Montessori holds fest for peace

A Santacruzan for peace and unity captivated onlookers at the Greenhills shopping complex last Friday.

The procession, a May-time tradition which celebrates the finding of the cross of Jesus Christ by Queen Helena, was part of O.B. Montessori Center, Inc. (OBMCI)'s 8th annual Spiritual Santacruzan. A Maytime Filipino family tradition, it was held this year to pray for world peace and unity, and to try to forge unity among the four Greenhills villages.

Greenhills residents watched a bevy of beautiful women in magnificent gowns and their handsome excorts parade around Shrine Avenue and the Greenhills shopping complex from 10 a.m. to 12 noon last Friday.

Leading the parade was O.B. Montessori Grade School Drum and Lyle Band in their attractive satin Renaissance prince costume and ostrich feather caps.

In this year"s celebration, the organizers used six "Holy Gifts to the Environment": baskets of fruits, harvest grains and eggs by Binhi Creations' Rene Vidal, an artist commissioned by Tiffany's of New York and a prominent decorator in Paris.

Six sagalas carried them to represent the Tree of Life, Mother Earth, The Golden Sun Disc, the Divine Call with golden bell, the Spiritual Treasure Jar and the Quenching Well of Spiritual Knowledge.

The spiritual procession centered on the magnificent float which carried the miraculous wooden statues of Our Lord of Wisdom and Compassion and Our Lady of Hope and Liberty, wearing the Star of David.

This was mystically requested by the Holy Ones just before the Gulf War in 1990 through mystic Punay Fernandez and psychic sculptor Pempe Floriano.

They miraculously healed serious ailments of visitors who frequent the prayer room at OBMCI Greenhills.

Sitting in front of the float is the life-like wooden statue of blonde and blue-eyed, four-year-old Jesus, while the life-size portrait of St. Francis and St. Claire, which was added two years ago, is attached to the side of the carroza.

This year a separate float held the giant replica of Angelique Victoria, with the inscription A Dolore Ad Gloriam, a symbol of mankind's hard-earned efforts and the Ark of the Covenant.

The village presidents and their board members, East Greenhills president, Mrs. Fanny Castillo and NGA president, Atty. Eliseo Villamor with OBMCI chairman of the board and The STAR publisher Maximo Soliven, and OBMCI president and CEO, Dr. Preciosa Soliven led 300 participants (sagalas and their escorts) composed of OBMCI parents, branch administrators and department heads, teachers, students and friends together with other hermano mayors, Dr. Lourdes Llamas, Eduardo Carrascoso, Capt. Fil Salonga, Atty. Ed Oliva and Dr. Rainier Umali.

Very special guests were the daughter of mystic artist Punay Kabayao-Fernandez, Tamsi Fernandez and Faye Pascasio.