On March 23, 1922, Crispino Lacandaso, a young carpenter, was chopping wood
from a felled, hundred year-old sampalok (Tamarindus indica) tree on a
vacant lot at 1885 Juan Luna Street,
Gagalangin, Manila.
After much difficulty, the laborer managed to cleave
the trunk in two. To his amazement, he saw a dark cross on a base, imprinted on
both halves of the wood. The discovery of the twin crosses—Kambal na Krus—was
considered a miracle, and instantly created a sensation among devout Catholics
in the area.
The pieces of wood were subsequently encased in glass,
and later, installed in a small chapel that was built as a shrine where
devotees could come to venerate the
sacred twin crosses. One piece is a bit larger than the other, but both are adorned with burst of metal rays or rostrillos, and draped with embroidered cloth serving as capes of sorts.
The trunks, which have darkened with age making the crosses less visible, flank a carved figure of crucified Christ. The chapel continues to be a center of pilgrimage and has
been renovated many times, the last one as recent as 2013.
The Chapel's Discovery Day is on 23 March, but the actual
celebration is held on the 3rd Sunday of March. During the fiesta, many people
flock to the Chapel to venerate the crosses, showing gratitude for the past
year's blessings. The Kambal na Krus Chapel is also a favorite visita iglesia
pilgrimate site during Maundy Thursday.
SOURCES:
"KambalnaKrusChapelTondojf9663 06" by Ramon
FVelasquez - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:KambalnaKrusChapelTondojf9663_06.JPG#mediaviewer/File:KambalnaKrusChapelTondojf9663_06.JPG
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