People’s church at EDSA: A church of, by and for the Filipino people
T
HE EDSA Shrine, upon which a gigantic 35-foot-tall bronze Mary Queen of Peace (more popularly known as the Lady of EDSA) stands, serves as a constant reminder of the peaceful revolution that occurred along Epifanio de los Santos and Ortigas Avenues in 1986.
For nearly four decades, the church has been a stage for various People Power personalities and commemorations. Yet, not many know that it was Celia Diaz Laurel (CDL) and her group Spiritual Action Movement Foundation, Inc. (Samfi or SAM for short) who spearheaded its construction.
Composed mostly of Marian devotees and spiritual women like Sonja Rodriguez, Soledad Afable, Cecile Quimpo, Imelda Reyes, Carmen Gabriel, Nenuca Ros, Ophelia San Juan and Annie Lopez, SAM started as a group that simply wanted to dissipate through prayers the prevalent or almost consistent hateful, angry and violent atmosphere during the campaign period of the 1986 snap elections.
For weeks, the informal group, in collaboration with various interreligious organizations and under the guidance of Msgr. Josefino S. Ramirez, the vicar general of the Archdiocese of Manila (who later joined SAM’s board of trustees), tirelessly campaigned and prayed for God’s guidance for Filipinos to elect wise and virtuous leaders. Sadly, the results turned out to be the opposite of the peaceful, clean and happy elections they had fervently implored for.
SAM’s initiatives didn’t cease after Feb. 25, 1986. In the months that ensued, it evolved into a full-fledged non-government organization. CDL, the wife of Vice President Salvador H. Laurel, assumed the executive chair position while Sonja Rodriguez became its president.
First on their agenda was the establishment of a “People’s Church” as a tribute to the courageous Filipinos who gathered at EDSA and as a profound recognition of God’s powerful intervention in such a bloodless revolution. In an April 1987 interview with the Philippine Daily Express, CDL’s son Larry said that the original plan was to put up a Michelangelo mural on its dome to be done by his older brother, Cocoy gratis et amore. Cocoy, an artist like CDL, was said to do an acrylic masterpiece portraying a diverse ensemble of priests, nuns, civilians and military personnel, encircled by angels descending from heaven — an artistic depiction of what many deemed to have been a “miracle” that transpired at EDSA. Later, they likewise proposed to put up a museum beside or behind the proposed church that would house People Power memorabilia.
Despite these beautiful plans being bypassed along the way due to shifting political alliances, the construction of the church did push through. Its groundbreaking rites were held on May 31, 1987, and were attended by then-President Corazon Aquino, Bishop Jaime
Cardinal Sin, Fidel Ramos and CDL. The land on which the shrine stands was initially made available through SAM’s fundraising efforts, both locally and internationally. One of them was Repertory Philippines’ 1987 production of “Evita,” topbilled by Joy Virata. Mrs. Laurel, a celebrated theater actress and set and costume designer, was once the vice president of Repertory. They also tied up with Fortune Life and General Insurance Co. and Eternal Gardens Memorial Park Corp., making its president Antonio L. Chua, and Eternal Gardens’ senior VP Antonio Lorenzo, members of
SAM’s board of trustees.
With everyone aligned and committed, SAM’s vision became steadfast in no time. Under CDL’s leadership, SAM went into housing, health care and employment projects too. As a group, SAM believed in the omnipresent force guiding all the positive aspects of the world — a belief shared profoundly by their chair, a dedicated community servant, throughout her life. In a moving address delivered during an international peace conference in 1987, CDL made sure to echo this profound faith in God as she declared, “As a civic leader, I hold the responsibility, in Him, to uphold and honor the spiritual essence of the Filipino people.”
And this, in silence, she did and tried with all her might.
Through time, political polarities have greatly altered or totally aborted the shrine’s original design and plan. Names and good deeds have also faded into obscurity, but not with any grudges or resentment. After all, any labor for the Lord is never in vain. There is solace, she said, in the fact that the shrine is there for the people to appreciate and experience God, just like what it was truly intended for.
The shrine, needless to say, was built to remind us of the love and peace that triumphed in our country at one poignant moment in the past. Notwithstanding the unfulfilled promises and unmet expectations of EDSA, the shrine must continue to be a testament to our immense expression of unity and faith that we Filipinos could proudly share with the world. As CDL best articulated it, it is the best way “to make a mark in world history by showing that peace can be had and that the key to [that] peace is love.”