WHAT could be sweeter than the fulfillment of a broken vow? In what appears to be more like a “déjà vu,” the abruptly-cut romance between two departed souls, Philippine national hero Jose Rizal and Irish descent Josephine Bracken have finally been “reunited” – for good.
In two culminating ceremonies held at the Tejeros Convention in Cavite and the Rizal Shrine in Calamba, the officers and members of the Knights of Rizal (KoR) extolled the bust of Bracken alongside that if Rizal, in an apparent effort “to honor a remarkable woman whose courage, love, and dedication left an indelible mark on Philippine history.”
According to Sir Pieter Nootenboom in his capacity as former Asia Regional Commander of the illustrious Knights of Rizal, the story behind Bracken (Josephine Maria Leopoldine Bracken), “is one of resilience, sacrifice and heroism.”
Bracken, a woman of Irish descent, joined the Filipino revolutionaries as nurse and combatant shortly after Rizal was executed on December 30, 1896 at the age of 35.
“Josephine Bracken’s life was anything but easy. Orphaned at a young age, she was adopted by George Taufer, an American suffering from blindness. It was through her adoptive father’s search for medical treatment that she met Dr. José Rizal in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte. Their meeting was fateful not only for the love that blossomed between them but also for the role she would play in supporting Rizal’s work and, ultimately, the Philippine Revolution,” Sir Pieter said in his speech followed by the unveiling of the bust outside the Tejeros Convention site in Rosario, Cavite.
The bust, which is about 24 inches tall, had a marking of its sculptor embossed and read backwards – an artist by the name of “Phantom Sculpture”
“Following the wrongful execution of Dr. José Rizal by the Spanish colonial forces on December 30, 1896, Josephine did not retreat into grief. Instead, she transformed her sorrow into action. She traveled overnight to the Tejeros Convention in Cavite, where she joined the revolutionary forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo. There, she served as both a nurse and a combatant, tending to the sick and wounded at Casa Hacienda de Tejeros, which had been converted into a field hospital,” Nootenboom added.
“Her bravery knew no bounds; it was reported that she once rode out on horseback with another woman and shot a Spanish officer, a testament to her fearless spirit.”
Later in the afternoon, another Bracken bust was donated at the Rizal Shrine in Calamba, Laguna – but this time Bracken sits alongside Jose Rizal.
KoR officials cited Bracken’s contributions to the Philippine Revolution “were not merely acts of service; they were acts of defiance against oppression and injustice. She stood alongside the revolutionaries not as a bystander but as an active participant in the struggle for freedom. Her story reminds us that heroism knows no gender and that women have always been at the forefront of history, even when their contributions have been overlooked.”
In November 2023, the KoR under Gerardo Calderon who was then the KoR Supreme Commander, issued a posthumous citation to Bracken, recognizing her immense contributions to the life of Rizal and the Philippine Revolution.
Nootenboom himself received the citation on behalf of the Bracken descendants in Ireland.