Church of Our Lord National Historic Site (Victoria, British Columbia)

Posted on 29 September, 2026 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

From the Royal British Columbia Museum, it was just a 300-m. (5-min.) walk to the historic, beautifully restored Church of Our Lord National Historic Site. We arrived before 2 PM (the church’s closing time) but the church was already locked. The oldest church in Victoria, it is part of the Reformed Episcopal Church and is on the City of Victoria Heritage Building Registry.

Here’s the historical timeline of the church:

On October 29, 1874, the congregation of the Church of Our Lord was created by the Rev. (later Bishop) Edward Cridge and his followers (which included many of Victoria’s pioneer families) following a notable Anglican schism, marking the establishment of the Reformed Episcopal Church in Canada. Reverend Cridge challenged the authority of George Hills, the Anglican Bishop of British Columbia, in an ecclesiastical court. The court decided against Rev. Cridge and Bishop Hills prohibited Rev. Cridge from celebrating Divine Service at Christ Church Cathedral.
In 1875, the construction of the church began.
In January 16, 1876, the church was opened and the first service was held here.
In 1929, the adjacent Cridge Memorial Hall was built.
In 1979, it was recognized on the Canadian Register of Historic Places
In June 1990, the church, Cridge Memorial Hall and the church grounds were recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada for being the finest wooden expression of Gothic Revival (Carpenter’s Gothic) architecture on the country’s West Coast.
In 2004, it was listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
In 2009, it became a member of the Anglican Church in North America, upon its creation. That same year, it was listed as a National Historic Site of Canada
In 2012, it merged with a local congregation of the Anglican Network in Canada and moved to the jurisdiction of that diocese (now renamed the Anglican Diocese of Canada).
In April 2025, on its 150^th year anniversary, the church completed a major $230,000 restoration of its signature 25-ft. high replica steeple and historic cast-iron bell, re-raising the spire back onto the belfry.

Check out “Christ Church Cathedral”

Canadian Register of Historic Places plaque

City of Victoria Heritage Building Registry plaque

Local architect John Teague designed the 104-ft. high, 56-ft. wide and 38-ft. high church in the Carpenter Gothic style (used for churches across North America, it is an excellent example of the adaptation of the classic Gothic architectural style to suit local building materials), featuring simplistic vertical lines, spatial configurations, pointed-arch windows, leaded and stained-glass windows, decorative elements, authentic woodwork and paneling, steep gable roof, vertical buttress piers, bell tower, rose window, California redwood board-and-batten siding and an interior hammer beam truss system.

Located on property donated by James Douglas, this freestanding building is one of the few remaining wooden structures of this style and era intact in British Columbia. The Cridge Memorial Hall, designed by notable architects Samuel Maclure and Hubert Savage, replaced an original Sunday School annex.

Church of Our Lord National Historic Site: 626 Blanshard St. cor. Humboldt St., Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3G6. Tel: 250-383-8915. Website: www.ourlord.ca. Coordinates: 48.420°N 123.364°W.

St. Andrew’s Cathedral (Victoria, British Columbia)

Posted on 28 September, 2026 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

From Christ Church Cathedral, we walked about 500 m. to the stunning St. Andrew’s Cathedral. Just like Christ Church Cathedral, it was still open (it closes at 6 PM). A Roman Catholic cathedral for the Diocese of Victoria, was Victoria’s third cathedral to be built and the third building to be used by the parish. The first building, used from 1858 to 1884, is presently used as the Chapel of St. Ann’s Academy on Humboldt Street. The second building, situated behind the current building now occupied by the St. Andrew’s Square office building, was used from 1884 to 1892, after which the parish moved into the present cathedral. It is still the largest church in Victoria in terms of floor space.

Check out “Christ Church Cathedral“

Here’s the historical timeline of the present cathedral:

In 1890, work on the new cathedral began.
On October 30, 1892, at 8 AM, Bishop Jean-Nicolas Lemmens blessed the building before celebrating a Pontifical High Mass at 10 AM.
In 1912, a pipe organ was installed.
On February 23, 1990, the cathedral was declared as a National Historic Site of Canada.

The present High Victorian Gothic-style (one of the few purely Gothic structures of its class on the West Coast) cathedral, designed by architects Maurice Perrault and Albert Mesnard of Montreal, was built with red brick walls, pale gray stone trim and slate roof, by contractor J.H. Donovan, at a total cost of C$81,052. Borrowing much from the medieval architecture of European churches of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, Perrault and Mesnard based their plans from a church built in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec.

The cathedral’s complex cruciform plan includes the narthex, the 22-m. (72-ft.) long nave (with its prominent rose window), transepts, polygonal apse, two galleries above the narthex, and the complementary but not identical double asymmetrical front towers. Typical of Quebec churches and a characteristic of the High Victorian Gothic style, the towers were an attempt to follow the “unfinished” look that made fourteenth and fifteenth century churches popular. The main tower boasts a soaring, 53.4 m. (175-ft.) high spire designed to hold a clock and a set of bells.

Its key High Victorian Gothic Revival architectural elements include its emphatic verticality and picturesque asymmetry marked, in particular, by its tall spire; ornate vaulting; its brick and stonework; eclectic embellishments such as finials, crockets, latticework, and its stained-glass windows.

Its French Gothic-inspired detailing includes triple entrance portals; corner piers and wall buttresses; decorated parapets; the rose window above the main entrance; polished granite columns and wall surrounds on the main entrance; rose windows on both transept end walls; and trefoil windows on the walls of the nave and apse. The rich and varied surface design of High Victorian taste is evident in the use of polychrome in the slate roofing; detailing of red brick wall surfaces with limestone; the use of polished granite details; the diaper-work panels on the front façade; and ornate metal eaves and roof ornamentation.

The original church interior still retains much of its design, including the spatial configurations of the sanctuary with its arches, pillars, ornamental vaulted ceilings, decorative traceries; stained and colored glass windows, decorative plaster detailing, columns and galleries and much of its original wooden furnishings such as pews.

St. Andrew’s Cathedral houses 21 large Portland-style, intricate stained-glass windows and two large rose windows with a smaller one above the gallery, all depicting Biblical scenes and saints and documented by the Institute for Stained Glass in Canada.

The hand-carved altar, commissioned for use on the 25^th anniversary of Bishop Remi Joseph De Roo‘s episcopal ordination, was carved by Charles W. Elliott, the first Native American to graduate from St. Louis College. It consists of two bentwood boxes that can be rotated to show four separate designs for the different liturgical seasons. The top of the altar, weighing approximately 180 kgs. (400 lbs.), was carved from yellow cedar (Nootka Cypress).

A stained-glas window between two Stations of the Cross

The cathedral’s carved lectern, by artist Roy Henry Vickers, depicts a black and red image of Christ, representing the crucified Christ and the risen Christ. The cathedral also houses a crypt, where three of Victoria‘s former Bishops are interred – Bishop Modeste Demers (the first Bishop of Victoria), Charles John Seghers (the second and fourth Bishop, murdered in Alaska) and Rt. Rev. John J. Jonckau (a former Vicar General of the Diocese of Victoria who was named as Bishop but died before being consecrated).

St. Andrew’s Cathedral: 740 View St. cor. Blanshard St., Victoria, British Columbia V8W 1J8. Tel: (250) 388-5571. E-mail: standrewscathedral@gmail.com. Website:
www.standrewscathedral.com. Coordinates: 48.425417°N 123.362861°W.

How to Get There: The cathedral can be reached by combining a BC Ferries vehicle ferry Horseshoe Bay (West Vancouver) to Nanaimo (Departure Bay) or Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay (Victoria), and highway driving from the mainland or, if you are already in downtown Victoria, by walking or by local BC transit buses stopping along Douglas Street or Yates/Fort Street corridors that place you just a short 2- to 3-block walk away from the cathedral.

Christ Church Cathedral (Victoria, British Columbia)

Posted on 28 September, 2026 by Benjie Layug — 2 Comments ↓

After touring Hatley Castle, Hatley Park and the Grant Building at Royal Roads University, we next drove 14.8 kms. (a 30 mins.) to Victoria city proper, parked our car and walked towards the Gothic Revival-style Christ Church Cathedral, the cathedral church of the Diocese of British Columbia (created on January 12, 1859) of the Anglican Church of Canada. We were lucky as the cathedral was still open (it closes at 5:30 PM).

Check out “Hatley Castle“

Here’s the historical timeline of the cathedral:

In 1856, a small, purpose-built colonial wooden church was built on Church Hill.
In 1862, an apse and south aisle were added to it. Through the generosity of Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts, a wealthy resident of faraway London, England, a keyboard instrument was also installed.
In 1865, a north aisle was added.
On December 7, 1865, George Hills consecrated Christ Church Cathedral and appointed Edward Cridge as its first dean.
On the night of September 30, 1869, the cathedral burned to the ground. The communion vessels and organ were rescued and the vestry books survived. While they rebuilt, the parish used a vacant Presbyterian church for several years.
On May 20, 1872, the cornerstone for the new wooden building was laid on by Lt.-Gov. Joseph Trutch. It was to be another structure as conditions were not ripe for a stone building. It was about 30-m. (100-ft.) by 15 m. (50-ft.) with a 24 m. (78 ft.) high tower. Construction took a little over six months.
On December 5, 1872, the new cathedral was consecrated.
In 1891, an international design competition for a larger and more enduring edifice was held.
In January 1893, Scottish-born Victoria architect John Charles Malcolm Keith was announced as the winner. He designed a 13th century Gothic style building with a 63-m. high central tower inspired by English Gothic cathedrals of Durham from in England and Grace Episcopal Cathedral in San Francisco. It was to be built half a block away on the north-east corner of the former Church Hill (by now renamed Burdett Avenue) and Quadra Street and standing beside Victoria’s first official cemetery, the Old Burying Ground (today’s Pioneer Square). However, the building fund was not adequate to begin construction.
In 1919, a new Cathedral Buildings Campaign for $250,000 was authorized by Charles Schofield, elected bishop in 1916.
In 1920, Keith altered his original design to include two west towers and a central lantern tower, but the latter was never built.
On October 1, 1923, the cornerstone of the Memorial Hall, to be built by Parfitt Brothers Construction, was laid by Charles Schofield.
On May 20, 1926, a service for breaking ground on the new cathedral took place. Fortunately, Mr. Keith was still available to supervise the project.
On September 9, 1926, the cornerstone was laid by Arthur Winnington-Ingram, the Bishop of London.
On September 9, 1929, the visiting Winston Churchill laid a commemorative stone for the north tower.
On September 29, 1929, the majestic nave was officially consecrated.
In 1933, thanks to an anonymous donation of £5000, a contract was let to continue the northwest tower as far as the bell chamber floor.
In 1936, through the generosity of two donors, Mrs. Mozley and Mrs. Matson, a peal of eight bells for change ringing, made by Mears & Stainbank of Whitechapel, London and shipped via the Panama Canal, was purchased and installed atop the 40-m. high northwest tower. They are of the same design as the peal at Westminster Abbey. Yarrows Shipyard of Victoria, under the direction of Edward W. Izard, hoisted the eight tons of steel girders and seven and a half tons of bells 70 ft. onto the tower and installed it in just six working days. To protect them from the elements, a wooden shed was built over the bells as the tower was incomplete.
On July 12, 1936, the bells were first rung.
In 1952, the installation of concrete and stone facings on the western towers and arch over the cathedral’s rose window was completed.
In 1952, a columbarium was constructed under the nave.
In 1957, the southwest tower and the arch over the rose window were completed in concrete with stone facing. To reduce costs, the 20-ft. lantern band at the top of each tower was omitted. Skilled stone cutters were in short supply, so workers from Europe were brought to the quarry on Texada Island, where they produced and shipped finished stones.
In 1958, a proposal to rebuild the main organ for $40,000 was approved.
In 1975, Fairbridge Farms Society offered their Harrison and Harrison organ, which was installed in the west gallery. The small Bevington organ which had been there was moved to the main floor and put on casters.
In 1980, a decision was taken to rebuild the main organ yet again, and to relocate it to an engineered shelf over the west gallery. The Harrison and Harrison organ was moved from the gallery to where the main organ had been.
On June 24, 1982, the cathedral was registered in the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
On March 8, 1983, in the presence of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, two smaller bells were dedicated before being hung in the tower adding to the peal of eight. The Treble is dedicated to the memory of Mr. Edward W. Izard, who led the ringing in the tower for nearly forty years, and the Second to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, the Queen’s grandson.
In 1985, completion of the design with central tower was abandoned, and a design for a worthy completion in the spirit of the original was adopted, a stone-clad addition containing a chapel, vestries, chapter room, and wash rooms. It was expected that the addition might exist with simple sheet metal cladding for many years before stone cladding could be afforded, but several unexpected large bequests came along, which allowed the project to be completed immediately, and removed all construction debt. The exterior was, however, finished not on stone, but in concrete masonry and EIFS, an ideal substrate for nest cavity construction. The concrete and EIFS wall replaced a temporary wooden wall in the late 20th century.
In 1988, the large hexagonal corona lighting fixture suspended over the altar was removed.
In 1991, the Chapel of the New Jerusalem was added
In 1994, the columbarium was enlarged.
In 1997, bonding and ballasting of the brick vaulting was undertaken as a seismic upgrade. It was to have been parged when constructed, but this was done only on the aisle vaulting.
In 2000, a contract for a new four-manual mechanical action pipe organ was signed with Hellmuth Wolff & Associés of Laval QC.
In 2002, site preparation for the new organ began with removal of the old organ and the shelf on which it stood. It had been thought at the time of signing that the project would have to proceed in several phases due to fund-raising constraints, but by the time that site preparation had begun, pledges for the whole amount were in hand, so the contract was re-negotiated as a single project. This entailed rescheduling to 2004, as the builder had since signed other contracts which he had to fulfil first.
In September 2005, the pipe organ, named as the Helmut Wolff & Associés Opus 47, was completed.
On February 4, 2010, the cathedral was listed in the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
In June 2019, the Cathedral became a partner in the Community of Cross of Nails (CCN) founded by Coventry Cathedral after the destruction of it and the city by bombing in the Second World War. In Christ Church, the former baptistry was re-dedicated as the Chapel of Reconciliation and Cross of Nails by John Witcombe, Dean of Coventry, who presented the Cathedral with a Cross of Nails which was mounted on the wall below the carved words “Creator Forgive.” An explanatory marble plaque was also mounted on the wall.
In the summer of 2026, the pipe organ underwent its first major 20-year overhaul (costing $150,000 and guided by Juget-Sinclair).
In August 2026, the pipe organ was completed with a fall rededication series.

Flying buttresses supporting the sides of the cathedral

Its monumental Gothic Revival architectural design features flying buttresses; pointed-arch window frames; twin, square bell towers on the west end; main entrance with rose window; stone steps; outdoor pulpit on south side; clerestory windows and stained-glass windows. Along the eave line are religious text.

The cathedral was built using regional resources such as native sandstone from Newcastle Island, granite from Nelson Island for foundations and steps, slates from Jervis Inlet for the roof, and local timber for interior finishing. The tracery windows were formed from camus (cast) stone.

Inside is free-standing altar, on a raised platform with the choir behind and fronted by a semi-circular altar rail. The former high altar, brought from the second cathedral, is now in the Lady Chapel. Attached to the rear of the building is portable classroom used as choir practice room and vestry.

The former high altar now at the Lady Chapel. Behind is the Chapel of the New Jerusalem

The notable pulpit was crafted from a single piece of English oak that was roughly 500 years old when it was felled. The Lady Chapel now serves as an intimate space for regular worship services.

The 67-stop (or 61-play/86-rank) Hellmuth Wolff & Associés Opus 47 pipe organ, a mechanical action instrument serving as the primary teaching instrument for the University of Victoria organ program and the Victoria Organ Studio, alongside daily worship and concert series, features four manuals, a pedalboard, mechanical action, and roughly 4,000 to 4,300 pipes. It is the largest instrument ever built by the firm.

The Helmut Wolff & Associates Opus 47 Pipe Organ

The Bevington & Sons Organ (1856) and Harrison & Harrison Organ (1927) are now on the main floor.

The cathedral also features an extensive collection of historic stained-glass windows set within its Gothic Revival-style stone architecture. The east window was designed by William Wailes, while the west window was designed by William Warrington.

Some of the cathedral’s stained-glass windows

The New Jerusalem Windows, featuring the 7-m. high New Jerusalem design, were created by British-trained artist Christopher Wallis (who moved to Canada in 1957 and produced over 800 windows).

Christ Church Cathedral: 930 Burdett Ave., Victoria, British Columbia V8V 3G8. Tel: (250) 383-2714. Website: www.christchurchcathedral.bc.ca/. Open to visitors from 8.30 AM – 5.30 PM on weekdays, 10 AM – 4 PM on Saturdays, and
7.30 AM – 5 PM on Sundays. Coordinates: 48°25′20″N 123°21′33″W.

Holy Trinity Cathedral (New Westminster, British Columbia)

Posted on 22 September, 2026 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

The stone and brick, Gothic Revival-style Holy Trinity Cathedral, a cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster, is the third church built on the site. The parish of Holy Trinity Cathedral, established in 1859, is the second-oldest parish in the Diocese of New Westminster by six months, the oldest being St. John’s Maple Ridge. For 150 years, Holy Trinity housed the regimental chapel for The Royal Westminster Regiment. Prior to that time, the officers of the Royal Engineers attend Holy Trinity while enlisted men attended St. Mary the Virgin.

Here’s the historical timeline of the cathedral:

In 1859, the parish was established
In 1860, a wood-frame church was built by the Royal Engineers on the current site. Col. R.C. Moody, of the Royal Engineers, designed the original layout of the city to include this church site as a prominent central feature
In 1865, the church was destroyed by fire.
From 1867-68, a second church, designed by German-born Victoria architect and civil engineer Herman Otto “H.O.” Tiedemann, was constructed by builder William Trounce with imported Salt Spring Island sandstone, occupying roughly the same architectural footprint as the current building.
In 1892, the cathedral was named as the first Cathedral Church of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster.
In 1898, the second church was destroyed by a disastrous fire which wiped out the greater part of what is now downtown New Westminster. However, the thick sandstone walls of the cathedral survived.
From 1899 to 1902, the third and current building for Holy Trinity Cathedral was built using the original walls of the earlier building. It was designed by George William Grant (1852-1925), a prolific architect who designed many of the buildings in downtown New Westminster, before and after the Great Fire.
In 1929, the Archbishop of New Westminster formally named Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver as the cathedral church of the diocese. Although no longer the cathedral church of the diocese, Holy Trinity was still permitted to retain the word cathedral in its name.

The elements of the Gothic Revival style at Holy Trinity Cathedral are seen in the massive masonry construction, asymmetrical brick and stone bell tower and Gothic pointed-arch windows. Ecclesiastical form, scale, and massing are expressed by its irregular picturesque shape, steeply-pitched rooflines, and offset buttressed tower with a crenellated roof-line. A gabled roof, with minimal overhangs, is located on the western projection.

Its interior, with art glass windows, dark-stained woodwork, altar and reredos, is based on the design of St. Paul’s Church, Kensington, London and remains in substantially original condition. The original vaulted ceiling is illuminated by art glass windows executed by Henry Bloomfield and Sons, a prominent firm established in New Westminster in 1890. Its commanding position on Carnarvon Street is part of a grouping of late Victorian and Edwardian era buildings in historic downtown New Westminster.

Holy Trinity Cathedral: 514 Carnarvon Street, New Westminster, V3L 1C4 British Columbia. Tel: 604.521.2511. Email:administrator@holytrinitycathedral.ca. Website:
holytrinitycathedral.ca. Coordinates: 49.2045°N 122.9078°W.

How to Get There: The cathedral is located on Carnarvon Street at Church Street, near New Westminster’s historic downtown core.

Old St. Patrick’s Church (Chicago, Illinois, USA)

Posted on 6 September, 2026 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

On our first whole day in Chicago, before touring the city, Andy drove the 21-km. distance, from their place, to Old St. Patrick’s Church where we heard the 9 AM mass (it being a Sunday) . Also known as St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church and commonly known as Old St. Pat’s, it is the city’s oldest standing church building. Described as the “cornerstone of Irish culture” in Chicago, the main church building is one of a handful of structures remaining in the city that predate the October 1871 Great Chicago Fire which missed Old St. Patrick’s Church by just two blocks.

Founded on April 12, 1846 (Easter Sunday) by Irish bishop William Quarter as the first English-speaking parish and the second parish established in Chicago (after St. Mary’s which was built by the French), the parish was originally housed in a wooden building at the intersection of Randolph Street and Des Plaines Street.

The steep, pointed south spire representing the Western Church

The present Romanesque Revival-style church building was designed by Augustus Bauer and Asher Carter, two of Chicago’s earliest practicing architects. On May 23, 1853, the cornerstone was laid and, on Christmas Day, 1856, the building was dedicated by Rev. Denis Dunne, the pastor of Old St. Patrick’s. On St. Patrick’s Day 1857, Mozart’s 12th Mass was performed at the church.

Byzantine-inspired onion dome representing the Eastern Church

In 1885, two octagonal towers, topped with different spires, were completed by the same architect as the Holy Name Cathedral and the Archbishop’s residence. The steep, pointed south spire represents the Western Church while the north tower, with its Byzantine-inspired onion dome, represents the Eastern Church. Together they symbolize the universality of the Catholic Church in a city once dominated by immigrant Irish, Polish, Italian, Bohemian and German Catholics. In the course of the 1880s, the English-speaking parish of St. Patrick was mostly composed of Irish-Americans.

Between 1912 and 1922, the interior was redecorated, in the Celtic Revival style, a nationalistic art movement stressed ancient Celtic links to Catholicism. Chicago Daily News graphic artist and master craftsman Thomas A. O’Shaughnessy (an Irishman from Missouri), inspired by the Celtic art exhibit in the Irish village at the Columbian Exposition of 1893 and the Celtic illuminations found in the late 8th Century Book of Kells (a hand-illuminated Bible housed in Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, it is one of Ireland’s great national treasures), designed, constructed, and personally installed the 15 beautiful stained-glass windows (depicting Irish saints) of Old St. Patrick’s plus the original interior stenciling, decorative motifs and a mosaic-lined niche in the back of the nave between 1912 and 1922.

In 1921, the final triptych windows, done in an Art Nouveau style, were installed in the eastern facade of the church. On March 10, 1964, the church was designated as a Chicago Landmark and, on July 15, 1977, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1985, the first Old St. Patrick’s “World’s Largest Block Party” (which funded the rebuilding of the church) drew 5,000 people to Des Plaines Street. Today, Old St. Pat still hosts this massively popular, annual summer block party. In 1996, the reconstruction and restoration of most of the church interior and exterior were completed.

The main altar with statue of St. Patrick above it

This 37-m. (120-ft.) long and 19.5-m. (64-ft.) wide church was constructed with Cream City brick made from yellowish clay found along the shores of Lake Michigan, near Milwaukee. The base is made of Joliet limestone. Celtic Revival’s entwined bands, lines, dragons and long-tailed birds snaked across the walls and windows of St. Pat’s in determined harmony. The fabulous interlace ornament (lacy lines symmetrically entwined), in paint and glass, were styled, in part, after illuminations found in the Book of Kells.

The Art-Nouveau Faith, Hope and Charity Triptych of Thomas A. O’Shaughnessy

This Art Nouveau triptych, in stained-glass, also called the Faith, Hope & Charity windows as it symbolizes the virtues of faith, hope and charity (viewed left to right from the nave), is an amazing and meticulously composed set of windows. O’Shaughnessy’s tour de force it is, arguably, the finest of its kind in the U.S. Thousands of precisely cut and delicately hued areas of glass, separated by hairlines of lead, copper foil and bronze, were assembled in an unsurpassed spiritual imagery.

Stained-glass windows depicting Irish saints St. Columba (written in Gaelige as Naom Coluumbkille) and St. Brendan (written in Gaelige as Naom Brendan)

Stained-glass depicting St. Bernard of Clairvaux

The MacSwiney window, the central window (Hope Window), is the most intricate of the lot as it uses more than 250,000 individual pieces of glass and no pint whatsoever. It was named in honor of Terrance McSwiney, the lord mayor of Cork who had died in a hunger strike, in 1920, in the fight for Irish independence from British rule. The glass colors, for all these windows, were manufactured in 1912 by Kinsella Art Glass, as per O’Shaughnessy’s own formulas. Above the doorway is a painted mahogany angel.

Old St. Patrick’s Church: 700 West Adams St. cor, Des Plaines St., Chicago, Illinois 60661. Tel: 312.648.1021. E-mail: info@oldstpats.org. Website: www.oldstpats.org. Coordinates: 41°52′45″N 87°38′40″W.

Church of the Holy Rosary (Sapa, Vietnam)

Posted on 13 November, 2025 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

As a visitor come to Sapa, we must have at least once photo opportunity with the Church of the Holy Rosary. This symbol is an indispensable check-in point for visitors when coming to the city in the mist. Located at Sapa Square in the center of town, Sapa stone church at the foot of the Ham Rong Mountain Range, was started in 1926 and completed in 1935.

Check out “Sapa Square“

L-R: the author, Lourdes, Grace, Jandy and Lorraine

During World War II, the church was closed and, after the war, was used for storing rice and agricultural produce. In 1995, local governors started to restore and repair this church more than 5 times (the last in 2007) and the parish began to come back here to practice their religion. The church yard has become a familiar gathering point for the Mong and Dao people.

This impressive church, also called the Sapa Stone Church, is the main religious activity point of parishioners in Sapa. Designed by a French architect, it is one of three significant buildings in Sapa that remain intact from the period of French rule (the other two are what are now Hoang Lien Hotel and the main Sapa Tourism Information Centre) and is also one of the few remaining works to this day that still retains the original Roman Gothic architectural style which is boldly reflected in the pyramidal roof, bell tower, arches, and windows.

It was built with monolithic, roughly hewn sandstone blocks linked by a mortar of sand, lime and molasses and is the only remained structure in Sapa which still preserves the soul and beauty of Catholic architecture. At night, vibrant LED lights cover the church.

With a total area of 6,400 square meters, it is divided into 7 compartments (the church area, the angel house, a row of parish cottages, the parish house, the holy garden, etc.) each of 500 square meters. The angel house consists of three floors and one basement while the five-section parish house is equal to the church site. The holy garden has 5 (four of which grow on rocks) big trees which are more than one hundred years old.

The church features 32 colorful stained-glass windows, depicting the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, the Saints and the journey to the Cross, and an elegant, cross-shaped, 20-meter high and more than 80-year old bell tower, facing towards the west (Christ‘s birthplace), with and a 1.5-meter high bell weighing 500kgs..

The white-painted interior, with a striking use of white, yellow and brown tones from the varnished wood, features a ceiling made of a combination of iron, straw and lime.

Church of Our Lady of the Rosary: P. Hàm Rồng, TT. Sa Pa, Sa Pa, Lào Cai 333100, Vietnam. Open daily, 6 AM to 8:30 PM. Admission is free.

How to Get There: from Tran Quy Cap station in Hanoi, tourists can take the train for the 8-hour trip to get to Lao Cai province. Choose the train with departures at 8-10 PM to get to Lao Cai Province at around 5-6 AM the next morning. From Lao Cai Train Station, take a bus or a taxi to Sapa. Tourists can also get to Sapa Stone Church via motorbike, private car or sleeper buses, which usually leave at 7 AM or 9 PM, for the 6-hour journey to the center of Sapa without any transshipment. The church is located approximately 1 kilometer from the town center.

Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Candles (Silang, Cavite)

Posted on 4 May, 2025 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Church of Our Lady of Candles

This church, under the Diocese of Imus, is the oldest existing stone church in the province of Cavite, having been completed in 1639. The church and school was first built in 1585 by Franciscan missionaries through forced labor but was destroyed by fire on August 30, 1603. That same year, the church was then rebuilt in wood by Jesuit friars, damaged by an earthquake and rebuilt in stone by Fr. Juan Salazar from 1637 to 1639 and was dedicated to the Nuestra Senora de Candelaria (Our Lady of Candles) in 1640.

During the July 1880 earthquake, the fourth storey of the belfry was destroyed and, during the Philippine Revolution, the church was used by the Guardia Civil (Civil Guards) until they were expelled by Gen. Vito Belarmino on from September 5-6, 1896. In 1937, the original wooden floor was replaced by red clay tiles. Due to a fire in 1950, the ceiling was replaced one meter away from the original location. In 1989, the bell tower restored to its original height. On February 3, 2017, the church and retablo of the Our Lady of Candelaria Parish was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines and, on May 4, 2021, the church was elevated into a Diocesan Shrine.

National Historical Institute plaque (2008)

The church has a cruciform plan with lateral walls supported by buttresses. The two-storey convent, adjacent to the church, is located on the northeast.

AUTHOR’S COMMENTS:

The church’s simple, two-level Baroque façade, without any elaborate and magnificent ornamentation, is divided, horizontally, by moldings. It has a semicircular arched main entrance with large wooden doors at the first level, a semicircular arched niche, flanked by rectangular windows, with a statue of the patroness, and a triangular pediment with a centrally located rose window and topped by a cross. The massive pilasters at the ends are topped by urn-like finials. The four-storey belfry, connected to the main church, has a quadrilateral first floor while the rest of the floors are octagonal.

The church’s four-storey bell tower on the right

Inside are three ornate Baroque-style altars, with distinct, Rococo-influenced retablos with multi-level platforms – one main altar (retablo mayor) and two side altars (colaterales) in each side of the transepts which are mirror images of each other. All are noted for the presence of local styles such as plants, fruits, flowers, volutes or circular designs and millipedes; and decorative motifs of foliage, angel heads, acanthus crenelations, cartouches and empty rectangles.

National Museum of the Philippines plaque

The altars, built from 1643 to 1663, were restored, through application of varnish, during the 1970s by Talleres de Maximo Vicente. In 1989, revarnishing, for preservation, was done. In 2002, the original pastel color of the retablo was restored by carefully removing layers of lacquer, modern varnish, paraffin and soot. In 2004, to complement the modern-day adobe wall-cladding, the golden pillars were restored to beige, with a hint of avocado green, and its rouge flowers to pink. The ceiling height was also restored to its original location. During the 21st century restoration, a statue of St. Paul holding a sword, located at the right-most portion of the retablo, was stolen, never recovered and a replica was used to replace the original statue.

The churc’s interior

The two three-level side altars have fluted Ionic columns and Corinthian columns; statues of angels, holding shields, on top of the altars; and three niches, at the first and second levels, and a single niche at the third level. They contain reliefs except for the central niche of the second storey. One side altar is dedicated to women saints, saints in the New Testaments and martyrs, while the other is dedicated to the Jesuit saints.

The main altar and retablo

The three-level altar mayor, the largest and highest altar among the three altars, has six reliefs; seven alternating niches for saints; reliefs and same divisions like the side altars; and garlanded Corinthians and salomonicas, separating the retablo sections, instead of fluted Corinthian columns.

The left side altar

The six reliefs, depicting the story of Jesus in the life of Mary based on the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary are Ang Pagbisita (Visitation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary), Ang Panunulúyan (Re-enactment of the journey of St. Joseph and Mary in search for lodging in Bethlehem), Ang mga Mago (The Three Kings), Ang Presentasyon sa Templo (The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple), Ang Koronasyon (The Coronation of Mary) and, on the topmost level, a relief of the Sto, Niño de Ternate. At the central niche of the first level is the image of the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria (Our Lady of Candles), the patroness of Silang. Found in the mountains, the statue would always get lost. When she was transferred, she was then called La Anuncieta.

Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Candles: J.P. Rizal St., Poblacion, Silang, 4188 Cavite. Tel: (046) 414-0352. Feast of Our Lady of Candles: February 2.

How to Get There: Silang is located 63.3 kms. (a 1.5-hour drive) from Manila and 19.7 kms. (a 30-min. drive) from Trece Martires City.

Archdiocesan Shrine of Santo Niño (Tondo, Manila)

Posted on 18 April, 2025 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Archdiocesan Shrine of Sto. Nino de Tondo

This church, also known as Santo Niño de Tondo Parish or Tondo Church, is under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Manila. The church is home to the second oldest Sto. Niño (which originally came from Acapulco, Mexico) in the Philippines, next to the Sto. Niño De Cebu (1521).

The Neo-Classical façade

It was first built around 1625, damaged during the November 30, 1645 Luzon earthquake, and destroyed in 1661 for fear that Koseng (Koxinga), a Chinese pirate from Hermosa Island (Formosa, now Taiwan) might use it as its headquarters.

Historical plaque installed by Philippines Historical Committee in 1939

It was rebuilt that same year and completed in 1695. In 1734, its facade and two bell towers were rebuilt during the term of Father Diego Bergaño. The church was damaged during the 1740 earthquake, rebuilt, for the third time, by Fr. Manuel Diez Gonzalez in 1741, heavily damaged during the June 3, 1863 earthquake, rebuilt for the third time by Father Manuel Diez Gonzalez and completed around 1874 by Father Casimiro Herrero (parish priest of Tondo from 1874 to 1880) who followed the plans of architect Luciano Oliver in 1873.

Historical plaque of Decree of Erection as a Archdiocesan Shrine

In 1893, an organ imported from the renowned Amezua Organeros of Barcelona, Spain and was installed. It had one main keyboard with 56 keys and a pédalier with 19 keys and four combinations. During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, the church was used as a cuartel. In 1997, aside from major repairs, carillon bells were installed by Msgr. Emmanuel Sunga.

The shrines interior

Measuring 65 meters (213 feet) long, 22 meters (72 feet) wide and 17 meters (56 feet) high, this church has a majestic, adobe stone-faced and scantily ornamented Neo-Classical facade with a recessed main entrance, rectangular Ionic pilasters, semicircular arched open and blind windows, pedimented square blind windows and a triangular pediment with a centrally located clock at the tympanum and topped by a belfry tempietto.

The main altar and retablo

Massive buttresses support the discordant domes of the flanking bell towers and its bases have openings to the side aisles. There are also blind arched openings that contrast with the rectangular voids and a triangular pediment. Its interiors is composed of a main central nave flanked by two aisles that are linked by solid columns.

Archdiocesan Shrine of Santo Niño: 600 Lorenzo Chacon Street, Tondo, Manila. Tel: (632) 245-5412. Fax: (632) 245-5417. Feast of the Holy Child: Third Sunday of January.

Diocesan Shrine and Parish of St. Joseph of Navotas (Navotas City, Metro Manila)

Posted on 18 April, 2025 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Diocesan Shrine and Parish of St. Joseph of Navotas

This city’s church had its beginning as a temporary chapel started in November 1859 and finished the next year. In 1860, bell tower was added and the convent rebuilt by Fr. Matias Novoa (and continued by Fr. Julian Diez).

A stronger stone structure was started in January 1868 by Fr. Manuel Perez and finished by Fr. Guillermo Cuevas on October 23, 1877. The strong July 1880 earthquake destroyed the convent. In 1889, the present church was started by Fr. Mariano Rivas and continued and finished by Fr. Tomas Agudo from 1892 to August 1895.

Historical plaque installed by the National Historical Commission in 2021

The February 14, 1934 earthquake destroyed the sanctuary and ceiling of the church. During World War II, the church was used by the Japanese as their headquarters and as a prison. From 1964 to March 1968, the church was renovated with two wings for side altars built. The facade was plastered with white cement which concealed the richness of the original stone which was probably secured from Malabon quarries.

The church interior

On June 28, 2003, the church was placed under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Caloocan and, on May 1, 2021, the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, the church was declared as a Diocesan Shrine.

Main altar and retablo

The church has a simple, massive Neo-Classic facade with three main openings, two pairs of attached pilasters supporting a Greek pediment with a rose window and semicircular arched arcade. Latticework (calado) above the main entrance allows light and ventilation inside the church. On the upper part of the church facade is the inscription of the year “1892.”

Side altar

Inside are a main nave and two aisles. On the upper panel of the main wooden floor are four bas-reliefs depicting Augustinian symbols. On pedestals are the statues of St. Monica and St. Augustine. The old retablo was removed during the 1964 to 1968 renovation and the main altar has been restored.

Choir loft

Diocesan Shrine and Parish of St. Joseph of Navotas: Mariano Naval St., Brgy. San Jose, 1485 Navotas City. Tel: (02) 8282-9126. Feast of St. Joseph of Navotas: First Sunday of May.

How to Get There: Navotas City is located 14.3 kms. (a 35-min. drive) from Manila and 6.3 kms. (a 25-min. drive) from Malabon City.

Church of St. Bartholomew the Apostle (Malabon City, Metro Manila)

Posted on 18 April, 2025 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Church of St. Bartholomew the Apostle)

This church, one of the most beautiful examples of Spanish ecclesiastical architecture in the country, was first built in 1621 by Fr. Diego de Robles and Fr. Francisco Valencia added the transept in 1835. In 1854, Fr. Raymundo Cueto added the two lateral aisles and the barrel vault (media naranja) dome under the direction of Architects Viña and Urquiza. The construction of the Parthenon-like facade and the two bell towers was supervised by Father Martin Ruiz and directed by Architect Luciano Oliver.

Historical plaque installed by the National Historical Commission in 2015

The church was heavily damaged during World War II and its facade was restored in 1951 by Filipino secular Fr. Trinidad. In 1958, the dome, transept, main altar and bell tower were repaired by Father Reyes. The church measures 70.14 m. (230.1 ft.) long, 20.05 m. (82.2 ft.) wide and has a central nave, two lateral aisles, a transept and a barrel vault dome topped by a campanile.

The entrance porch with imposing colonnade

Its Graeco-Roman temple facade has an entrance porch supported by an imposing colonnade with eight Ionic columns which, in turn, supports a protruding triangular pediment. Above the main entrance (a Jubilee door decorated with wood carvings) is the inscribed Augustinian symbol and the year “1861.”

The church interior

Two three-storey bell towers, with seven bells, flank the recessed front facade. One bell is dedicated to St. Rita of Cascia, another to St. Bartholomew the Apostle while another bell has the name of Fr. Guillermo Diaz, OSA (minister of Tambobong from 1881 to 1885) inscribed on it.

The numerous paintings, framed with gold leaf, lining the church ceiling

The church ceiling is lined with numerous paintings framed with gold leaf. The sanctuary has a simple yet elegant retablo with an image of St. Bartholomew the Apostle above which is the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the tabernacle below, and the images of St. Augustine and St. Nicholas de Tolentine on both sides.

The main altar and retablo

Church of St. Bartholomew the Apostle: Rizal Ave. Extension, Brgy. San Agustin, Malabon City. Tel/Fax: (632) 281-1266. Feast of St. Bartholomew the Apostle: August 24. Coordinates: 14°39′32″N 120°57′05″E.

How to Get There: Malabon City is located 10.1 kms. (a 25-min. drive) north of Manila, 6.3 kms. (a 20-min. drive) from Navotas City and 5.5 kms. (a 15-min. drive) from Valenzuela City.

This travel blog, a diary of the author’s local and international travels, aims to provide the reader with news and information on people, places and events that would interest the avid traveler and tourist. But, it also aims to be much more, providing insights on the wonders of this beautiful country, as well as the world, beyond the strict confines of the city. Have a BLAST seeing old churches, exotic temples, educational museums as well as palm-fringed islands; white sand beaches; thundering waterfalls; placid lakes; fiery sunsets; turquoise seas; cathedral-like caves; swirling rivers; majestic mountains; stupendous, amphitheater-like rice terraces; awesome volcanoes and the like. Get to know the movers and shakers in the tourism industry; find out where to titillate the palate; rejuvenate your body; feed your adrenalin, unwind and relax; satisfy your craving for history and culture; and find out what's being celebrated and where.

BENJAMIN “BENJIE” LAYUG, an architect by profession (he finished his B. S. Architecture degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1982), is also a copy editor for two publishing houses; travel writer; blogger; architectural historian; author; concert. movie and musical reviewer (for www.pep.ph); and a motivational speaker.

As a free-lance travel writer, he has, in the past, contributed articles to Travel Update, Philippine Daily Inquirer, COLORS, TODAY, 7107 Islands Magazine, Business Day and Bluprint. He currently writes for Artplus Magazine and the Business Mirror.

He is also the author of the following travel books:

A Philippine Odyssey (New Day Publishers, 2005)
Pathfinder’s Travel Guide: Boracay (Great Books Trading, 2006)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches (New Day Publishers, 2007)
A Tourist to Notable Philippine Historical Landmarks, Monuments and Shrines (New Day Publishers, 2010)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Museums (New Day Publishers, 2012)

Some of his books now appear in the local library shelves of the National Library of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Sto. Tomas, U.P. Diliman, Centro Escolar University, San Sebastian College, Miriam College, Silliman University, to name a few, as well as internationally at the National Library of Australia and the University of California Berkeley Library.

Now a senior citizen, he is probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest, active travel blogger in the country today. He also has a lifestyle blog called F.Y.I.:Firing Your Imagination (www.firingyourimagination.blogspot.com). Benjie has traveled to two-thirds (53) of the country’s 81 provinces and over 20 countries in 4 continents.