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Gerenciales
Christós anésti! Alithós anésti! W henever the King
of Spain founded a
new parish in these Philip-
pine Islands, usually in con-
nection with the erection of
a new town, he financed,
using money from his own
coffers, the procurement of
Mass wine and wheat, full
sets of vestments, beeswax
for candles, and other ele-
ments needed by a neonate
parish. As the fledgling par-
ish matured, it soon had to
emerge as a financially inde-
pendent organism, support-
ed by the souls the Church
ministered and continues to
minister, ever dutiful in Her
path towards converting and
© Almadrones sanctifying the world.
While vestments, wheat
QUEZON CITY.—The liturgies of Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum in the Extraordinary and wine for the sacred spe-
Form of the Roman Rite were celebrated in the Parish of the Holy Family in the Diocese of cies, and church upkeep ini-
Cubao, assisted by members of the Societas Ecclesia Dei Sancti Ioseph—Una Voce Philippines. tially came from the Catholic
Palm Sunday on  April celebrated Low Mass at the of the Blessed Sacrament, vigil Monarchs, the matter con-
began at . in the afternoon, oratory of the church at . followed until midnight. The cerning sacred images seems
with the blessing of palms in in the morning. altars were stripped at the to have been a different issue
the main church, followed by The Office of the Tene- suitable hour. altogether.
a short procession around the brae began on Spy Wednes- The Rite of Good Friday Be the parish affluent or
perimeter of the church. Mass day, sung at . in the even- began at the same hour as be- not, the church had to be dec-
was sung immediately after- ing by the Cappella Gregoriana fore, as well as the ceremonies orated with sacred images,
wards. S. Caeciliae olim Xicatunensis at of the Paschal Vigil, where the and these images received the
For the first three days of the oratory. new fire and the Paschal can- highest and most meticulous
Holy Week, namely, Holy Maundy Thursday on  dle were blessed before Mass. culmination of Filipino crafts-
Monday, Holy Tuesday, and April began at . in the Images of the liturgies are manship
Spy Wednesday, Fr. Zerrudo morning. After the reposition available in pages ,  and . Gerenciales | continued on p. 3
2 Anamnesis
 & 
Rev. Fr. Michell Joe Zerrudo
An empty tomb and Galilee
W W
e hear and we know that the bells have al-
ready announced the Resurrection of the
Lord, and the Alleluia for three times rever-
berates throughout the Church as a procla-
mation that the Lord is indeed risen.
And they kept vigil at the tomb of the Lord. And when the
earth quaked, and the Angel of the Lord appeared to roll away
the stone that covered the tomb, like Mary Magdalene and the
other Mary, we found ourselves standing in front of the tomb
outside. But we were not like the guards who were struck with
terror and became as dead men, but rather we stood there with
heads held up high, for we knew that Redemption is already at
hand.
The entire story of salvation, which we read—twelve read-
ings of the prophecies—points to us that it is for this moment of
the Resurrection of Christ from the dead when everything was
completed […] So the entire history of salvation, the entire Old
Testament, pointed to this very moment, when Christ resurrect-
ed from the dead. And, I think for all of us naman (≈ most proba-
bly), our existence always will look back to history, to this day
when Christ resurrected from the dead; because, as Saint Paul
said, “Had Christ not risen from the dead, then our faith will
have been in vain.”
And the wonderful thing about the story of the Resur-
rection that is announced in the Easter Vigil is the fact that the
An empty tomb | continued on p. 4
Palm Sunday
1 2
© Puertollano
 ,  
   
Saint John Chrysostom
The hieratikon
hosoever is pious and loveth God, let him
enjoy this good and cheerful festival. Who-
soever is a grateful servant, let him rejoice
and enter into the joy of the Lord. Whoso-
ever is weary of fasting, let him now receive his earnings. Whoso-
ever hath laboured from the first hour, let him today accept his
just reward. Whosoever hath come after the third hour, let him
with thanksgiving take part in the celebration. Whosoever hath
arrived after the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings, for he too
shall suffer no loss. Whosoever hath delayed until the ninth
hour, let him approach without hesitation. Whosoever hath
arrived only at the eleventh hour, let him not fear the delay.
For the Master is gracious: He receiveth the last even as the
first; He giveth rest to him that cometh at the eleventh hour, as
well as to him that hath laboured from the first; and to him that
delayed He giveth mercy, and the first He restoreth to health; to
the one He giveth, to the other He bestoweth. And He ac-
cepteth the works, and embraceth the contemplation; the deed
He honoureth, and the intention He commendeth. Therefore let
everyone enter into the joy of the Lord. The first and the last,
receive your wages. Rich and poor, dance with each other. The
temperate and the slothful, honour this day. Ye who have fasted
and ye who have not, rejoice this day. The table is fully laden; all
of you delight in it. The calf is plenteous, let no one depart hun-
gry. Let everyone enjoy this banquet of faith.
The hieratikon | continued on p. 4
1 At the procession of palms around the perimeter of the church.
2 At the Consecration of the Sacred Body of the Lord.
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 ,   Anamnesis 3

Maundy Thursday Good Friday

3 6

© Almadrones © Puertollano
4 7

© Almadrones © Puertollano
5 8

© Amamangpang © Puertollano
MAUNDY THURSDAY: 3 At the reposition of the Blessed Sacrament; 4 At the vigil before the altar of repose; 5 At the denudation of the altars
GOOD FRIDAY: 6 At the unveiling of the Cross; 7 At the procession from the altar of repose; 8 At Vespers after the Liturgy

Gerenciales | p. 1
From this arose the custom of the gerenciales. A gerencial is an
image that was commissioned for the Church but did become
official property of the Church, in the sense that it remained with
the pious Catholic who commissioned it. This is the case for the
many images and tableaus (in Spanish, pasos) that participated in
the Holy Week processions of old, and even up to our time.
Care for the image is passed within the extended family and
clan: from widowed aunt to spinster niece, from parents to chil-
dren. It is easy to construe the gerencial as an herencial. While
governed by inheritance, the gerencial is not a matter of heredity.
It is a matter of trusteeship. What an encomienda is to the encomen-
dero, the gerencial is to the avid camarero.
Gerenciales | continued on p. 4
4 Anamnesis
Holy Saturday
9 10
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An empty tomb | p. 2
Angel tells the women, and also you and me, “Fear not, for I
know you seek Jesus Who was crucified, for he is not here. He is
risen, as He said. Come and see the place where the Lord was
lain.” The Angel invites us to look into the tomb. The Angel in-
vites us to look to see an empty tomb.
I always say this whenever I read the Catechism about the
Resurrection: The first sign of the Resurrection is an empty
tomb. And you and I, Christians, are very, very strange crea-
tures. Why? Well, it is because we pay so much money to go to
Jerusalem to visit a tomb that is empty. […] And yet seeing an
empty tomb confirmed my faith. Now I am so sure that Christ
was risen from the dead, because He is not here. He does not
remain in the place of the dead. He is risen. He is risen.
And the Angel tells the women: “Behold! Go quickly to the
disciples, and tell them that He is risen, and goes before you to
Galilee.” Why that? Why did the Lord want to meet the disci-
ples in Galilee? Why did the Lord go before the disciples to meet
them in Galilee? Because in Galilee it was where all of it began. It
was in Galilee where He called Peter and Andrew, and James
and John. It was in Galilee where Jesus said to them: “Come,
follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And from Galilee
they journeyed towards Jerusalem.
Kaya lang (≈ However), when it came to that opportunity,
nearer to the hour of Christ’s death, the disciples forsook Him.
Judas betrayed Him. The other disciples abandoned Him. Peter
denied Him for three times. And so what did he mean, when the
Angel said: “He will meet you in Galilee.” The answer is: Go
back to where it all began. Start the journey again towards Jeru-
salem, because you cannot be His disciples unless you deny your-
selves, and take up your cross, and follow Him. Begin in Galilee
and journey to Jerusalem, and make true what you said when
you were around Him entering Jerusalem: “Let us die together
with you.”—excerpted from the homily pronounced on Holy Saturday
 ,  
9 At the blessing of the Paschal candle
10 At the blessing of baptismal water
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The hieratikon | p. 2
Let everyone take pleasure in the wealth of goodness. Let no
one lament his poverty, for the universal kingdom hath ap-
peared. Let no one bewail for his transgressions, for forgiveness
hath risen from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Saviour’s
death hath set us free. He who was held by death, eradicated
death. He plundered Hades when He descended into Hades.
He embittered it, when it tasted of His flesh.
And this being foretold by Isaias when he cried: Hades said
it was embittered, when it encountered Thee below. Embittered,
for it was abolished. Embittered, for it was ridiculed. Embittered,
for it was put to death. Embittered, for it was dethroned. Embit-
tered, for it was made captive. It received a body and by chance
came face to face with God. It received earth and encountered
heaven. It received that which it could see, and was overthrown
by Him whom he could not see. Where, O death, is your sting?
Where, O Hades, is your victory? Christ is risen, and thou art
cast down. Christ is risen, and the demons have fallen. Christ is
risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life is liberated.
Christ is risen, and no one remaineth dead in a tomb. For Christ
having risen from the dead, hath become the first-fruits of those
that have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and power, through the
ages of the ages. Amen. —from http://www.christopherklitou.com/
the_easter_sermon_chrysostom_hieratikon.htm
Gerenciales | p. 3
During World War II, some parish priests, especially in the
provinces, anticipated the material damage the War would bring
upon the Church, and so took it upon their duty to distribute
and entrust the sacred images of their parishes to their distin-
guished parishioners for protection. After the War, most of the
images did not devolve to the Church, and were thereafter called
gerenciales. Their care and safekeeping likewise followed the
custom established by their Spanish-era peers.