The tradition of Visita Iglesia, or church visits, is a Holy Thursday practice that began in Rome, where pilgrims would visit 7 churches as penance for their sin and in preparation for Easter.
On a whim, two friends and I thought to give it a go for the first time this year. Admittedly, our main reason was more to experience the tradition as an observer (ie. take pictures), but in our defense, while we may not have done a novena / Stations of the Cross at each church, we did spend a few minutes in prayer and reflection.
First church we checked out was St. Jude Thaddeus Archdioscesan Shrine in the Malacañang Compound in Mendiola, Manila. It was my first time here, so I made a wish as I explored the grounds.
St Jude is the Patron Saint of desperate cases and lost causes. Having a few "feeling lost and desperate, but still hoping" causes tucked at the back of my mind, I offered candle and a prayer. Thinking about it now, perhaps I should've offered a whole bucket of candles :|
Church number two was the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz, or the Binondo Church, in Chinatown. It's a pretty old church, having been constructed in 1596. Unfortunately, the bell tower is all that remains of the original edifice. Like many of our churches, much has been lost to war and natural calamities. You can't see it in my photos (you can google it, lol, or if you're an FB friend, dig through my photos to see an example), but I really like how the bell tower looks like a pagoda; a great reflection of the Chinese influence on the church due to the community it resides in.
I used to do a lot of errands in Chinatown, and would always drive by this Church. Don't know why I never though to go inside. The church by the way is HUGE inside! Glad to have finally gotten around to checking it out.
Church number 3 was the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, or the Manila Cathedral. Built in the 16th century, formerly of nipa & bamboo, the Cathedral is on its 6th reincarnation.
Last time I was here was when I had the honor of singing for the funeral mass of late President Aquino. Before that was to sing for Ateneo's Sesqui kick of event. One of many perks of singing in choir, you get to frequent beautiful places like this. What was nice this time around was that I had an opportunity to meander around the grounds, as opposed to simply being "stuck" in the choir section of the church. Lol. I really love the intricacy of the grand stone doorways of the Cathedral, and have always loved cathedral arches. They're so purty :)
Church number 4 was San Agustin in Intramuros, Manila. It's a World Heritage Site, one of UNESCO's (hello dream employer) four listed baroque churches in the Philippines. Hate the peach walls, but I love the baroque details (ie: the intricately carved wooden doors) and the crazy details inside the church (the blue & white chandeliers & the tromp l'eoil embellishments).
Aside from having sung a number of times in this church in the past, I explored it some more a few years back when I went on a walking tour with Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks fame. Primarily interested in the general aesthetic of things, I gotta admit, that you do gain a different level of appreciation when you understand the history behind what you're visually enjoying.
Church number 5 was Our Lady of Remedies, or the Malate Church in Manila. Originally built in the 16th century, this church has a baroque facade. Kind of looks like a smaller, plainer Binondo church up front actually. The inside though looks nothing like the outside - very small and quite simple.
This was another one of those churches I've happened to drive by often (think high school gimiks out in Gotham & Cafe Havana, etc, etc, lol) but have never had the opportunity to explore.
Being a newbie at Visita Iglesia, I didn't count on the scorching summer heat to speedily drain our energies. This most probably explains our choices for churches 6 & 7. Both were modern and convenient churches to reach - simple churches in form but lovely churches none the less. These were, the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart, in Makati
And the St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Ortigas.
It was a great day to say the least. Religion is so closely tied up with the Philippine persona that experiencing Visita Iglesia really touched me a number of levels.
Definitely looking forward to doing this again next year!
Honfleur, France
