The Tale of a Toppled Cross

A feature story that reveals how a small community inhabited by people with small-time dreams of their own better their lives by setting aside those dreams to respond to a greater call of service to God and the community and transform what begun as a small family chapel for worship, degraded by a ruthless war-time foe to become a lowly stable for cavalry war horses, and transform it to a lofty parish church in response to a heavenly challenge.

A Tiny Chapel

Way back in 1938 a tiny chapel was built in Lahug, Cebu City by Dr. Virgilio Gonzales and his wife to fulfill a solemn promise. The chapel’s Patron Saint was St. Therese of the Little Flower of Jesus from Lisieux, France. The chapel was catered to a select cluster of families and close friends of the Gonzales clan.

When the Second World War broke out the Japanese Imperial Forces invaded Cebu in April 1942 and began more than three years of Japanese occupation.

Chapel Becomes a Stable

Japanese armed forces found the chapel to be a convenient site for storing military supplies. Later, when a troop of Japanese horse-mounted cavalry arrived in Lahug the chapel became merely a stable. Once again Jesus Christ found himself in a stable. Only this time there were no adoring shepherds nor visiting magis to honor Jesus. Just snorting horses and grunting grooms were there to pay no attention to Christ Jesus. Lahug became just like uncaring Bethlehem during the infant days of the savior.

As the days of American liberation became imminent in 1945, the occupying Japanese troops pursued a scorched earth policy by razing civilian houses to the ground. As a consequence the homeless civilians had to hunt for housing materials they could lay their hands on. The deserted chapel which was damaged by war action proved to be a tempting target. They pounced upon the chapel ripping apart whatever wooden materials they could grab. The G.I. roofing vanished. Walls shattered. Only a few columns were left standing together with a desolate belfry with a cross on top. The chapel’s desecration was complete. Years passed by. The chapel ruins was left exposed to the elements.

One stormy evening in the 50’s the registrar of Southern College (now University of Southern Philippines Foundation), Juan Alburo, who lives near the wrecked chapel was watching the skies. The electrical thunderstorm was getting worse.

Suddenly a flash of lightning struck the cross on top of the belfry. The cross toppled to the ground. A wave of uneasiness gripped Juan Alburo. He made the sign of the cross. What could this mean? He asked himself. An odd insight dawned on him. “Rebuild my Church!” Christ spoke to Alburo.

Initial Rejection

Ridiculous! Alburo told himself. Why me? I’m just a worn-out, tired war veteran. I simply don’t have the resources nor talent to do any major project. What more of the gigantic task of rebuilding a devastated chapel? Besides I don’t even own the property.

The Second Call

A few days after the incident a close friend of Juan Alburo, a priest by the name of Rev. Father Veronico Salvador, paid Alburo a visit. After Juan Alburo narrated the vision of the falling cross Rev. Father Veronico Salvador gently told Alburo: “You must heed Christ’s appeal to you. You must rebuild the chapel. That fallen cross is a signal for you to take up Christ’s cross.”

“But how do I begin? Where do I start?” bewailed Alburo.

“Begin by praying to the Holy Spirit for guidance,” intoned the priest. Alburo could only nod in acceptance.

In one of his reflections Alburo recalled the lines of Lord Alfred Tennyson which went: “More things are wrought in prayer than this world dreams of.” This insight flared up a burning zeal of enthusiasm in him. “Why not?” he challenged himself. Thus began the arduous task of reconstruction. Alburo mobilized his friends and as many people as he could involve in the project. They caught the fire of his enthusiasm.

A Mish-Mash Chapel

Shortage of building materials was no obstacle to Juan Alburo. He became a master scrounger. Nipa thatchings for roofing materials. Sawali sheets for walling. Even a discarded altar from the Redemptorist Church became the chapel’s main altar.

The First Mass

On March 19, 1959, Rev. Fr. Pedrito Dean celebrated the first mass in the rehabilitated chapel. Fr. Dean would soon become the Archbishop of Palo, Leyte.

What was startling significant about the day was the fact that March 19 is the feast day of St. Joseph, the Master Carpenter who was Jesus Christ’s guardian here on earth. So what if the chapel was of mixed materials? The toppled cross was restored!

Growth of the Lahug Community

From a small cluster of few families the base of worshippers of the chapel grew by leaps and bounds. Unexpectedly, the Archbishop of Cebu, Julio Cardinal Rosales, bestowed on the chapel a distinctive honor of becoming a full-fledge parish church on February 11, 1964. A small cross had fallen only to be replaced by a much bigger one. From a humble chapel to a full grown parish church. All it took was faith. The faith of one man, Juan Alburo.

On March 11, 2000, the relics of St. Therese, the patron saint of the once tiny chapel would visit the Lahug Parish Church. A fitting honor for the Lahug Community.

Rev. Fr. Raul Gallego, the parish priest will celebrate a thanksgiving mass while Rev. Fr. Vic Labao, S.J. will deliver the homily. A brief biography of St. Therese will be read by a lay leader, Evit Trocino after which a three hour vigil after the 9 pm mass will be observed by the faithful. The relics will be transferred to San Carlos seminaries in a solemn procession with the devotees bearing lighted candles, torches and roses in honor of the patron saint. Before the end of March the parishioners of St. Therese Parish will return the compliment of the relic’s visit by having a delegation of 60 parishioners headed by the parish pastoral council member Linda Laborte, flying all the way of the town of St. Therese in Lisieux, France. One good turn deserves another.

Timely Reminder

The visit of the relics of St. Therese and the unfolding of the story of the toppled cross is a timely reminder in this age of secular materialism and sophisticated information technology that stone structures do not make a church. It takes people to make a living Church. When the people of the Lahug Community were busy rebuilding the wrecked chapel they were actually building themselves into a dynamic Community of the Faithful. That Christ’s cross can remain fallen only if the faithful allows it.

-LCM