The bells of Gesu

We never knew what we were missing, until we had them. Three years after its completion in 2002, the Church of the Gesu finally got an 18-bell carillon and an Angelus bell.

Ateneo de Manila University president Rev. Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, S.J. blessed the bells on the feast day of St. Ignatius (31 July). But because the belfry had not yet cured, the donors–Eagles Class 60/64 (high school ’60/college ’64)–put off installing the bells to October 1, the first day of the month of the Holy Rosary.

After the rosary, the litany of the Virgin Mary and the blessing of the belfry, the bell tolled at six for the Angelus. Fr. Nebres’s homily at mass was on Our Lady’s intervention at the miracle of Cana. Everyone received the October medals of Mary the Miraculous Media-trix with signature Ateneo blue ribbons.

Prof. Raul Sunico (Ateneo High School Class ’65) played on the carillon A Song for Mary, the school hymn by Rev. Fr. James B. Reuter, SJ and Blue Eagle the King by the iconic cheerleader Raul S. Mang-lapus.

Speaking for everyone, perennial class president BIR Commissioner Jose Mario Buñag recounted how we decided on the gift. At the outset Oca Violago called for a monumental contribution to our alma mater on our Ruby Year–which seemed one decimal point too ambitious.

How to raise the money? A blockbuster movie premiere...a concert of oldies (A-Live Wires, ChicaBoobs, LooneyLards, Honey Don’t Jody de Asis)...raffle-a-Jaguar...?

What to give? A covered walk to Katipunan...a parking lot...scholar-ships...an all-weather quadrangle...? In the end, we zeroed in on a carillon as a timeless present we want for Loyola Heights.

Other alumni classes may have given more, but because the fund-raising events never happened, our individual contributions came out-of-pocket. Wopsy Zamora was last to pay, thinking that–as in most things during schooldays–collection was also in alphabetical order. Taxman Buñag assured all that in appreciation of everyone’s generosity he would not audit our income taxes this year. And he endorsed to the Ateneo the late arriving foreign currency checks from our expat classmates Joe Martelino, June Farrales, Hector Lopez, Edgardo Velasco, Henry Lopez-Dee, Ed Francisco, Dennis O’leary, Quiñito Olegario, Eli Navarette, Wilfrido Ong and Art Quito.

Other notable Eagles Class 60/64 members include Ignacio Bunye (presidential spokesman), Margarito Teves (finance secretary), Francisco Licuanan III (CEO guru), former Gov. and Cong. Willy Villarama and former cabinet secretaries Roberto Sebastian (agriculture) and Jesus Garcia (dpwh). Our class also produced four Hall of Famers–athletic greats Felix Flores (basketball, Philippine Olympics), Abundio Camua (track & field), Tony Guidotti (football & marathon), and Lawrence Gonzales (marathon).

Rendering things to Caesar and to God, we count several successful entrepreneurs–Abraham Pascual, Nicasio Alcantara, Romeo Rojas, Delfin Wenceslao, Alberto Fenix, Jose Maria Lopez, Benjamin Ramos, Frederick Ong–and one vocation, Fr. Raul Nery. Upholding the majesty of the law are Victor Alimurung, Reynaldo Geronimo, Jose Jimenez, Antonio Dujua, Bibiano Lescaca, etc.

For ritz and glitz we have cosmetic surgeon Noni Agcaoili and fashion house designer Parisienne Roy Gonzales. A story that refuses to go away is that our class had the highest combined IQ in the Ateneo’s history–but Gary Lising brought it down to average!

The brass plaque read For Whom The Bells Toll which listed some of our mentors (and tormentors)–the remembered Jesuits and lay professors who molded us in ratio studiorum. But because passersby should also know who donated the bells, vanity obliged our adding–with apologies to John Donne–By Whom The Bells Toll, listing the Rah Rah Aves Eagles Class 60/64 from A to Z.

Fr. Tito Caluag, SJ suggested that since La Salle had an 18-bell carillon, we should have 19. So an Angelus bell was added with inscriptions on the yoke, "St. Gabriel Archangel ora pro Eagles Class 60/64" and "John Paul II ora pro Emerito Ramos Sr.", the patriach of the Ramos clan who planned with Fr. Bill Masterson the transfer to Loyola Heights.

At the unveiling of the marker, Fr. Nebres recalled an elderly teacher’s answer to the question of why she continued to come to the Ateneo: "Because I find the important things in life here." The good Father said that the Church of Gesu is one such importance; and he expressed happiness that it was completed in time for the Ateneo winning the UAAP championship in 2002.

"The completion of the Gesu, not the championship," he clarified, "was the importance...and of such is the inestimable value of the Bells."

The Church of Gesu has found its voice in an 18-bell carillon and an Angelus bell. The carillon lullabyes Loyola Heights with favored hymns, including the just-recently recorded pieces of Raul Sunico. And an Angelus bell now calls the Ateneo campus to vespers and to prayers at six o’clock morning dew, noon and even tide.