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Precious religious artifacts lay vulnerable
Saturday, December 6th 2014, 8:50 AM ChST
Updated:
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Guam - It has been about four months since the Dulce Nombre De Maria Cathedral Basilica National Museum was shutdown and although the artifacts remain in place, according to former museum volunteer and main coordinator Vangie Lujan, the priceless artifacts are withering away.
"Its starting to get moldy, its starting to get mold on some of the portraits that are down there some of the artwork so really it may look like dust but its starting to get moldy. And because the weather has been really bad in terms of it being hot and its really rainy there' not real air circulating in that area," she told KUAM News.
While the museum is under the responsibility of the cathedral and the rector Monsignor David Quitugua, Lujan says she believes it is not a priority. "So my concern really is that they're not being properly taken care of and there's very valuable historic artifacts that are in there and perhaps we need to do something to care of it and to put it in its proper place and also show it to the people," she said.
When Archbishop Anthony Apuron removed Monsignor James Benavente from his positions within the Archdiocese of Agana, he also dissolved the Archdiocesan Development Group, which served as the umbrella organization for the Cathedral's Gift Shop, media ministries and the museum. Just this year there was a special unveiling of the cassock of Blessed Diego Luis De San Vitores and the sword that martyred him, a Spanish Era stone water well, a subset of articles that were once under the doting care of Monsignor Oscar Calvo, and the large alloy bell that hung in the cathedral's steeple on the day of Guam's 1941 invasion by imperial Japanese forces.
According to Lujan there were five volunteers that operated and maintained the artifacts when the museum was open but after it closed, because it did not appear to be a priority, the volunteers opted not to continue, but they are still concerned about the condition of the artifacts," he said.
"I had actually met with someone who was asked to be a part of the opening of the museum but his attitude was its really not a priority that they're not taking enough steps to protecting the artifacts and really opening up the museum and that they actually had some plans to move the location and I think that's very concerning for me," he said.
Lujan says when the museum closed some artifacts were taken by the owners but 80% of the museum remains intact. She says its saddening and unfortunate they can't be shared. "It feels like this gift has been buried and no one wants to take it out and show what the valuable resource is to our community," she shared.
When Monsignor Benavente was removed as rector he was replaced by Monsignor Quitugua. KUAM is awaiting a response from him as to when the museum will reopen.