A church named Sta. Ursula

We seem to be suddenly factoring praying as an element of empowerment — but that’s because we recently witnessed the formal proclamation by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) of a historic church in Binangonan town of Rizal province as a National Cultural Treasure (NCT). Until we got to that town along Laguna de Bay, we never knew that there is a Sta. Ursula and a church was named after her, and, thus, she is also the town’s patron saint. 

The church retains its original altarpiece, paintings and retablo from the 17th to 19th centuries. As per the Rizal province website,  Sta. Ursula Parish Church was originally a chapel built in the late 15th century by Franciscan missionaries made to gain access to the native settlements around the Laguna de Bay. By 17th century, it was expanded into a big church to shelter its growing parishioners. The construction was completed in 1800 through the help of a barangay decree which compelled all delinquent male taxpayers to voluntarily work in the church’s construction. 

NCCA chairman Victorino Mapa Manalo  noted that the church’s wooden ceiling logs are a unique feature, which may no longer be reproduced or recreated to date, further proving their antiquity and authenticity. 

A Misa Cantata was held featuring the musical compositions of National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab  performed by the Coro Buenviaje, with Maestro Jose “Joey” Soliman Jr. conducting 

The Holy Mass and the declaration rites were attended  by the NCCA chairman, NCCA deputy executive director for administration Marichu Tellano, former NCCA chair Felipe De Leon, Sub-commission on the Arts Commissioner Arvin Villalon, Rizal Governor Ricci Ynares, and Binangonan mayor Caesar Ynares.

Bishop Ruperto Cruz Santos of the Diocese of Antipolo led the celebration of the Holy Mass. The bishop stressed in his homily: “Dumating sa atin ang karangalan … Sa ating Diocese ng Antipolo, naroon kaakibat ang karangalan, kabayanihan at kabanalan (Honor has come to us…In our Diocese of Antipolo, we are affiliated with honor, heroism and piety).”

The declaration rites began with a festive rendition of “Awit kay Santa Ursula” by Banda Central No. 1, followed by the welcome address of Sta. Ursula parish priest Fr. Aguedo A. Gula, who described the declaration as a blessing to the people of Binangonan. Dr. Loida Gacson, head of Sta. Ursula Church’s evangelization ministry, read the history of Sta. Ursula Church. 

On our own, we found out by asking AI ChatGPT if Sta. Ursula was either Italian or Spanish since the only Ursula we knew of was the actress Ursula Andress, the first Bond girl whom we thought was Italian (ChatGPT said she was Swedish.) 

The AI app claimed that Ursula is a Latin name though St. Ursula was British and believed to be a princess who was martyred in Cologne, Germany in the 14th century along with 11,000 virgins for refusing to renounce their being Catholics. 

ChatGPT further claims that the reason the lady saint had a Latin name is that Latin was the dominant language of the Church and scholarship in medieval Europe. Many Christian saints, regardless of their ethnic background, were recorded under Latinized names. 

The name “Ursula” is derived from ursa, meaning “bear,” with the diminutive suffix -ula, so Ursula roughly means “little she-bear.” The name, according to ChatGPT, became common in medieval Europe due to the widespread veneration of Saint Ursula.

It was the colonizing Spaniards who brought Catholicism to the country and we allowed them to rule us for 300 years. 

The NCCA chairman proclaimed the site’s NCT status and discussed the significance of Santa Ursula Church’s architecture, artifacts and history in the Philippines. The NCT designation is one of the highest recognitions in the country for cultural heritage. It is awarded to unique objects or properties that have outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or scientific value significant to the nation.

The church interior was very cinematic as it was fully lit for video documentation. The Holy Mass and the declaration rites were cinematic, too, as they were participated by senior– and middle-aged clerics in liturgical garments, assisted by young male acolytes in white sultanas (cassocks), old men and women of Binangonan in white ensembles. The main altar was adequately  adorned with a variety of white flowers. 

Inside and outside the church, no one among the laity in attendance had bare shoulders and skin-tight outfits. The overflow Mass attendees sat in white plastic chairs, though many had to stand at the church patio where an impressive giant video screen showing a live but edited proceedings inside the church. The engaging video coverage was the work of the video production company Pixels headed by the youthful CJ Andaluz, an actor in the past with a theater company based at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila and was headed by Frank Rivera, who remains dynamic despite his being in his 70s now. 

It’s very good that the declaration of the only historic church in Binangonan still standing grandly, mightily was a cinematic event. Binangonan town, after all, is the site of dozens of movies and TV series, including Nunal sa Tubig of Ishmael Bernal in 1976. That iconic movie is certainly among the reasons Bernal was proclaimed National Artist for Film eventually. 

Black Rider, a  GMA7 series last year top-billed by Ruru Madrid, is reported by Google AI Genesis to have been filmed in various parts of Binangonan. 

The Google AI also informed us that a scene in Celso Ad. Castillo’s Virgin People was shot inside Sta. Ursula Church. Google and ChatGPT say that some two dozens of movies and TV series had been filmed in Binangonan, including the ABS-CBN series Rounin, featuring the then-network young stars. 

Today’s young filmmakers and TV series directors who may have not heard of Binangonan and Sta. Ursula Church should survey the town and discover its serene cinematic appeal.