Christopher dela Cruz Lagong was born in the District of Sta. Cruz in Manila on the feast of Our Lady of Montserrat, 1975. He is the son of Ernesto B. Lagong of Nabua, Camarines Sur, and of Angelina R. dela Cruz of Sta. Cruz, Manila.

He graduated in 1996 from the Philippine Normal University with a BSE in Values Education, studied liturgy at San Beda University and spirituality at East Asian Pastoral Institute, Ateneo de Manila University. By profession, he is a pastoral worker at Kalakbay Ministry, a lay ministry for spiritual formation and accompaniment since 2005. Currently he serves as an active lay liturgical minister at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Bacoor, Cavite.

Description and symbolism:

The staff symbolizes the pastoral vocation of the Armiger as a “kalakbay” or fellow traveller with the people entrusted by God in his care, and inscribed accordingly in Baybayin script.

The palm leaves symbolize the Armiger’s places of residence, the Province of Cavite (red palm) and Quezon City (gold palm); taken together, they refer generally to the Armiger’s interest in the holy martyrs and confessors, who are commonly depicted holding palm leaves.

The staff and palm leaves form a Tau Cross, alluding to the staff of St. Christopher, the namesake and patron of the Armiger. According to tradition, Jesus commanded the Saint to plant his staff, which would later bear leaves and fruit. The Tau Cross also refers to Franciscan faith: for St. Francis of Assisi, the Tau represented lifelong fidelity to Christ. The cross further recalls to the Armiger’s family origins: his father’s hometown of Nabua, Camarines Sur, where the parish is named Holy Cross; his mother’s maiden name, “dela Cruz”; and the birthplace of the Armiger, the District of Sta. Cruz, Manila.

The six-pointed star refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Star of Mary, commonly known as the Star of the Sea, is historically depicted as a hexagram. For the Armiger, the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Mother and a “star of our way”.

The sanctus bell symbolizes the Armiger’s love for and active participation in the liturgy as a member and formator in the ministry of altar service since 1989. The red side of the bell refers to San Lorenzo Ruiz, martyr and patron saint of altar servers, while the gold side alludes to Beato Manuel Lozano Garrido, who risked his life to bring the Blessed Sacrament to Catholics in prison during the Spanish Civil War.

The wreath of thorns is in honor of the Armiger’s secondary patron saint, St. Anna Schäffer, whose hometown of Mindelstetten, Germany, uses arms featuring this device. The Armiger is a devotee and the official promoter of the saint in the Philippines since 2014.

The seven red laurel leaves are in honor of the Armiger’s secondary patron saint, St. Candida Ma. de Jesus, whose hometown of Berrospe, Spain, uses arms featuring this design. St. Candida was the foundress of the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus, to which the Armiger’s ministry belongs. The leaves also refer to the Armiger’s alma mater, the Philippine Normal University, whose arms also feature laurel leaves.

To the Armiger, the color red refers to commitment, while the gold is a reminder to sacrifice for charity.

The motto is taken from Galatians 2:20 and inspired from the 2006 Easter vigil homily of Pope Benedict XVI.

Blazon: Shield: Per pale Gules and Or a pallet couped and inscribed “Kalakbay” in Baybayin script Sable between in chief a mullet of six points above two palm leaves fesswise conjoined, in base a sanctus bell, to dexter a demi wreath of thorns, to sinister seven laurel leaves stems to fess point, all counterchanged.

Motto: Vivo autem iam non ego (“I live, but I am no longer I”).

Assumed/granting authority: Assumed, May 8, 2023. Registered, Philippine Armorial, July 10, 2023.

Image and information submitted by the Armiger.