From
the Booklet “I am Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace”
by
Teresing Castillo (2008)
September 16, 1948
On the following day,
for the first time, I saw Mama Mary descending so gracefully from above
accompanied by little angels. I saw her white dress moving gracefully too as
though being blown by a gentle breeze. She looked transparent to me and her
hands were clasped together. The little angels had their hands clasped together
too, but I could not tell whether they had wings. As Mama Mary descended, the
little angels disappeared one by one. It was such a beautiful sight that one
could have desired so much to die for. This was one experience I kept to
myself. Then I asked her: “What do you want me to do, my dearest Mama
Mary?” She spoke and said “I want a
statue of myself to be made so that my little ones can see me. Describe me to
your Chaplain. I wish my statue to look as you see me and as big as that of Our
Lady of Lourdes which stands inside the cloister. Tell your Mother Prioress
that I ask the whole community to please pray here every afternoon during the
remaining days. I bless you all.” Then she disappeared.
From the Wonders of Lipa Book by Dr. Francisco
Villanueva (1948)
On Friday, November 26,
1948, my brother Major Jose C. Villanueva and I went to visit the shop of
Visayan sculptor, Irineo Cristobal, a native of Banga, Capiz. Located at No.
431 Evangelista Street, Quiapo, Manila, who made the image of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, now worshipped by the faithful in the
chapel of the Monastery of the Carmelite Sisters in Lipa, Batangas.
“How did you happen to
make the statue?” I inquired from Irineo Cristobal.
Cristobal replied:
“Monsignor Alfredo Obviar, Auxiliary Bishop of Lipa, accompanied by the outside
Carmelite Sisters came once during the month of September, 1948, to my workshop
in Manila, and ordered me to make the statue of Blessed Virgin Mary, Mediatrix
of All Graces, in accordance with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mediatrix of All
Graces, in accordance with the description contained in a piece of written in
pencil by Sister Teresita Castillo. “Then Cristobal demonstrated to me a piece
of paper which reads as follows:
“Face : Not too round,
not perfect oval, smiling with gay eyes looking forward. Fair complexion, dark
eyes, small mouth, beautiful nose, black hair, coming out of her white veil on
the forehead. Hands extend in an attitude of waiting, rosary beads in her right
hand hanging. Feet bare stepping on clouds. Body not thin, not stout. Dress all
white reaching to the feet; round neck, double sleeves, one tight (under) the
other wider, narrow white belt, white long veil reaching the feet. It falls
graciously on her shoulders, more open than the veil of Our Lady of Fatima.”
Immediately the
sculptor Cristobal started to do the work which lasted several days. After the
work was finished, Cristobal took the statue to the Carmelite Convent and
delivered it to the Mother Prioress, Mother Mary Cecilia Zialcita.
After a few days the
statue was returned to Cristobal together with a letter of the Mother Prioress,
asking for some corrections to be made on it. Copy of the letter of the Mother
Prioress, originally written on longhand and in ink, reads thus:
“Carmelite Monastery
City of Lipa
Oct. 18, 1948
“Pax Christ!
Dear Mr. Cristobal;,
May Carmel’s Queen and
Mother ever bless and protect you!
We are returning the
statue of our Blessed Mother, begging you to make the following corrections:
1. The mouth – the
corners are too curved upward. The upper lip is too swollen; the lower
lip too thin (we used water color to improve it!) Please make it a little more
smiling.
2. The left hand: to raise
a little as high as the right hand. The middle fingers is broken.
3. The belt: - reduce
to one half inch width. More gatherings in the dress on the breast.
4. The eyes darker,
blackish. The dress whiter. Please remark the cracks on the clouds and the
right side of the mantle near the hair.
All the rest is well.
We shall pray much, Mr. Cristobal, that you may make her beautiful. Many thanks
in advance.
With prayers and
gratitude in Cor de Jesus.
Sr. Mary Cecilia de Jesus,
O.C.D.
Prioress
The retouching of the
statue lasted two days. So according to the sculptor the whole work lasted 22
days. “As it stands now,” explained the sculptor, “the statue represents the
image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, as described by
Sister Teresita Castillo when She appeared before her. The most important
changes were about the length of the ribbons and other minor details. The
sculptor made the statue without the Rosary, which was later provided by the
Mother Prioress, when the image reached the Monastery in Lipa.
