Forgotten Prayers: Sacred Icons in an Antique Shop
Angels and saints with trophies and such less saintly knick knacks.
By: Nonnette C. Bennett
At a quiet antique shop in Candon, Ilocos Sur, shelves brim with saints, Santo Niño, Mother Mary, and the Holy Family—images once revered on household altars, now gathering dust. I found myself wondering about the countless prayers once whispered to these figures, prayers that sustained families through joy and sorrow. Today, they sit abandoned, waiting to be rediscovered, reset, and restored to new mantles of holiness.
The Santo Nino face on an art piece.
The Santo Niño: Child of Power and Devotion
The Santo Niño, the image of the Child Jesus, traces its roots to the third and fourth centuries, when depictions emphasized His extraordinary gifts of wisdom and power even in youth. In the Philippines, devotion to the Santo Niño is deeply tied to history: Ferdinand Magellan’s arrival brought the image to Cebu, where it became central to faith and culture. Festivals like Sinulog in Cebu and Ati-Atihan in Aklan testify to this enduring reverence.
Yet here, in this shop, the Santo Niño’s European features stare silently into space—precious once, but now forgotten until someone chooses to honor Him again.
Christ the King painting is unframed and leaning on a trunk atop another trunk.
Christ the King: Lord of Time and Eternity
Nearby stands Christ the King, His right hand raised in blessing and judgment. In the Roman Catholic calendar, His feast closes the liturgical year, celebrated as a reminder of Christ’s reign over all creation. Across denominations—Moravian, Lutheran, Anglican—the day marks the end of Pentecostide, Judgment Sunday, or the Sunday before Advent.
The image proclaims Jesus as King of Kings, yet here it rests beside trinkets and relics, its message muted by neglect.
Madonna and Child carved on wood is set as part of the many objects that stood for life long ago.
The Holy Family: Model of Faithful Living
The Holy Family—Jesus, Mary, and Joseph—embodies the ideal of love, obedience, and devotion. Catholic teaching holds their earthly lives as models for every state of life, offering grace and encouragement to families worldwide.
But in this shop, the carved figures of the Holy Family sit quietly, their prayers silenced, their presence reduced to decoration among unrelated heirlooms.
Not to be recognized saint among the broken.
Saints: Channels of Prayer
Statues of saints line the shelves, reminders of mortals who became servants of God. For centuries, they inspired the faithful to persevere, offering intercession and guidance. “Only what was done for Christ will have a lasting reward,” one Catholic teaching reminds us.
These saints once stood as companions to mothers and fathers, urging them to remain steadfast. Now, they wait for new hands to lift them back into devotion.
The Holy Family set on the stairs and other images of Mother Mary and Christ.
Madonna and Child: Art and Foreknowledge
The Madonna and Child, a timeless motif in Christian art, reflects tenderness and sorrow. In Italian tradition, the Christ Child pushes away His mother’s veil, her expression shadowed by foreknowledge of His crucifixion. Drapery and form connect the sacred to the earthly, inviting reflection.
In homes, this image was a constant reminder of Mary’s sacrifice and hope. In the shop, it is another relic of devotion paused.
Resting Without Prayer
Without prayer, these icons rest in the nooks and crannies of an unpretentious antique shop, surrounded by rusty mementos of families long gone. Once they were lifelines of faith, channels of hope, and symbols of salvation. Now, they wait—silent witnesses to forgotten devotion, poised for rediscovery by those who will once again breathe life into their sacred presence.
