Abueva, SUHS 1973 donate communion sets to rural churches
Alumni Update June 9 – 15, 2025
(L-R) Adlai J. Amor, Rachel Lopez-Alviola, Georgiana Lagrito-Pineda, Manuel Utzurrum lll, Emily Uy-Sun, Lanelle Abueva-Fernando, Elsie Paralejas-Regalado, Addily Bulado-Utzurrum, Josephine Villahermosa-Mañosca, Marcelita Cafe-Pascual, and Raoul Garcia pose during the event.
Ceramic artist Lanelle Abueva Fernando and the SUHS Class of 1973 turned over 88 sets of communion ware to the Divinity School’s Elena Maquiso Center for Liturgy and Music.
The communion sets – consisting of a chalice, a pitcher, and a plate – were turned over on May 19, 2025 at the Chapel of the Evangel. The project, called Pakig-Ambit (to share), is part of the 52nd reunion of SUHS 1973.
These ceramic communion sets will be donated to selected struggling rural churches of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines in Negros Island. The churches will come from the Negros District Conference, the North Negros District Conference, and the Central Negros District Conference.
The communion sets were designed and produced in Abueva’s studio, Crescent Moon Café and Studio Pottery, in Antipolo, Rizal. “These communion sets are expressions of my faith,” said Abueva. “I hope that they will enhance worship in rural churches.”
(L-R) Adlai J. Amor, Rev. Magnolia Nova V. Mendoza, Ceramic artist Lanelle Abueva Fernando, and Dr. Jean Cuanan-Nalam pose during the event.
In 2023, four communion sets were donated by the SUHS 1973 to the SU Church as part of their 50th reunion. Unbeknownst to the class, the church had been looking for locally made and designed chalice and pitcher for use during communion.
“Since then, other church leaders asked us where they could buy similar ceramic communion sets,” said Adlai Amor, a member of the SUHS 1973 class. “Lanelle designed smaller versions of the communion sets we gave to SU Church to be used by rural churches.”
The class partnered with the Elena Maquiso Center to distribute these ceramic communion sets. It was a natural partnership since some members of SUHS 1973 have been supporting the center’s efforts to compose and disseminate new church hymns in Cebuano.
Accepting the donations were Dr. Van Cliburn M. Tibus, dean of the Divinity School, and Dr. Jean Cuanan Nalam, coordinator of the Elena Maquiso Center for Liturgy and Music. Also present were Rev. Jonathan R. Pia, senior pastor of the SU Church, Divinity School faculty, and members of SUHS 1973 classmates.
Ceramic communion sets by Ceramic artist Lanelle Abueva Fernando.
