| Fr. Ignacio Gregorio Manesay |
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| Written by Nigelio L. Fabular |
| Tuesday, 03 November 2009 13:15 |
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Fr. Manesay was God’s servant who showed signs of fidelity and missionaryzeal at a very early age. According to Dr. Luciano Santiago’s research, he was born in San Roque, Cavite in the Philippines in the year 1675. His parents were Juan de Noruega Manesay who was a Chinese convert and Maria Danlac who was a Tagalog lady (Danlac is a Tagalog word which means jewel or bright flame). As a young boy, he belonged to a tiplecillos, an angelic choir of Indio boys who sung during Masses and other religious activities in his hometown. This youthful choir caught the attention and admiration of Don Fernando Valenzuela who was in an exile in Cavite for a decade. After his exile, he brought the young boys to Spain for further training and education. In 1689, Ignacio Manesay, who was then 14 years old left the Port of Cavite and boarded a special ship together with Don Fernando and the rest of the choir. When they reached Mexico, a tragedy struck. Don Fernando was kicked by a mad horse and died thus leaving the Filipino boys orphan and helpless. By God’s grace and providence, they were taken cared of by a group of Augustinian fathers. This led the young Manesay to enter a Mexican seminary in 1691. He was ordained to the minor orders in 1696 and met Archbishop Camacho in Mexico who was on his way to Manila to take over the archbishopric in the Philippines. Camacho became so impressed with the talents and abilities of the young Manesay. because he sang well and could speak Tagalog, Chinese and Spanish. Through Ignacio Manesay’s revelations to Archbishop Camacho, the latter realized how talented the Filipinos were that he decided to open a native seminary in Manila. When Camacho proceeded to Manila in 1697, he brought Manesay with him. Though not yet a priest, the young Ignacio Manesay became the official interpreter of the New Archbishop of Manila. Manesay accompanied Camacho in visiting of the parishes in the Tagalog region. In November 1698, he witnessed the very first decree that was issued by Arch. Camacho in the hacienda of Calamba, Laguna. In January 1699, through the order of Camacho, he also signed and translated into Spanish the petition letter written in Tagalog by the native Aetas from the hills of Antipolo requesting for Jesuit missionaries to serve in their settlement. On September 1699, Ignacio Gregorio Manesay was ordained priest by Archbishop Camacho. He was given the privilege to say mass in Manila on September 19 of the same year. Three months later, he was allowed to hear confessions of both male and female penitents in the same Archdiocese. After a year and a half as a diocesan priest, Fr. Manesay entered the religious order of the Augustinians. The Augustinians were the most open and welcoming about the idea of admitting the native Filipinos and mestizos to the religious orders. On February 20, 1701, Fr. Manesay professed his solemn vow before Fray Juan de Aguilar, the prior of the Augustinian convent of St. Paul in Intramuros, Manila. He, in turn, took the name Fray Ignacio de Sta. Teresa in honor of St. Teresa of Avila, who came from the maternal town of Archbishop Camacho, Fr. Manesay’s patron and sponsor. He became the first Chinese mestizo Augustinian priest and the fourth Filipino Augustinian. Fr. Manesay volunteered to be a missionary in China. He became the first Filipino Missionary to a foreign land. His missionary zeal was proven by his written works that were published in Canton, China entitled The Gates of Heaven are Open to Chinese Christians and The School of Christian Children. Fr. Manesay died in Macao in 1732 at the age of 58. He served for 33 years as a Catholic priest. His life reflects the life of the Filipino people whose wealth can be found in music and in the deep faith in God. As Fr. Horatio de la Costa, S.J. said in The Jewels of the Pauper; “And as long as there remains in these islands one mother to sing Nena’s Lullaby, one boat to put out to sea with immemorial rowing song, one priest to stand at the altar and offer God to God, this nation may be conquered, trampled upon, enslaved, but it cannot perish. It will rise again from the dead.” |
| Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 November 2009 14:14 |