Emanuel: ‘A Fisherman’s Story’ A painting exhibit to celebrate

My mother Sonia is blessed with the friendship of Angge Alday Soriano, who was her high school classmate at St. Scholastica’s College and later on at the UP Diliman. The chain of friendship between Tita Angge and my mom have wound through three generations. When I went to UP, Tita Angge and her husband Tito Emanuel "Noel" Soriano’s son JJ was a classmate in some subjects and their daughter Rinna was a classmate of my sister Mary Mae. In the ’90s, one of their grandsons was a classmate of my son Chino at the Ateneo.

Tito Noel was the president of UP during my freshman year. Later, when I joined the press office of President Cory Aquino at Malacañang, I got to see him at Cabinet meetings because he was her National Security Adviser.

Last year, when I suffered a fractured ankle, the ER doctors at the Asian Hospital referred me to an orthopedic surgeon whom I was happily surprised to learn was Tita Angge and Tito Noel’s son-in-law, Dr. Nick Nicomedez.

Tito Noel turned 70 last Dec. 30. Eleven years ago, Tito Noel, then fulltime again into management education and active in NGOs, suffered a cerebral stroke which rendered him "speechless," with expressive aphasia and paralyzed in his right extremities. Since then, he, his family and circle of friends have been nourished by the spirit of caregiving. They have taken caregiving to new heights and depths and hope that others will also find themselves caught in the net of God’s unconditional love.

Actually, Tita Angge says Tito Noel was "blessed by illness." An oxymoron? Perhaps, this essay by daughter Rinna will tell us why it isn’t.

Emanuel: "A Fisherman’s Story"

"Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men," said the Lord. To the best of his ability, Noel responded to this call. It was not for him to stay close to the shore, but to go deeper and deeper into the sea of humanity, get involved in people’s lives, and care for fellow human beings. He had his fishing net. He reached out to communities. He had his fishing line. He reached out to solitary pilgrims on their journey. His reaching out brought him joy and pain. His prayer was that their meeting would have made them and himself better, more loving human beings. He cared for his family. He cared for the needy. He cared for his friends. He cared for his students. He cared for his teachers. He cared for his co-workers. He cared for his country. He cared for the earth. He cared for humanity. He cared for the human being.

One evening, Noel cast his net to the other side of his boat. It was the biggest catch ever for him. In awe, he could not move a limb, he could not speak a word. But he could laugh! And he could sing! He shed tears. He was caught in the net of God’s unconditional love - an unbelievable world of caregiving that he would never have been part of had he not cast his net to the other side of his boat.

It is with his heart that Noel now tells Emanuel, "A Fisherman’s Story"

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Tito Noel will hold an exhibit of his paintings dubbed "A Fisherman’s Story" on Saturday, March 3, 3 to 5 p.m. at the Delaney Hall (beside the UP Chapel), UP Diliman, Quezon City.

Show runs until March 7. Tito Noel will have on exhibit 70 paintings done during art therapy sessions with Maria Abulencia. Each painting was framed by Johnny Soriano.

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(You may e-mail me at joanneraeramirez@yahoo.com)