Church of Our Lady of the Rule (Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu)
January 5, 2012 by chucha
Filed under Cebu City, Visita Iglesia
The Church of Our Lady of the Rule or Nuestra Señora de Regla in Lapu-Lapu City Cebu was built somewhere between 1735 and 1744. This is a Baroque-Style Church and was slightly damaged during the Second World War. Not only that, the church was unfortunately demolished by Dutch priests assigned to the parish later. The sacristy of the new concrete church houses the 2.5- foot high image of Nuestra Señora de Regla (Virgin of the Rule).
Nuestra Señora de Regla was the title given to the Blessed Virgin by the natives of Cebu who believe that the abundance and blessing that they enjoy is a gift given through the strength of her maternal intercession.
The old spacious and solid convent, built by Fr. Aguirre in 1855 is a perfect example of a Spanish Colonial mission.
Feast: November 20-21
Tel. No. (+6332) 340-8081
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...Barasoain Church or Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish (Malolos City, Bulacan)
September 17, 2011 by chucha
Filed under Churches, Luzon, Visita Iglesia
Barasoain Church, a place which also earned the title as the Cradle of Democracy in the East, was built in 1630 in Malolos City Bulacan. Considered to be one of the most important religious structures in the country because of its historical importance, this is the venue of the first Philippine Republic.
Barasoain Church is one of the many churches founded by the Augustinians in 1869, its original structure was burned during the Philippine Revolution, but was carefully restored to it former glory.
The church witnessed some of the most significant historical events that occurred in the Philippines while Former President General Emilio Aguinaldo was in residence:
- The convening of the First Philippine Congress 9-15-1898
- Drafting of the Malolos Consitution 9-29-1898 to 01-21-0899
- Inaguration of the First Philippine Republic 01-23-1899
Furthermore, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos proclaimed this church as a National Shrine (PD No. 260) on August 1, 1973. Lastly, this has been the venue of the inaugural affairs of two past presidents namely Aguinaldo and Estrada.
History
This stone structure was built when Barasoain was still independent from Malolos. This was built by Fr. Melchor Fernandez in 1816, rebuilt in stone from 1871 to 1878 by Fr. Francisco Royo but was destroyed during the July 1880 earthquake. The present structure was built in 1885 after a fire burned it down a year before by a builder named Magpayo contracted by Fr. Juan Giron.
The 4-storey belfry on the left was built in 1859 by Fr. M. Arconada and is crowned by a conical roof. It houses three bells installed in 1897 and has a alternating open and false windows rising in uneven modules that end up in the crenellated base of the pointed pinnacle.
Design
The façade shows a Neo-Classical touch with recessed main rhythmic layers. The main entrance has a Romanesque feature with its concentric arches flanked by two smaller doors, fluted flat pilasters which speak a Renaissance feature, and a Baroque segmental pediment and sharp line moldings at the cornice base and top of the piers. The two sides of the façade, wit its sweeping concave lines at the upper wall, curve inward to form an oval shape. Inside is an exceptional 18th century altar frontal with beautiful stone columns and murals on the walls and ceilings done by Baliwag artists and the National Historical Institute. It is now air-conditioned during Sunday Masses. The church houses two museums: Church Ecclesiastical Museum and the Church’s Historical Landmarks History Museum. While the Barasoain Church Ecclesiastical Museum has been a repository of important artifacts found within the vicinity of the province, the Church’s Historical Landmarks History Museum concerns on preserving the fruits of the Philippine Revolution as well as freedom and the Filipinos’ heritage of democracy.
Where did Barasoain came from?
The tern Barasoain came from a place in Spain to which the missionaries found the place in Malolos somewhat similar. When the Spanish-Filipino war broke-out, revolutionaries coined the term, baras ng suwail which means dungeon of the defiant.
Recently, the church was depicted in the new generation series of the Philippine 200-peso bill.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Visita Iglesia: Easter Sunday
April 23, 2011 by chucha
Filed under Featured Articles, Visita Iglesia
Easter Sunday starts with a mass attended by most Filipino families together to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. It is the well-attended Sunday mass for generally all Catholic churches.
According to the Bible, Jesus came back to like, or was raised from the dead, three days after his crucifixion. As part of the Easter Season, the death of Christ on the cross is remembered on Good Friday, always the Friday prior to Easter. Through his death, and resurrection, Jesus paid the sin of humankind and saved us all.
Interesting Trivia about Easter
- Since the ancient times, the egg has been considered as a symbol of rebirth in most cultures
- Easter has been derived after the word “Pesach”, Hebrew word for Passover Festival
- Similar to Passover which is dependent on the phases of the moon and has different dates each year, Easter is also a movable feast
- Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25
- Easter is the top-selling confectionary celebration in the west, second to Holloween
- The tradition of handing out eggs at Easter goes way back to the time of the Persians, Greeks, Romans and Egyptians
- The pope gives his Urbi et Orbi (Papal Address) during Easter annually
- Easter is known by different names across the world. Some of them are: English – Easter, French – Paques, Spanish – Pascua, Italian – Pasqua, Albanian – Pashke, German – Ostern, Greek – Pascha, Norway – Paaske, Holland – Pasen and Swedish – Pask.
- One of the earliest Easter treats are hot cross buns made by European monks. They were given to the poor during the season of Lent.
Easter Sunday is more than just easter eggs and bunny. It is a celebration of our faith.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...