MANILA, Sept. 30, 2012—The public caught a glimpse of the many “faces” of Bl. Pedro Calungsod for the first time when paintings of the young martyr were formally displayed in its debut exhibit last Friday.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony at the lobby of the Santísimo Rosario Parish, also known as the UST Chapel, officially presented some 40 paintings of Calungsod by Angono artists to the Church. 
“(What I see), it is our sharing of the talents of the Filipino, expressing their faith in some visual form,” Parañaque Bishop Jesse Mercado said in an interview, shortly after.
Bishop Mercado, who also heads the Program and Events cluster of the National Commission for the canonization of Bl. Pedro Calungsod, said he was impressed with how the paintings turned out, as he was the one who blessed the initial sketches of the Angono artists a month and a half ago.
“Aba, ang ganda na… Ang maganda nun, ang pagka-Pinoy lumalabas (By golly, they are so beautiful…What is nice is that the paintings are distinctly Filipino),” he explained further.
In line with the initial arrangement, some of the major paintings will be kept for posterity and will be put on display, especially during events when the devotion to the young martyr is celebrated.
When asked, Bishop Mercado admitted he had some personal favorites among the paintings, especially one that depicted Blessed Pedro in his last moments alive.
“It’s about the death, the sacrifice, the gift of self… I think it’s one of the things that gives a very powerful message. At such a young age you can give your life, in other words, you can give your all,” he explained.
The paintings are the fruits of a collaboration among the National Commission, the Angono local government and several artists’ groups in Angono, Rizal, often called the “Arts Capital of the Philippines.” [Nirva’ana Ella Delacruz]
