Saint Mary Magdalene Exhibit In Kawit Cavite

Before attending the concelebrated mass in Saint Mary Magdalene Parish for the Feast of the Mary Magdalene, I already made an inquiry to admin of their official Facebook page regarding to their ecclesiastical exhibit. I asked them what happened to those old memorabilla that they used to display on the church. I saw a couple of items before so I’m pretty sure they transferred it somewhere. They told me that they decided to put all the historical items in an exhibit and is now situated on a convent. The exhibit is open publicly but since we arrived there during a very special day, the convent was closed and we were advised to visit the following days. The exhibit is open every Tuesdays to Sundays. The Saint Mary Magdalene Church. Interestingly, you can reach the exhibit in two possible ways. You can enter the Saint Mary Magdalene Elementary school and just inform the guard and they will guide you to that particular room or if the door from that face is close, you can approach the other way by heading towards the convent, the way that only priests and other authorized person can enter. You may ask a permission directly to their main office and they will ask someone to guide you.   A view of the St Mary Magdalene Elementary School from the rear portion of the church (it’s the one facing the main road). The right side of the church and the way towards the main office and the convent which is situated within the school.
The wooden front door of the centuries-old church A historical marker.
It is a very simple exhibit located on a modified class room. A small portion of the room also serves as the convent’s kitchen. The exhibit displays both ecclesiastical items related to Saint Mary Magdalene and also some notable historical memorabilia in relation with Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the country. The first thing you’ll notice once you enter the exhibit are the life-size statues depicting different images of Mary Magdalene. This one depicts the “repentance of Mary Magdalene”
Mary Magdalene at the Crucifixion (commonly describe as Women at the Crucifixion as she was accompanied by Mary and her sister Mary the wife of Clopas) Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb
Mary Magdalane in the resurrection of Jesus. Mary Magdalene was the first person to ever witness the resurrected Jesus!
On the other side of the wall lies some old books and pictures showing the early image of Mary Magdalene, the old Church and some historical memorabilia about Emilio Aguinaldo. A 1930 picture showcasing the old belfry of the parish During my recent trip to Aguinaldo Shrine, we have learned that Emilio Aguinaldo was baptized in Mary Magdalene Parish and interestingly, the church was able to save the original copy of Emilio Aguinaldo’s Baptismal records. This must be a Vulgate, a Latin version of the Bible which emerged during the late fourth-century and is mostly attributed to St Jerome. Not sure about this one but since it has some noticeable computations, this book must be an old accounting records of the church. Baptismal Records since 1830! Wow! The former parish priests. Check out this old furniture! Candle holders The highlights of the exhibit are not just the life-size images nor those old books and records but the relics and other items used for the image of Mary Magdalene for the past centuries. Here, you’ll find the old dresses used for the image for the past years. Again, the image is notably aromatic which means you can smell the fragrance from these dresses even from afar. A relic from Mary MagdaleneThis must be a first class relic knowing that it has the term “Ex Ossibus” which means “From the bones”. A pair of dresses used in 1930 and 1940 respectively. One of the most interesting highlights of the exhibit aside from the old dresses and relics are these shiny jewelries. Necklaces and earrings used for the image of Mary Magdalene for the past decades. Crowns and tiaras. Mary Magdalene has many attributes and this vessel of ointment is one of her commonly used symbols or attributes. Cross, also a symbol of Saint Mary Magdalene.
I learned a lot from this exhibit and I’m not sure if this exhibit is only for a limited time but I hope not. I also wish that they can build a separate building to display these historical items much like what they did in Sta Cruz Convent Museum.