conservation programs of the Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church.

About Emperor Karl

Emperor Karl has wrote 90 articles on this blog.

A blogger since 2006, he is a registered nurse and currently works in a clinic. His interests are varied but mostly centers on history and the arts. Some of his feature articles have been published in CNNGo and in some leading local publications such as SunStar Daily and Cebu Daily News. He is also a co-author of Balaanong Bahandi, a coffetable book about the heritage churches in Cebu.

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