Bishop holds art exhibit for priests

MANILA, Philippines—Aiming to raise funds for the construction of a home for elderly Catholic priests, a bishop is staging an exhibit of his paintings.

Dubbed “A Missionary’s Art Journey 3,” the exhibit by Pagadian Bishop Emmanuel Cabajar, a Redemptorist, will be held until Nov. 26 at the Bishop’s House in Pagadian City.

In an article posted on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website, Cabajar said that aside from promoting arts appreciation, the exhibit aims to raise funds to build the Clergy House in the Diocese of Pagadian.

The proceeds, he said, will also be used to continue the construction of the unfinished Diocesan Pastoral Center.

This is the third time the bishop will stage an exhibit. His previous exhibits were held in Cebu City in 1998 and 2004.

Cabajar encouraged the public “not just to view the paints as a possible nice decoration, not to view its financial values, but to imbibe its significance, its essential and human values.”

“The temperament and insights of the viewers make art something more pleasant,” Cabajar said. “Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder, but as well in its meaning.”

The 71-year-old bishop has long been using his art as a medium to proclaim the Good News.

Many of his works depict mission scenes in Mindanao where he spent most of his missionary years. Tina G. Santos