Church of St. Rose of Lima (Gamu, Isabela)

Church of St. Rose of Lima

This church, constructed in 1738 by Fr. Martin Fernandez, OP, was, together with the convent, destroyed by the strong Intensity 6 earthquake on December 29, 1949. From 1950-1951, a wooden church was constructed, next to the ruins of the Spanish church. La Salette missionary, Fr. Maurice Cardenal, started the restoration of the Spanish church. In 1968, a new roof was constructed together with the flooring.

The Baroque-style, brick facade

In March 1978, CICM missionary Fr. John Couvreur, the 75th parish priest, completely renovated the interior of the church and, in March 1979, the ruins of the sacristy were restored and transformed into a week day chapel.  From 1950 to 1951, a new brick bell tower, in Spanish style, was built but was later dismantled and the recovered materials were used to build chapels in several barrios.  From the ruins of the convent, a multi-purpose hall and dormitory were put up for seminars and meetings.

The paired columns (round and square) flanking the main entrance

On June 24, 1993, the roof and ceiling of the church was destroyed by typhoon Goring.  It was restored, in a short time, and a beautiful ceiling was built.  The church houses a life-size image of the Peruvian nun Rose of Lima, the patron saint of embroidery, gardening, and cultivation of blooming flowers.

The National Museum historical plaque

On June 27, 2019, the National Museum of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) recognized the church, and its surrounding complex, as an Important Cultural Property and, on May 12, 2023, a historical marker was installed. This church, as well as the Church of Our Lady of Atocha in Alicia, and the Church of Our Lady of the Pillar in Cauayan City, are examples of what is called as the “Cagayan Style” of Spanish churches that was inspired by the Tuguegarao church.

Check out Church of Our Lady of Atocha and Church of Our Lady of the Pillar

The modern interior

AUTHOR’S NOTES

The church’s Baroque-style, brick façade has a semicircular arch main entrance flanked by paired (one square and one round) pilasters, above which are semicircular arched windows, and semicircular arch niches for statues (currently empty).  The undulating pediment, capped by pinnacles, has a small, centrally located rose window.

On the church’s right is a three-storey, square bell tower, with receding storeys, semicircular arch blind window on the first storey, segmental arch open windows on the two upper storeys and a pyramidal roof.  On the church’s left is the brick convent which is now a multipurpose hall, used for seminars and meetings, and a dormitory.

The main altar and retablo

Church of St. Rose of Lima: Poblacion, 3301 GamuIsabela.  Mobile numbers: (0916) 680-3680 and (0936) 360-1064.   E-mail: srlgamu@zoho.com. Feast of St. Rose of Lima: August 23.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com.

How to Get There: Gamu is located 413.4 kms. (a 7.75-hour drive) from Manila and 21.5 kms.(a 30-min. drive) from the City of Ilagan.  The church is located in front of the town’s municipal hall.

National Shrine of Our Lady of the Visitation of Guibang (Gamu, Isabela)

National Shrine of Our Lady of Visitation of Guibang

This pilgrimage site, the Philippines’ eighth national shrine (declared as such on February 13, 1986), is the only national shrine in the northern Ecclesiastical Province of Tuguegarao, comprising the Tuguegarao archdiocese and the Diocese of Ilagan and Bayombong.

It is consecrated to the miraculous pilgrim image of Blessed Virgin Mary of Guibang which was episcopally crowned, by the Most Rev. Carmine Rocco, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, on May 26, 1973 at the former St. Ferdinand Cathedral (now St. Ferdinand Parish Church) in the City of Ilagan.

Historical Plaque

 

The original 750 sq. m. shrine, built in 1726, had a unique façade of layered bricks and stone.  In December 2018, construction of a larger, 1,100 sq. m. church, which can hold around 750 seats and a full-standing area capacity of around 1,200 people, began on the same location.

The church interior

While the construction was ongoing, liturgical services and devotional activities were held in the adjacent Poor Clare Monastery.

Main altar and retablo

The newly rebuilt and larger pilgrim church was blest and dedicated, by Papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown, on February 3, 2023. The church comes alive on July 2 of every year when religious pilgrims from all walks of life come to offer prayers of good health, peace, abundance and good voyage among many other intentions.

Miraculous image of Our Lady of Visitation of Guibang

National Shrine of Our Lady of the Visitation of Guibang: National Highway, Brgy. Guibang, 3301 Gamu, Isabela.  Mobile numbers: (0920) 503-311 and (0915) 499-1058. E-mail: ourladyofguibang@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com.

How to Get There: Gamu is located 413.4 kms. (a 7.75-hour drive) from Manila and 21.5 kms.(a 30-min. drive) from the City of Ilagan.

Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral (Roxas City, Capiz

Immaculate Concepcion Metropolitan Cathedral

The Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral , considered one of the most beautiful in the country, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Capiz.  Fronting the city plaza, opposite the Panay River and the Capiz Bridge (built in 1910), it was first built before 1698 but was destroyed during the January 4, 1698 typhoon.

The church’s Baroque facade

The church was rebuilt by Augustinian Father Domingo Horbegozo from 1728 to 1732, was damaged during the July 13, 1787 earthquake and was rebuilt with stone and galvanized iron from 1870 to 1885 by Father Apolinar Alvarez.  Father Alvarez also built the cemetery and installed an organ in 1885.  From 1885 to 1890, Father Lesmes Perez installed a ceiling of galvanized iron and plastered the walls with stucco.  It was reconstructed in 1954.

Following the creation of the Diocese of Capiz on January 27, 1951, the parish church was elevated into a cathedral.. However, the diocese retained the old name of Capiz as it predates the change of the city name to Roxas on April 11, 1951.

The church interior

The cathedral’s Baroque facade has a simple, semicircular arched main entrance flanked by two canopied, statued niches on the lateral panels and topped by a segmental pediment atop the string cornice of the first level.  It also has pilasters (decorative engaged pillars) with floral flutings and windows with segmented arch canopies and Baroque volutes (spiral scrolls).

The choir loft

Its architrave (beam spanning columns), devoid of embellishments, has a rectangular base topped by a broken curvilinear pediment (triangular gable) decorated with a statued niche in the center.  The cathedral is also one of the few churches where the dome and the roof are not held up by a single column traversing the interior of the church.

The main altar

The four-storey, rectangular bell tower on the left has one semicircular arched window on the first level and four in the highest level.  Inside the church is a main altar and two side altars.

Left side altar

Right side altar

Immaculate Concepcion Metropolitan Cathedral: Arsobispo Street, Roxas City, Capiz.  Tel: (036) 621-0617 and (036) 621-0327.  E-mail: immaculateconcepcion1@gmail.com.  Coordinates: 11°35′01″N 122°45′11″E.  Feat of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception: December 8.

 

How to Get There: Roxas City is located 110.5 kilometers (a 2.5-hour drive via the Iloilo East Coast-Capiz Road) from Iloilo City and 77.4 kilometers (a 1.75-hour drive via the Western Nautical Highway) from Kalibo (Aklan).

Church of St. Monica (Pan-ay, Capiz)

Church of St. Monica

This church is an excellent example of Filipino Colonial Baroque style (defined by the used of attached coupled piers in the Corinthian style) that has blended well with the Neo-Classical influence.  It was first built before 1692 and rebuilt in 1774 by Augustinian Father Miguel Murguia.

The church’s Baroque facade

The church was greatly damaged by the March 5, 1874 (roof blown away) and January 17, 1875 typhoons (transept was toppled) but was rebuilt in 1878, restored by Father Jose Beloso in 1884 and beautifully repaired by Father Lesmes Perez in 1895.

In 1997, by virtue of National Historical Institute (now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines) Resolution No. 3, the church was declared as a National Historical Landmark and, on July 31, 2001, was also listed as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines.

NHI Plaque installed in 1997

On June 16, 2001, restoration of the church began and it was finished on May 4, 2008. The wooden trusses and the roof were replaced by a steel and galvanized iron structure.

The Augustinian emblem

This Latin cross-shaped church is 80 meters long, 25 meters wide, 18 meters high and has three-meter thick walls of white coral. Its simple but imposing Baroque facade is decorated by shallow paired pilasters (with narrow grooves in between which divide it into symmetrical and well-balanced rectangular sections.

The semicircular arch main entrance

The semicircular arched main entrance is flanked by two small niches with life-size statues of Augustinian saints St. Thomas of Villanova and St. Augustine and is topped by a rectangular carving of the Augustinian emblem.

Statue of St. Thomas of Villanova

The second level has an ornate niche of St. Monica topped by a rose window.  The curvilinear, undulating pediment has a relief sculpture in the center flanked by decorative stone blocks and topped by pineapple-shaped finials.

The church interior

Its richly decorated interior, the best-preserved in Panay, has a terra cotta tile floor (accented by colored marble and black slate tiles), and several elaborately carved, Baroque-decorated  retablos, done by Manila artisans, of silver and hardwood at the large central as well as the four lateral altars, all gorgeously decorated with various high quality, polychromed statues.

The retablo of the main altar

Jose Bergano (also called Sarhento Itak), the town’s greatest sculptor, did most of the bas-reliefs and religious statuary.     

The five-storey bell tower

The five-storey belfry, on the church’s left, has a quadrilateral base with octagonal upper stories (with two sides longer than the other).  It houses the Panay Bell which can be reached by a 63-step, independent steel stairway.  This unusually huge (affectionately called Dakong Lingganay, Hiligaynon for “Big Bell”), said to be the largest in Asia and the third biggest in the world, is 1.5 meters (five feet) high, two meters (seven feet) in diameter and weighs 10,400 kilograms (22,928 pounds).

Panay Bell

It was made from 76 sacks of gold and silver coins collected from the townspeople by Father Jose Beloso and cast in 1878 by the blacksmith and casting shop of Don Juan Reina (who settled in Iloilo City’s J.M. Basa Street in 1868).

View of the town from the bell tower

Its sound was loud enough to reach every nearby town (its echo can be heard seven kilometers away) but, after a month’s time, the bell cracked.

Panay Bell inscription

The bell’s long inscription reads: Soy la voz de Dios que lleva rey en zalzare desde el principio hasta el finde este pueblo de Panay para que los fieles de Jesus vengan a esta casa de Dios a recibir las gracias elestials.  (“I am God’s voice which I shall echo and praise from one end to the other of the town of Panay, so that the faithful followers of Christ may come to the house of God to receive the heavenly graces”).

A smaller bell cast in 1885 by Hilario Sunico

Eight small bells also surround this big bell.  One bell dates from 1721 and was cast by Benitus a Regibus, Hilario Sunico and Juan Reina.  Another was installed in 1867.

Another smaller bell cast in 1822

The L-shaped convent, also built by Father Beloso, was also destroyed by the 1874 and 1875 typhoons, elegantly reconstructed in 1892 by Father Miguel Rosales, O.S.A., finished in 1895 by Father Gregorio Hermida, O.S.A. and restored by Lesmes Perez, O.S.A..  Shortly thereafter, it was intentionally burned, along with the municipal hall, on orders of Spanish Governor-General Diego de los Rios to dislodge rebels from the town during the Philippine Revolution.

The new convent

On December 14, 2008, the modern convent (with remnants of the old convent incorporated into it) was blessed along with a replica of the Panay Bell located beside it.  Behind the church are remnants of a wall, said to have been part of a fortification.

Replica of Panay Bell

Church of St. Monica: Iloilo East Coast-Capiz Rd., Panay, Capiz.  Tel: (036) 651-9765.  E-mail: santamonicadepanay@gmail.com.  Coordinates: 11.555622°N 122.793905°E.  Feast of St. Monica: May 4.

 

How to Get There: Pan-ay is located 7.4 kilometers (a 15-minute drive) east of Roxas City.

Church of Our Lady of the Abandoned (Marikina City, Metro Manila)

Church of Our Lady of the Abandoned

Located at the boundaries of Barangays Santa Elena and San Roque, this church, dedicated to Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados (Our Lady of the Abandoned), was first constructed in 1572, with bamboo and leaves by the Augustinian friars in a place called Chorillo (present-day Barangay Barangka).

Left side elevation

The church was started, on its present site, in 1687 by the Augustinians using forced labor.  Constructed with adobe in the Baroque style, it had a heavily fortified facade, large-scale ceiling paintings, a dramatic central projection of the facade, a round-style pediment for the bell tower and the opulent blending of painting and architecture. 

Right side elevation

On October 23, 1791, the church was consecrated by the Archdiocese of Manila for the Virgin’s said title so that it could not be used for any secular purpose.  It was twice destroyed during the June 1863 and July 1880 earthquakes and was gutted by fire in 1891.

National Historical Institute (NHI) Plaque (1990)

In 1898, during the Philippine–American War, the church suffered major damage and the first image was burnt along with pertinent records of the devotion in Marikina.  In 1902, a new image was created, and is the one presently venerated in the parish.  During World War II, the upper storey bell tower was totally destroyed. By 1957, the church was restored and refurbished by Fr. Silvestre dela Cruz of the Archdiocese of Manila with the help from various religious and civic organizations.  The church underwent a lavish upgrade from 2009 to 2012.

Statue of Our Lady of the Abandoned

On May 12, 2002, the 100th anniversary, the venerated image  (fondly called “Mama Ola”), was episcopally crowned by Crisostomo Yalung, Bishop of Antipolo. On April 22, 2005, as one of his first formal institutional acts as a pope, Pope Benedict XVI granted the venerated image a decree of canonical coronation (the 23rd Marian image in the country to be crowned). On October 23 2005, the coronation took place, with former Archbishop of Manila, Gaudencio Rosales presiding over the Mass and canonical rites together with the Antipolo Bishop, Gabriel V. Reyes.

Church interior

On August 5, 2007, the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, the Bishop of Antipolo, Gabriel V. Reyes, D.D., consecrated the the church as a diocesan shrine in honor of Our Lady under the title Maria, Inang Mapag-Ampon ng Marikina, Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados.

Choir loft

The church is known for featuring Metro Manila’s longest Holy Week processions with around 87 floats (as of 2023).  Nationwide, it is third overall after the St. Augustine Parish in Baliuag and the San Isidro Labrador Parish in Pulilan, both in Bulacan, which features at least 110 floats.

Main altar

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

The 1957 renovation retained much of the church’s simple Baroque façade but the entrance portico was added.  The 3-storey bell tower, on the left, has a square base and octagonal upper storeys.  The upper storey, with its dome-capped belfry, was destroyed by U.S. artillery bombardment (from Quezon City) during World War II and was restored.

Left side altar

On both sides of the church are a series of sculptures atop pillars, completed in 2012 with Jesus Christ (the Good Shepherd), St. Bartolomew, St. Philip, St. John, St. Peter, St. James (son of Zebedee) and St. Thomas on the left and St. Andrew, St. Matthew, St. Matthias, St. Paul, St. Simon, St. James (son of Alphaeus) and St. Jude Thaddaeus on the Right.

Right side altar

The interiors feature a main altar, two side altars, ceiling murals depicting scenes from the Mysteries of the Rosary, colorful Machuca tile flooring, various artwork (including angels, saints, OLA’s monthly devotional procession and the “Tinapay ni OLA,” a feeding program by bikers) by Angono artist Nani Reyes, colorful stained glass windows, a pulpit, and three-dimensional arches and pillars, all optical illusions, created by Rex Papasin of Batangas.

Pulpit

Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned: 641 J.P. Rizal cor. P. Gomez Sts., Brgy. Sta Elena 1801 Marikina City.  Tel: (02) 8846-1781. Feast of Our Lady of the Abandoned: May 12 (since 2010).

How to Get There: Marikina City is located 19 kms. (a one-hour drive) from Manila (via Quezon Ave./R7) and 9.7 kms. (a 30-min. drive via C-5) from Quezon City.

 

Church of St. Joseph the Worker (Barcelona, Sorsogon)

Church of St. Joseph the Worker

Part of the Sorsogon Countryside Tour

After breakfast at Residencia del Hamor in Casiguran, we all boarded our coaster for the short 13.5-km. (20-min.) drive to the adjoining town of Barcelona.  Along the highway, we made a stopover at the fortress-like Church of St. Joseph the Worker.

The Baroque-style facade

Also known as Barcelona Church, the church was built in 1874 (during the term of Gobernadorcillo Juan Evasco) by Franciscan friars on a coral foundation.

The author at Barcelona Church

One of the oldest, most beautiful and well-preserved churches in the Bicol Region, it also has 1.5-meter thick walls made of hand-hewned anapog patched together by beaten egg whites mixed with lime and tuba (coconut wine).

Bas-relief indicating the year “1874”

From the church, an underground tunnel once lead to the town’s Spanish-era presidencia , across the street at the Barcelona Ruins Park, but it was closed to prevent thieves from accessing religious relics in the church.  Beside the church is Curia, a coffee shop.

Check out “Barcelona Ruins Park 

The church’s historical plaque

AUTHOR’S NOTES

The Baroque two-level façade has a semicircular arched main entrance flanked by fluted pilasters and semicircular arched niches.

The second level has a statued niche, above which is a triangular pediment (above which is a square central bell tower flanked by a balustrade) with a centrally located oculus, flanked by circular windows.  Attention is focused on the central segment because of its advancing mass.

The church’s modern interior

The church has undergone several restoration works, the most recent being last May 2019. The church’s modern interior has beautiful stained glass windows and ceiling paintings,

The main altar area

Church of St. Joseph the Worker: Poblacion Central, Barcelona, Sorsogon. Feast of St. Joseph the Worker: May 19.

How to Get There: Barcelona is located 548.5 kms. (an 11.25-hour drive) from Manila and 27 kms. southeast of Sorsogon City.

Sorsogon Provincial Tourism Culture and Arts Office: Ground Floor, Capitol Building, 4700 Sorsogon City. Mobile number: (0968) 624-6279. E-mail: tourism@sorsogon.gov.ph.  Facebook: www.facebook.com/sorsogonprovincialtourismoffice.

Barcelona Municipal Tourism Office: mobile numbers (0908) 927-6481 and (0917) 348-7084.

Ur Place Travel & Tours: OLV Pangpang, Sorsogon City, Sorsogon.  Mobile number (Viber): (0927) 950-3927 (Ms. Annie Gueb).  Facebook: www.facebook.com/urplacetravel.

Balay San Jose (Santa Maria, Isabela)

Rancho Agripino

After our pottery tour at Brgy. Poblacion 3, we again boarded our bus for the short 7.1-km. (20-min.) drive, via the Enrile-Santa Maria Rd., to Balay San Jose within Rancho Agripina, owned by Santa Maria Mayor Hilario “Larry G. Pagauitan, whose Sanctaurio de San Jose (a favorite wedding venue) and Casa di Spiritualita di San Giuseppe (a retreat center) are visited by tourists and religious pilgrims.

Entrance

Upon entering the gate, our bus drove along a dirt road lined with life-side statues depicting the Stations of the Cross (Via Crusis).

One of the Stations of the Cross along the road

Upon arrival, we first dropped by the Sanctuario de San Jose, a chapel was built in memory of Maria Lourdes Gatan Pagauitan (November 19, 1988 – June 12, 2008), the mayor’s and his wife Sofie’s late daughter who died in a car accident. It was solemnly blest and its altar dedicated on November 19, 2015 (Maria’s birthday) by Most Rev. Sergio L. Utleg, D.D., Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuguegarao.

Sanctuario de San Jose

AUTHOR’S NOTES

The chapel has a two-level Baroque-style façade topped by a triangular pediment and flanked by three-storey, square bell towers topped by a dome and cross.  The first level has an entrance portico (topped by angel statues) which has a statue of St. Joseph with the Child Jesus and is flanked by, flat pilasters, 3 semicircular arch stained glass windows and a semicircular arch statued niche.

The second level has a similar set up, the only difference being the statued niche above the entrance portico.  The triangular pediment has a circular, stained glass rose window within a bas-relief of a Jerusalem Cross, a cross potent (or crutch cross) with four Greek crosses.

The first two storeys of the flanking bell towers have semicircular arch blind windows while the receding third storey, housing the church bell, has open, semicircular arch windows.

Statue of St. Joseph and the Child Jesus

The left bell tower has the sign of “Banal na Pag-aaral Center, Area 11, Northern Luzon.”

The chapel interior

The main altar and its retablo

Inside the chapel are three altars (main and two side altars) with exquisitely carved retablos (altar backdrop), a painted barrel vaulted ceiling, colorful stained glass windows, religious statuary and a triforium (interior gallery)

Casa di Spiritualita di San Giuseppe

Main entrance

Connected to the chapel, on it’s left, is the Casa di Spiritualita di San Giuseppe (St. Joseph House of Spirituality), which was solemnly blest on September 19, 2014 by Bishop Joseph A. Nacua, O.F.M., Cap. D.D. of the Diocese of Ilagan.  This retreat house has has 42 airconditioned rooms with private bath, four dormitories (two large and two small), refectories, conference hall, lunch room, chapels and a beautifully landscaped garden.  In front is an open air lanai topped by a view deck which is accessed by stairs.

The author at the viewdeck

Open-air lanai

In front of the chapel are statues of Christ Resurrected, St. Michael the Archangel and Tablets of the Ten Commandments.   On the right side of the chapel is a tableau depicting Christ Appearing Before his Disciples.

Statue of St.Michael the Archangel

Tableau of Christ Appears to His Disciples

We also dropped by its museum which is filled with reiligous statuary of all sizes, paintings, photos  and other religious artifacts such as monstrances, chalices, crucifixes, etc..

Museum of relious statuary,paintings, photos and artifacts

Also within Rancho Agripino is St. Joseph Library, Lourdes Chapel, Casa di Marello (for visiting priests and brothers of the Oblates of St. Joseph founded by St. Joseph Marello), Galilee (a cluster of airconditioned huts in the middle of a lake), Chapel of the Santo Sepulchro and the Risen Lord (a chapel with the image of Our Lady of Sorrows and the Risen Christ), The Hermitage (a solitary place for those who want to be alone with the Lord), a helipad  and a medical center (MLGP Medical Center).

MLGP Medical Center

Helipad

Balay San Jose: Rancho Agripino, Brgy. Calamagui West, Santa Maria 3330, Isabela.

How to Get There: Santa Maria is located 451.1 kms. (an 8.5-hour drive) from Manila and 67.8 kms. (a 1.5-hour drive) from the City of Ilagan.

Church of Our Lady of the Pillar (Cauayan City, Isabela)

Church of Our Lady of the Pillar

Come morning of our fourth day in Isabela, we toured the nearby (3-km.) Church of Our Lady of the Pillar.  This church, built with stone, mortar and bricks, was begun in 1825 by Dominican Fr.  Juan Prieto and finished in 1830.

The Baroque facade

During World War II, the church was heavily damaged (parts of the church, the sides of the presbytery were hit) and the convent was destroyed. This church, as well as the Church of St. Rose of Lima in Gamu, and the Church of Our Lady of Atocha in Alicia, are examples of what is called as the “Cagayan Style” of Spanish churches that was inspired by the Tuguegarao church.

Check out “Church of Our Lady of Atocha” and “Church of St. Rose of Lima

Bas-reliefs featuring curlicues

The left side of the church

AUTHOR’S NOTES

The church’s two-level, Baroque brick (portions of the bricks have bas-reliefs and numbers and symbols etched on it) façade, similar to the Church of Our Lady of Atocha in Alicia, has a semicircular arched main entrance flanked by semicircular arched windows.

The second level has a centrally located statued niche flank by semicircular arched windows. The undulating pediment, with its centrally located rose window, is topped by finials.

 

Check out “Church of Our Lady of Atocha

The modern church interior

The rear of the church

The modern interior of the church has a fresco (The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary) above the altar.

The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The top level of its beautiful five-storey bell tower on the right was later destroyed during the violent December 27, 1949 Intensity 7 earthquake, leaving only the base, and the upper level is a modern addition.

The old church bells and a plaque narrating the history of the parish

During our visit, we were allowed to climb to the very top of the tower where we had a panoramic bird’s eye view of the city and the surrounding countryside.

The Parish PastoralCenter

Candle house with a huge statue of Our Lady of the Pillar above it

Displayed on the right side of the church, between a plaque detailing the history of the parish, are two old church bells, dated 1792 and 1843 respectively.  Around the church are huge statues of the Pieta and Jesus Christ, a Candle House (above which is a huge statue of Our Lady of the Pillar) and a 2-storey Parish Pastoral Center (inaugurated on April 12, 2014) with function rooms and a parish museum.

Statue of the Pieta

At the rear are bas-reliefs of The Last Supper, The Holy Face of Jesus and The Sorrowful Mother.

Bas-reliefs of The Holy Face of Jesus, The Sorrowful Mother and The Last Supper

Church of Our Lady of the Pillar: Mabini St., Cauayan City, Isabela. Tel: (078) 652-2014 and (078) 634-5049. Feast of Our Lady of the Pillar: October 12.

How to Get There: Cauayan City is located 374 kms. (a 9-hour drive) from Manila and 33 kms. from Ilagan City.

Baclaran Church (Paranaque City, Metro Manila)

Baclaran Church (National Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help)

Baclaran Church, also known colloquially as the Redemptorist Church  or the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (FilipinoPambansáng Dambana ng Iná ng Laging Saklolo), is a prominent national shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.  Enshrining the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, the church is 106.7  m. (350 ft.) long, 36 m. (118 ft.) wide and  stands 17.2 m. (56.5 ft.) high on the nave and 12.5 m. (41 ft.) hig on the main aisle.

The author at Baclaran Church

It has a full seating capacity  of 2,000 (9,000 to 11,000 standing) during Masses, with 108 pews seating 15 to 20 adults, and is one of the largest Marian churches in the Philippines, with a floor area of 5,069.2 sq. m. (54,564 sq. ft.).

The left side of the church

Devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help is popular amongst Filipino Catholics and, during Wednesdays (popularly called “Baclaran Day” due to congested roads near the shrine),devotees flood the church to attend Mass and pray the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, introduced to Baclaran by Australian Redemptorist Rev. Fr. Gerard O’Donnell, CSsR.

The right side of the church

Every first Wednesday of every month,liturgies and other activities are simulcast on TV Maria from the Shrine.  The annual  liturgical feast day of the icon is celebrated on June 27.

The church interior

Here’s the historical timeline of the Redemptorist Order  and the church:

The baldachin above the high altar

The Shrine, and its attached convent, were initially dedicated to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (a grotto statue of the saint on the shrine grounds memorializes her patronage) by Rev. Fr. Denis Grogan, C.Ss.R., the builder of the new church and parish house. However, the Ynchaustí Family, long-time supporters and friends, donated a high altar on the condition that it enshrine the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

The left side aisle

When the church opened, the shrine became very popular. To accommodate the growing number of devotees, the Redemptorist priests replaced the Our Mother of Perpetual Help icon with a larger version. An estimated 120,000 devotees are currently affiliated with the Shrine.

The right side aisle

The wider Baclaran shrine complex, under the territory of Santa Rita de Cascia Parish (both are part of the Vicariate of Santa Rita de Cascia in the Diocese of Parañaque), located a few blocks away from the Redemptorist Church, serves as the headquarters of the Manila Vice Province of Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, while the Cebu Province of the Redemptorists is headquartered in Cebu.

The choir loft area

The original icon, from Germany, was brought into the country in 1906 and is enshrined above the main altar.  During the Second World War, the icon was removed from the church and given to a family for safekeeping but, towards the end of the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, their home was later burned and ransacked. Initially thought to be lost, the icon was found by a De La Salle brother  among other valuable objects that the Japanese had seized and abandoned at the Old Bilibid prison.   At its back paneling, it bears the Papal Arms.  Though there is no access to the icon at the top of the retablo, people touch the tabernacle instead. 

Historical plaque commemorating Pope John Paul II’s visit to the church

The present church, the third to be built on the same site, was designed in the Modern Romanesque style by architect César Concio, Sr.. It took six years to build.  Most of the money came from small donations (the suggestion from the pulpit was 10 Philippine centavos per week) and this often ran out, requiring construction to stop.  For a big space, the church has a light design, with good natural acoustics.

The sanctuary with the high altar, tabernacle and the icon

The elevated sanctuary is separated from the nave by a communion rail.  The marble high altar was brought in from Italy. The baldachin, the beautiful covering of the icon above the altar, has columns and capital made of giallo oro and Bottecino marble.  The gracefully carving altar rails are made of white Carrara marble.

Confessionals

The beautiful retable (retablo in Spanish), the large altarpiece behind the altar, incorporates the tabernacle and serves as the backdrop of the icon.  It contains bronze sculptures of eight pairs of wheat stalks intertwining with each other, with their point of intersection being the tabernacle and the crucifix (surrounded by four doves representing the Holy Spirit).  Floating above it is a bronze sculpture of vine and fruit grapes.  The wheat and grapes, emblematic of abundance of God’s grace, symbolize the bread while wine symbolizes the Eucharist.

Candle Chapel

Located at a once drab southern wall at the back of Candle Chapel is the mixed art (mosaic, sculture and painting) mural entitled Panagpo, the longest mural in a church in the Philippines.  Created in 10 months by visual artist Emil Yap and lead sculptor Lorena Pacampara in 2016, in celebration of the 150th Jubilee of the icon, it was blessed on December 2017.  The mural is about the journey of the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help from the island of Crete to Baclaran.  It is 3 m. (10 ft. high) and 213 m. (700 m.) long and has two main sections.

The mixed art (mosaic, sculpture and painting) mural entitled Panagpo

The first, telling the history of the country, from the pre-Hispanic Era, Spanish Colonization Era to the contemporary years, is based on the Canticle of the Sun (written by St. Francis of Assisi).  The second, Sister Moon, depicts the lives pf the “untold, silenced and marginalized sectors.  At the foot of the mural are the country’s flora and fauna, its names written in baybayin, the ancient, pre-Hispanic dialect.

From a blue and green scheme (representing the myth of creation and the colonization years, the panels turn red and orange as it moves further down the country’s history.

The belfry, built closer to Roxas Boulevard some distance from the Shrine itself, has mosaics of the icon on its four faces and is topped by a finial in the shape of a simplified Redemptorist coat-of-arms, particularly the CrossSpear, and sponge on a stick of hyssop.  It houses a 24-bell carillon cast from the world-famous foundry Grassmayr in Austria.

The Crucified Christ. Last December 9, 2017 (the eve of Human Rights Day), a cardboard message (“Stop the Killings”) temporarily replaced the INRI inscription on top of the cross

It was the first time the Shrine had a bell tower since it was built. The carillon bells are automatically programmed to ring 15 minutes before every Mass or Novena service. Until the COVID-19 Pandemic, the belfry hosted the Sinirangan coffee shop at its base. Today, it is located at the Perpetual Help Center and Souvenir Shop.

Grotto with statue of Madonna and Child

The church appeared in the opening scene for the 1979 dramatic film “Ina Ka ng Anak Mo” (starring Nora Aunor); the 1995 action film “Alfredo Lim: Batas ng Maynila” (starring Eddie Garcia);  and in the opening scene for the 2017 romantic comedy film Loving in Tandem.  The church’s votive chapel as well as the altar also makes an appearance in the romantic 2015 film You’re Still The One.  In 2014, the church was also featured in the American reality competition program The Amazing Race Season 25

National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help: Redemptorist Rd. cor, Roxas BoulevardBaclaranParañaque,1700  Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 8832-1150. E-mail: baclaranrector@yahoo.com. Website:
www.baclaranchurch.com
. Coordinates: 14.531411°N 120.9930539°E.

 

Christ Church Cathedral (Vancouver, Canada)

Christ Church Cathedral

Just 650 m. from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is the gorgeous Christ Church Cathedral.  The second cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster of the Anglican Church of Canada, it is a daughter church of St. James’ Anglican Church.

Check out “Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

High rise buildings surround the cathedral

Set among high-rise buildings, Christ Church Cathedral is the Regimental Church of the Seaforth Highlanders and is in the process of being designated Regimental Church of the BC Regiment, Duke of Connaught’s Own. It is also the church at which the British royal family worships when in Vancouver.

Grace and Kyle

The author and Jandy

Here is the historical timeline of the cathedral:

  • On December 23, 1888, the first service was held, without a church building, at 720 Granville Street.
  • On February 14, 1889, a building committee was formed to collect the necessary funds for the erection of the church to be located on land bought from the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). A key negotiator in acquiring the property is Henry John Cambie, chief engineer of CPR’s Pacific Division and people’s warden of the new church.
  • By October 1889, Christ Church’s basement was built
  • On October 6, 1889, the opening service was held for 52 parishioners.
  • By 1891, the CPR objected to the unfinished building that had quickly been nicknamed the root house. It was viewed an “eyesore” and the parishioners feared they would lose their location due to lack of funds to complete the building.
  • In 1892, the architect Robert Mackay Fripp submitted a proposal for completion of the church.
  • On July 28, 1894, after a financing scheme was developed by a parishioner, the cornerstone was finally laid.
  • On February 17, 1895, the church was dedicated.
  • In 1905, a balcony, covering the narthex area and containing a wood railing in a Gothic pattern, was added
  • By 1909, the first expansion was done.
  • By 1911, the first organ, which used a human blower hired at $5 per month, had already worn out and was replaced by the new Robert Hope-Jones Organ manufactured by Wurlitzer.
  • In 1920, electricity replaced candles for lighting.
  • In 1929, the Archbishop of New Westminster constituted Christ Church as the Cathedral Church of the diocese replacing Holy Trinity Cathedral located in the City of New Westminster.
  • In 1937, the bronze lanterns now in the church were installed at the nave.
  • In 1949, after many building alterations, the $30,000 Casavant Freres organ, constructed partially of recycled wood, surplus war surplus parts and remnants of the Wurlitzer, was installed. It had more than 2,700 pipes and a 600 lb. motor.
  • In 1971, the church membership voted to demolish the building and replace it with a hi-rise tower complex designed by Arthur Erickson. The redevelopment was opposed by the public.
  • In 1976, after much lobbying, the cathedral was named a Class A Heritage building in the municipality of Vancouver and the Province of British Columbia.
  • In 1995, an eleven-year program of restoration and renewal was begun.
  • During the spring and fall of 2004, the Kenneth Jones tracker organ was installed.
  •  In 2004, the church was extensively upgraded and the original fir flooring, cedar tongue and groove ceiling and stained glass windows were restored.
  • In November 2016, a bell tower was inaugurated.

The Gothic Revival style, sandstone facade

The church, built in the Gothic Revival style (with Romanesque and Tudor details), has a granite and sandstone façade and is laid out in the classic Latin Cross plan.

The cathedral’s stunning interior

Its stunning interior, circumnavigated by wood wainscoting with a quatrefoil cornice, has a beautiful and spectacular hammer beam truss (in the style of English halls and churches dating back to the 1300s) ceiling made of cedar planking and ceiling beams.

The spectacular hammer beam truss and ceiling

Its 32 beautiful stained glass windows depict Christ-centered themes, famous people and World War I.

Christ the King and other scenes (Clayton and Bell, Buckinghamshire, England)

The floor was constructed out of old growth Douglas fir.  Wood arches and tracery details separate the side aisles from the nave.

Tree of Life (Susan Pointe)

The modern, semi-abstract “Tree of Life,” spanning 5 stained glass windows (the tallest is 19 ft. high) at the back of the church, was created, in brown tones, by aboriginal Musqueam artist Susan Pointe, executed by Yves Trudeau (of Studio One Glass Art) and dedicated on April 5, 2009.  It depicts salmon (in 4 of the panels) and waters at the base, leaves and trees in the central portion and mountain and birds above.

The Chancel Window (N.T. Lyon Co. Toronto)

Another three stained glass windows, of three disciples of Jesus Christ, were designed by the famous William Morris of England, the most celebrated champion of 19th century “Arts and Crafts” Movement.

The Crucifixion of Our Lord (John Bell and Sons, Bristol, England)

The open glass and steel bell tower, at the northeast side of the cathedral, has a zinc roof.  Its four church bells, cast in France, are rung daily at 8 AM and 6 PM and before church services.

The open glass and steel bell tower

The spire glass features a design by Canadian artist Sarah Hall.  A venue for musical performances, the church’s acoustics are phenomenal and the Choral Eucharist (10:30 AM) and Georgian Chant Services (9:30 PM) are performed every Sunday.

The author

The Celtic cross, which is found on both the cathedral’s exterior and interior, represents the roots of the Anglican Communion in the British Isles. The spindle whorl and the three salmon in the style of the Coast Salish Nation, represent the First People of Canada and the original inhabitants of the west coast.

The Celtic Cross

The Greek letters Chi (X) and Rho (P), in the center, are the initials of the words Christus Rex (Christ the King). The motto “I hold before you an open door” (Revelation 3:8) is the title of the first sermon preached by Rev. H. B. Hobson, the rector, in the cathedral on December 23, 1888.

The tracker organ designed by Kenneth Jones in Ireland

The beautiful and huge tracker organ, in the south gallery of the cathedral, was built in 2003 by Kenneth Jones in Bray, Ireland, and installed, over 10 days, in April 2004.  It is the first Christ Church Cathedral organ custom built to speak with optimum effect in the sanctuary. It comprises a three manual console and 2,500 pipes (1,700 salvaged from the Casavant Freres), wooden trackers and intricate parts sourced from all over Germany.

The fine, carved stone reredo, dedicated in 1923 as a World War I memorial, took almost two years to complete.  Depicted in this stone screen are St. Martin of Tours, St. Lawrence and St. John the Baptist.

Christ Church Cathedral: 690 Burrard Street , VancouverBritish Columbia V6C 2L1, Canada. Tel: +1 604-682-3848.  E-mail: reception@thecathedral.ca.  Website: www.thecathedral.ca. Open Mondays to Fridays, 10 AM to 4 PM.  Admission is free but donations are welcomed.  Coordinates: 49°17′03″N 123°07′13″W.

How to Get There: the cathedral, located right across the Burrard Skytrain Station, is located on the northeast corner of West Georgia Street, directly across from the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver in Downtown Vancouver.  It is also a 3-min walk from the Vancouver Art Gallery