Bacolod diocese unveils Year for Priests icon

A FILIPINIZED icon of Jesus especially created for the Year of Priests was officially unveiled and blessed during a community Mass in the Bacolod Cathedral on August 25.

The icon titled “Hesus Manghigput” (Jesus Celebrator) was created by Bro. Tagoy Jakosalem, OAR and painted by his brother, Agustin Jakosalem, a Negros-born artist whose works are based on socialist-realist themes.

It has the central image of Jesus the Priest holding a chalice and a host, two meaningful Eucharistic symbols. Jesus is flanked by minor images of Melchizedek the High Priest and St. John Mary Vianney, representing the “priesthood” of Biblical Tradition and of the Catholic Ministry.

Leading the rites together with Recoletos priests was Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra who stressed in his homily the importance of witnessing by priests as “living testament of Christ’s priesthood,” emphasizing that “a priest is a man for all seasons.”

In a message read by Fr. Albert Pellazar, OAR, Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, Media Director of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said,

“The icon exudes a call to celebrate the Filipino priest in his role as a servant leader not only in celebrating the liturgy but most especially in realizing it in the lives of his flock. With Melchizedek on one side and St. John Mary Vianney on the other, the icon also depicts a challenge of fidelity to Christ and to the priesthood which can only be concretized in one’s faithfulness to his people.”

Jakosalem has earlier given full copyright of the artwork to CBCP through its media office for the celebration of the Year for Priests. The icon has since been uploaded to all CBCP websites.

The Recoletos brother said the artwork was based in an original painting he did in 1999. He was inspired to make a Filipinized icon for the celebration when he saw the icon for the year for Priests by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

In a concluding message Jakosalem stressed the threefold function of the Priesthood: that of being ministers of the Word and of the Eucharist to the world; of being prophets in modern times steeped in corruption and injustices; of being kings or leaders whose lives are characterized by service and sacrifice.