Jaz, an events coordinator in the corporate world, keeps a checklist of things to do in every event she's planning. Most noticeable in her list is the offering of eggs to St. Clare at the Monasterio de Santa Clara to help pray for good weather.The Monasterio de Sta. Clara, a popular monastery originally located in Intramuros before the war, is where nuns of the Order of Saint Clare of Assisi (known as the Poor Clares) lead a life of prayer and strictly follow the vow of poverty. The cream-colored church is where by tradition, people come with offerings (usually eggs) and ask the saintly nuns to pray for good weather.
devotees to St. Clare leave their prayer requests hoping for solutions to their from simple problems to miracles Regarding the traditional offering of eggs, Philippine National Artist for Literature, Alejandro Roces, in his book Fiesta, theorized that Sta. Clara's name has something to do with it for the word clara, in the language of Castille, means “fair weather” (particularly during rainy days) and also pertains to the "puti ng itlog" (albumen or egg whites) in Spanish. It translates to offer claras (egg whites) to Sta. Clara to pray for a clara (fair weather) on a particular day.
The offering of a dozen eggs (pag-aalay ng itlog), according to people following the tradition, represents the twelve months of the year though most people who come there wish for only a day or two without rain (if it were without rain in a year, expect a famine)
a furtively taken picture of St. Clare Chapel (this is one of those days when small point-and-shoot cameras are better than bulky DSLRs when misinformed guards are after you while allowing P&S cams)In Rizal's second novel, El Filibusterismo, it's in Monasterio de Santa Clara where Maria Clara entered to become a nun, and died before Simoun was able to rescue her.
St. Clare is the same patron of Obando, Bulacan where the fertility rite performe by childless women while singing "Santa Clarang pinong-pino, Ang pangako ko ay ganito, Pagdating ko sa Obando, Sasayaw ako ng pandanggo." However, St. Clare's life story narrated that she died a virgin and therefore childless. Ironic, isn't it?
Tips:
enterprising people sell eggs wrapped in colorful plastic as offering. letters and prayer requests can be written outside the monastery.
Taking pictures inside the monastery is NOT allowed, but permitted at the chapel
Order of St. Clare (OSC) a.k.a. Monasterio de Santa Clara
C-5 Katipunan Ave., 1108 Quezon City
Tel: +63.2.913.5159
(part of Diocese of Cubao)
How to get to Monasterio de Sta. Clara:
Fastest way to commute there is via LRT 2 Katipunan Station where the monastery is a mere walking distance. You my take jeepneys in Cubao going to Antipolo, Cogeo, or Montalban to take you there also. There are jeepneys in UP that ply the Katipunan route also.
Directions from Makati: take C5 road and drive straight until you reach the Katipunan flyover where you take ilalim where the monastery is located.
From Quezon Memorial Circle, you may pass by University of the Philippines (UP) then right on Katipunan (where Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) is), turn right on Aurora Blvd
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That chapel is a nice piece of religious architecture. Fun idea to offer eggs.
ReplyDeleteWhat's done with the offered eggs?
ReplyDeletepieterbie, too bad the guard's looking at me already and coming near soi stopped taking pcitures :P
ReplyDeletedave, omelet? :P idon't knowreally but heard somewhere they cook for charity. they can't comsume all those eggs offered
uy gusto ko magpunta jan kaso naligaw kami ng friend ko =)
ReplyDeleteWeeks before my wedding we offered a dozen of eggs. Since it's a garden reception, had requested that there'll be no rain on the day itself. Fortunately enough, it didn't rain. :)
ReplyDeletegreat structure, never seen it before though...
ReplyDeletefrom your post I get that this is the modern version of the pagan goddess of fertility and not of Christian origin. =)
Ironic indeed.
We had a patient before at lourdes hospital.She was a nun at st. Claire's and had the opportunity to asked her about the offered eggs. Aside from the fact that the eggs are consumed by the nuns, the offered eggs are also distributed to different seminaries and parishes for feeding programs. It was a big fallacy that the offered eggs are used as beauty regiment by the nuns.
ReplyDeletefor the offered eggs they will make it as pastillas or leche plan or any other sweets that are made of eggs and they will sell it.
ReplyDeleteit was a heavenly experiences when i was there and pray for all the needy people ...but the lord show me my destiny of being a good wife and a mother too...they said this my vocation of being a good person...
ReplyDeleteI offered my eggs last night and it rained shortly.
ReplyDeleteSaint Claire Im so blessed that I see you for the first time. Alam ko pong na lagi po kayong nandyan sa akin ni Lord na fefeel ko po yung presence nyo po sa akin, hindi po ako nawawalan ng pag-asa sa inyo po ako ni Lord kumuuha ng lakas ng loob at lumalakas naman po ang loob ko and I'm not losing my hope because you and God are there for me.....
ReplyDeletebaket itlog ang iniaalay?
ReplyDeleteanonymous, basa po muna basa. nandun ang sagot :(
ReplyDeleteMahal na San Clara alam ko na makasalanan po akong tao heto po ako humihingi ng tawad sa aking mga kasalanan.Santa Clara hindi po ako nawawalan ng pag-asa, muli kopong hinihingi ang tulong nyo at nagmamakaawa na sana po tulungan nyo po kami na madaling makapunta dito ang ma-ama ko sa Ontario Canada.alam ko po na nasa tabi lang namin kayo, kaya po ako nagmamakaawa sa inyo miss kona po ang mag-ama ko dyan sa pinas sana po bago man lang mag pasko makasama ko napo mag-ama ko.Santa clara iparating nyo po sa Immigration dyan sa pinas na sana po ayusin na nila ang papel namin sa madaling panahon.Santa clara maraming salamat po sa lahat-lahat.my address is 5 Tangreen Court Apt.304 North York Ontario M2M 3Z1.muli kopong hinihiling na maging maayos po ang lahat....maraming salamat po!
ReplyDeletemahal n Sta Clara... narito po ako lumalapit sa inyo naway patnubayan nyo po laht ng ato n humihingi ng inyo milagro.. naway dingin nyo ang aking samot dalangin.. isa po kayo sa tangulan... Maraming salamat po
ReplyDeleteive been married for 8yrs but i didnt get pregnant.....my cousin told me to offer eggs to st. claire and make a wish, me and my husband planning to go there within this week. anyone can answer me kung may sked ba ng pag offer ng egg?
ReplyDeletemahal n santa clara mkapasa po sana ang anak ko c liezel b marron this dec for board for dentist salamat po sa lhat
ReplyDeletemahal na santa clara narito po ako at humihingi po ng sorry sa lahat ng mga nagawa kong kasalanan,hindi po ako sumusuko sa lahat, sana po dingin niyo ang aking dalangin na sana mabait po ang mag interview sakin sa us embassy na sana hindi ako pahirapan na masagot sa mga katanungan,sana rin po makapasa po ako at matanggap ko po ng maaga ung visa ko sa loob ng 4araw,at wala po sanang maging hadlang sa mga papel ko,dahil po gusto na namin magsama ng partner ko,mahirap po ang long distance relationship pero kinakaya po namin hindi kami sumusuko at eto pa rin kami humihingi sainyo ng tulong na maging success lahat, sana po maging ok lahat ung pakikipagsama nila sakin sa pamilya ni john at sana rin bigyan nyo ako ng lakas ng loob para makapagbyahe ng mag isa, malalayo po ako sa pamilya ko sana gabayan niyo sila sakanilang araw araw na gawain,,,,maraming salamat po.
ReplyDeleteMahal n sta.clara gbayan nio po ang mga apektdo ng bgyong ruby n sana wala msktan at sna po matunaw n ang bgyo,at lgi nio po ggbyan ang asawa ko n nsa abroad at ilayo m po xia s kphmakn at sakit gnun dn po ang aking mama at mga kpatid at ako dn po.mraming salamat po..
ReplyDeleteOh loving St. Clare I am asking for your guidance, giving us stregth and knowledge to pass the NLE board examination this weekend may 30 & 31. As early as today I will CLAIM IT! I will PASS THE BOARD! In Jesus name! St. Clare Amen
ReplyDeleteMahal naming santa clara marming slamat po s mga blessings nyu sikisik liglig at nag uumapaw. Muli po humihiling po ako n makapasa nawa ako s civil service exam at magkaroon na dn po ako ng magandng trabaho. In jesus name. Ngaun p lng po nàgpapaslamat n ako.
ReplyDeleteSt Claire please pray for our request magkaron mg mabuting lasambahay
DeleteAny time po ba pwede mag offer ng eggs? And bukas din po ba sya kahit anong araw? Salamat po sa mga sasagot.. godbless po
ReplyDeleteSt.claire patawarin po nyo ako sakin mga kasalanan ako po ay dumadalangin sa inyo ng kapayapaan ng amin pamilya. Sa akin mga anak at sa akin dalawang apo . Marami po kaming pinagdadaanan ngayon sana po ay maging ok na po lahat .salamat po sa patuloy na pag gabay sa amin . God bless po
ReplyDelete