Visita Iglesia 2015

       Visita Iglesia is an old Roman Catholic Lenten Tradition that is being done every Maundy Thursday of the Holy Week, where devotees visits at least seven churches after the Mass of the Last Supper to pray in front of each church's Blessed Sacrament. 

Here in the Philippines most Filipinos practice this tradition (Well since the majority of the Population is Catholic), sometime we have a hard time looking for churches to visit specially we consider the location and distance of each church we are visiting and knowing that these churches will be crowded and parking/commuting will be difficult since the LRT/MRT will be closed for the day until the Easter Sunday. 

So here I am, I'll be a part time tour guide for you who's reading this post. I'll be touring you to churches that are within Manila, Quezon City, Marikina City and other churches near the area. Let's begin. 

Beginning in the City of Marikina, the Immaculate Concepcion Parish located at Bayan-Bayanan Avenue Brgy. Concepcion Uno, another church is nearby the St. Gabriel of Our lady of Sorrows Parish that is located at Marikina Heights near St Scholastica, 

Another church near the Immaculate Concepcion Parish is the Diocesan Shrine of Nuestra Senora de Aranzazu though it is already located at the farthest side of San Mateo in Rizal the church is just one jeepney away from Immaculate just ride a jeepney going to Montalban and then alight the jeepney when you reached the Municipal hall. 

Next church is the Our Lady of the Abandoned Parish, located at J.P. Rizal St, in Brgy Sta Elena, the church is just walking distance from Bayan, the church is just in front of Marikina's famous Shoe Museum, the next church will be the Monasterio De Sta Clara (This Church is famous for Eggs). from Bayan ride a jeepney again going to katipunan, then cross the foot bridge to get to the church. 

The Parish of the Holy Sacrifice inside UP Diliman Campus

Now we're in Quezon City after Sta Clara you can go to either the Church of the Gesu in Ateneo (If they will allow people to come in) and UP's Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, both churches are inside their respective campus that is one UP Jeepney Away from Sta Clara. Another one is the Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Joseph in Anonas, just ride a jeepney going to Cubao then alight infront of the church, 

The Church of Gesu in Ateneo 

After the Diocesan Shrine, UP, and Ateneo You can now go and visit the Diocese of Cubao the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral it is located Lantana St, Brgy Immaculate Concepcion. You can go here by riding jeepney going to either Espanya and then alight at the Petron Station in New York St. or Recto just go down before Seattle St. 

Aisle and Alter of the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral in Cubao

In front of Carmelites 

You can also visit the only Latin Speaking Church in the Philippines, The Our Lady of Victories Church. It is just a few blocks away from the Cathedral, you can just walk or you can take a tricycle going to Cannon Street in New Manila, QC. after this you can choose  to visit either the Our Lady of Mt Carmel Shrine, Carmelites Monastery both in New Manila near Broadway and Gilmore or you can go to the Christ the King Church inside the Christ The King Seminaries along E Rodriguez Sr. Ave.  

Altar at the Carmelites Monastery

Inside the St Jude Parish

Next route is going to Manila, first stop will be the twin churches in the Malacanyang Palace Grounds, the National Shrine of St Jude Thaddeus and National Shrine of St Michael and the Archangels, a few blocks away is the Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat inside the San Beda College (Don’t know if they let outsiders in during the Holy Week). Not to far away from San Beda is the Basilica Minore de San Sebastian, the only steel church in Asia, also near San Beda is the Bustillos Church just across Legarda, another Basilica near San Sebastian to vist is the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene or also known as the Quiapo Church.

St Jude Parish 

Also near the Quiapo Church is the Our Lady of the Pillar Parish or as we know it the Sta Cruz Church situated in Plaza Sta Cruz near Chinatown, another church is situated in the middle of Binondo the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz commonly known as the Binondo Church.

Going to our next top the Walled City of Intramuros, before there were originally 7 churches inside Intramuros but 5 of them were destroyed either by war or by natural calamities. Today you can visit 2 churches the center of the Roman Catholicism in the Philippines the Manila Cathedral and the San Agustin Church, they are just few blocks away from each other so why not visit both churches. (PS. I’m not sure if Manila Cathedral is open to the public as the church is undergoing retrofitting for it to be stronger).

After the churches in Intramuros our last stop will be the National Shrine of the Our lady of the Rosary of La Naval or the Sto Domingo Church in Quezon Avenue. That ends the Visita Iglesia that's a total of 22 church to choose from hoping that all of us will be having a meaningful and peaceful Holy Week. 

Altar of the Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval

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