Vidal blesses Calungsod art pieces

The first 20 pieces of a limited edition commemorative artwork for the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod were turned over yesterday to the Archdiocese of Cebu.

Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal blessed the boxed sculptures  which  will go to the first set of donors who gave P25,000 each to support church preparations for the canonization on Oct. 21 in Rome and the national thanksgiving celebration on Nov. 30 in Cebu City.

The artwork was made by internationally acclaimed Cebu furniture designer  Kenneth Cobunpue, who handed over the initial batch.

In each wooden box frame, the figure of of man is formed out of bent pieces of thin black wire. Behind him, a map of Cebu and scenes of martyrdom are stitched onto paper, suggesting the life of  Calungsod, the Visayan teenager who will be declared the Philippine’s second saint.

The scultpures, which can hang on a wall or sit on a tabletop,  were received by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and  Vidal, overall chairman of the committee preparing for Calungsod’s canonization.

In the same turnover at the Calungsod Shrine, the Aboitiz Group turned over a P3 million check as its contribution to various activities being organized to celebrate Calungsod’s sainthood in Rome and Cebu City.

An estimated 1 million people are expected to gather on Nov. 20  in the South Road Properties, where a 29 hectare reclaimed area is being backfilled for the outdoor celebration focusing on a small outdoor temple being built for the thanksgiving Mass.

“This canonization marks a milestone in the annals of our history as a people and creates a vibrant picture of the faith of virtues of the Filipinos for the world to see,” said Aboitiz Foundation Inc. president Jon Ramon Aboitiz yesterday.

Archbishop Palma thanked Aboitiz for the “generous donation”.

“We are praying that what we all do in the human level in the celebration of the canonization of Pedro Calungsod will truly be blessed by the Lord,” he said.

Cobunpue will be making a special version of the commemorative artwork for the Aboitiz Group,said Marlinda Tan, chairperson of the special events committee.

The boxed sculpture was unveiled in May at the Radisson Blu lobby to kick off a donation drive among  well-heeled benefactors to raise P20 million  to support a P60 million target fo the Cebu Archdiocese for overall prepparations.

Each donor who gives P25,000 would receive the Cobunpue artwork and a chance to win a raffle for a BMW car as first and second prizes, and a Kia Sorrento SUV as the third prize./Correspondent Joy Cherry Quito