A Place of Prayer.

RIGHT, exterior of Nana Ake's house.

BELOW RIGHT, Interior of the chapel part of Nana Ake's house.

RIGHT, Exterior of the house.

BELOW RIGHT, The Holy Sepulcher inside the chapel-part of Nana Ake's house.

About a month or so ago

when we were having a property fenced in Bulacan, we decided to visit the house of Nana Ake in Bustos.

Nana Ake was a "faith healer," who was known for having healed

many people of varying ailments and diseases. She passed away in the 70's.

Her house is like a mini-chapel which houses life -sized relics and icons, some of which her

family owns and others "entrusted' to them for safekeeping by the townspeople.

ABOVE, Another interior portion of Nana Ake's house,

One of the statues which had been safeguarded lately by Nana Ake's heirs is that Mary Magdalene, owned by Toyz' family

for many years, and which had been a regular part of the town's annual Holy Week processions.



RIGHT, Mary Magdalene in Metro Manila now.











Mary Magdalene, according to Toyz, was the centerpiece of their family's annual Lenten "pabasa ng pasyon." When the last of the family elders passed away, this Lenten tradition died with her, too.

Toyz, a regular devotee of the Black Nazarene and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, wanted to bring back the family tradition to life, and thus, worked on reclaiming the Mary Magdalene Statue.

ABOVE, Sto. Nino de Cebu, Maria Ina ng Dukha (of Montemaria fame) and another Sto. Nino from Pakil, Laguna.

When we fetched Mary Magdalene, we were advised that she lost her hair, and part of her ear had been damaged. In place of hair was a purple veil that covered her head.

Days after ensconcing her in the living room, we rushed to Sta. Cruz to buy Mary Magdalene a hair piece; we were lucky to get a bargain from an old shop specializing in sewing dresses for Catholic statues and relics, beside the Catholic Trade Centre. It cost 3,000 pesos.

Back at home, I decided to build a spot for Mary Magdalene, and for the other religious relics - a spot which would welcome household members and guests as they enter the house. A place of prayer.

RIGHT, The place of prayer I built in the living room. Mary Magdalene at left, an image of Sto. Nino de Cebu, Mary of Montemaria, and Sto. Nino of Pakil.