WHAT used to be the pristine white dome of the historic round-shaped chapel is now streaked with ugly watermarks and nasty leaks during the rainy season.

But thanks to kind-hearted churchgoers and their determined parish priest, the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice might no longer be the dripping dome it used to be and which has contributed to the deterioration of the chapel for more than 50 years.

The restoration of the dome was supposed to be completed by the end of 2008 which, coincidentally, was the University of the Philippines’ centennial year.

However, some portions of the unique dome still has leaks when it rains even with its recent waterproofing using a special chemical by the contractor in charge of the project.

Parish priest Fr. Raymond Arre said the preservation plan, dubbed the “Shell-ter Project,” was hatched because of the sad state of the thin dome peppered with leaks and watermarks.

“We wanted to make people aware of the physical condition of the church and to arrest the dilapidation of the dome,” he said in an interview.

The UP Chapel, the first round-shaped church in the country, was the masterpiece of five National Artists who collaborated in 1955: Leandro Locsin, Arturo Luz, Vicente Manansala, Ang Kiukok and Napoleon Abueva.

Locsin originally designed the church for the Ossorio family who was planning to build it in Negros. Luz designed the “Rivers of Life”—the marble design on the chapel floor, while Manansala and Kiukok painted the Stations of the Cross.

Renowned artist Abueva meanwhile designed the altar and the double-sided crucifix which hangs from the dome.

Changing weather

But due to the changing weather in a tropical country, its unique dome had changed from a pearly white to a slightly green hue, streaked with brownish watermarks.

After years of neglect, the dome had suffered peeling paint, cracks, as well as bad acoustics which affect the reverberations inside the church during Mass.

Arre, upon assuming the chaplaincy in 2006, immediately launched the Shell-ter Project to raise funds for the dome’s renovation and the needed repairs on the pews, altar, flooring and the oil paintings of the Stations of the Cross.

“The pews have become worn out and some of them have burn marks. We also needed to overhaul the electrical system to get rid of the unsightly wires,” the parish priest explained.

The fundraising ended this year with a whopping sum of P6.4 million from concerned parishioners on campus and those who regularly hear Mass at the famous chapel.

Setbacks

But the renovation is not without its setbacks, such as the first part of the project which is waterproofing of the dome which cost them nearly P2.4 million.

In 2007, the repairmen used a certain chemical which would prevent water from seeping into the dome, but they soon realized that because of hairline cracks, some parts of the dome still had leaks.

“On the inside of the dome, we had to take care of the bad reverberations so as to improve the sound quality of the speaker during Mass,” Arre shared.

A team first recommended hanging baffles—square boxes made of foam which would absorb the sound—to arrest the echo, but the National Historical Institute voiced its objection as the sight of hanging boxes from the ceiling would destroy the “look” of the dome.

Tedious process

“It was really a tedious process, because the church is a historical site, so we had to ask permission for everything we do,” the parish priest said ruefully.

Arre said they will first concentrate on polishing the waterproofing of the dome before tackling the other areas to be renovated, such as the paintings, pews and electrical wiring.

He pointed out that it would be hard to begin restoring the oil paintings if water still kept trickling into the chapel during rainy season.

In a letter posted on the parish website, Arre appealed to churchgoers for patience as the renovation may take a little longer.

“For many years, our church has slowly been deteriorating. But now we are doing something about it. Can we not show the same patience and understanding as in its years of its deterioration?” the priest said in his letter.

Arre, however, pointed out that the Shell-ter Project has proven that the parishioners will try to help restore the church, in amounts no matter how big or small.

From the churchgoers who live on campus to outsiders who frequent the chapel on Sundays, the fundraising has raised at least P6.4 million in less than a year.

The parish priest recalled the generosity of an anonymous donor who left an envelope at his office one day. The envelope contained P500,000.

“There has been tremendous support from parishioners. I was amazed by the amounts the fundraising gained. Maybe the people felt pity for the church,” Arre said.

He added: “Lots of people go to Mass here. Maybe they like the ambiance of the place, or maybe they like the way we celebrate Mass.”

The restoration of the entire chapel has a long way to go. Though the contractor, Specserv, has waterproofed the church dome, some leaks still seep through especially during rough rains.

The priest said he understood the NHI’s wish to preserve the original look of the church, but pointed out that the chapel’s main function was a venue for evangelization.

“It’s not a museum piece. But I understand that they want to preserve it because it’s a historical sight,” he conceded.

Though he wants to polish and restore the looks of the unique chapel, this priest wants to keep the “aged feel” at least in one part of the church:

“I guess we will be just cleaning the pews of the tallow drops and burn marks. I want to maintain its oldness,” Arre said.