LXXVI. How Malolos Finally Got a Last Supper, Part Five: Doing the Dishes and Washing Up

(Read Parts One, Two, Three, and Four first.)

Easter Saturday, March 29^th, 2008, was the designated date for dismantling the Institution of the Eucharist tableau, after it had sat quietly in Mrs.  Gloria Regala’s closed garage for the entire week following the Good Friday procession at the Parish of the Immaculate Conception, a.k.a. the Malolos Cathedral.  We hoped that the gang of thirteen didn’t get too bored and impatient in there.

Included in Mr. Kiko Vecin’s comprehensive service was the dismantling, so he and his gang trooped with me to Malolos that Saturday morning.  The process itself was relatively uneventful, but the occasion was valuable because it allowed us to take some souvenir solo portrait photos of each of the Apostles, something that we had meant to do previously but had never found the time to do so.

So moving from front to back, on the left row, we first have Saint Jude Thaddeus.

Crowd favorite Judas Iscariot is next.

Here is Saint Andrew.

And then Saint Thomas.

Next is youngish Saint Bartholomew.

And finally Saint Peter.

On the row on the right, moving from front to back as well, we first have Saint Philip.

Then Saint Simon.

Saint James the Less (i.e., the younger), with his full head of hair, is next.

He is seated right next to his (older) namesake, Saint James the Greater, standing in (subdued) outrage while pointing to the fleeing Judas Iscariot across the table.

Up next is Saint Matthew, fresh from a stint as a tax collector, and yet to embark on a journalistic career.

Then finally, our old chum Saint John.

Dismantling Day was also a good opportunity to take proper group photos, something that was very difficult to do properly when the ensemble was mounted on the carroza. Here are three textbook front perspectives.

These next ones are more close-in versions of the above.

I also took a few oblique side view shots of the group

as well as of the head of the table.

Front-quarter shots also produced interesting results.

Standing beside Christ produced a few eerily realistic views.

There was even a prominent orb on Saint James the Greater’s sleeve.

And here we have Mr. Vecin in the background watching and waiting

before he finally got the chance to take a few shots of his own as well.

I ended my photo shoot on this day with some more solos shots of the Christ.

And thus ended Dismantling Day.

- - - - - - -

Meantime, still separated from their brethren and isolated in the Vecin Workshop in Makati were the alternate heads of Judas Iscariot and the Christ.

They stand on half-bodies (busts), looking forward to the year (perhaps 2010?) when they can be used in procession.  In the meantime, they await their midget shirts, and maybe a wig for the Christ.  And if we splurge a bit, perhaps its own separate set of tres potencias as well.

- - - - - - -

Nearly four months after Dismantling Day, on Saturday, July 19^th, 2008, Mr. Vecin and Ramon Gutierrez were back in Malolos to, among other things, regarb the group of thirteen in “daily wear,” of plainer fabrics

than their currently-worn “gala wear.”

We needed to hurry this up, before the guys got too used to their current fancier threads.

Fortunately, there was nary a whimper, perhaps because these “house clothes” looked deceptively similar, particularly in color and cut, to their "party clothes."

I think some guys were fooled

including Peter

and perhaps crafty old Judas Iscariot as well,

Still clinging tightly to his bag of thirty pieces of silver,

and who now takes his usual place in the now-re-costumed group

with the regarbed Christ in the center as before.

And that’s how they’ll stay, while waiting for their second Holy Week in 2009.

Which is right about now, so we need to roll up those proverbial sleeves and get to work!


Originally published on 29 March 2009.  All text and photos copyright ©2009 by Leo D Cloma. The moral right of Leo D Cloma to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted.

Original comments:

jolotamayo wrote on Apr 8, '09 Mr. Cloma, Mas gusto ko ho yung bagong ulo ng Cristo Jesus although maganda rin yung nauna. Congrats po!

rally65 wrote on Apr 8, '09, edited on Apr 8, '09 jolotamayo said Mr. Cloma, Mas gusto ko ho yung bagong ulo ng Cristo Jesus although maganda rin yung nauna. Congrats po! Each head seems to have its fan base, so maybe we really have to switch them around every couple of years or so. Perhaps we'll make one such switch next year.

shutterblog wrote on Apr 13, '09, edited on Apr 13, '09 I followed this series. Excellent photos and essays, Leo. Very inspiring. :) Thank you.

rally65 wrote on Apr 13, '09 shutterblog said I followed this series. Excellent photos and essays, Leo. Very inspiring. :) Thank you. Thanks for the appreciation, Sally -- really welcome since these things take a lot of time and effort for me to write and put together (which is why they trickle out so slowly). But I hope to write more over the next several months.

garryps wrote on Jun 2, '09 guto naming mag pagawa last supper ano ba ang address ang email ay garry.san.pedro@gmail.com

rally65 wrote on Jun 2, '09 garryps said guto naming mag pagawa last supper ano ba ang address ang email ay garry.san.pedro@gmail.com I've just sent you an email -- please check it when you can.