As discussed in my previous column, in my youth, our family never missed all the Lenten traditions: Ash Wednesday, Pabasa, Via Crucis, Visita Iglesia, Fasting, Confession, Retreat, Recollection, Good Friday Vigils, etc.
Our parents were keen on the sacrifices we should offer as penitence during Lent. No imposition and those were up to us.
Come to think of it, majority of the Lenten traditions and Catholic religious practices were profoundly influenced by the Spanish colonizers who were in the country for more than 300 years.
500 Years of Christianity
History has it that the very first Mass was celebrated on Easter of 1521 when Magellan landed in Cebu. Meaning, this marked 500 years of Christianity in the country in 2021.
That year, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines announced Pope Francis' message granting plenary indulgence to Catholics visiting 500 Jubilee Churches across the country. The number of Jubilee Churches were increased by the Vatican to 537 in 2022.
Plenary indulgence, for Catholics, is a special privilege that removes God's punishment for sins already forgiven. But this doesn't mean we will skip going to confession.
The Vatican requests Jubilee Church pilgrims "to pray for the fidelity of the Filipino people to their Christian calling, for the increase of priestly and religious vocations, and for the defense of the family, concluding with the Lord's Prayer, the profession of faith, and an invocation to the Blessed Virgin Mary."
7 Churches
Growing up, at the Lenten Season, most specifically, we also practiced "quietness" in reflection on the sufferings of Jesus Christ by reading the Holy Scripture.
For me, the Visita Iglesia tradition is most meaningful where we not only visited seven churches on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday but also to do and recite the 14 Stations of the Cross.
Among the seven Jubilee Churches, I recommend for Visita Iglesia are:
Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, Manila, the main Roman Catholic church in the country and the official seat of the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Manila. It was built in 1571. It was formerly known as the Immaculate Concepcion Basilica.
San Agustin Church in Intramuros was also constructed in 1571 as a nipa and bamboo structure meant to be a monastery and convent. It was soon reconstructed as a Spanish Baroque architectural model. In 1993, because of its baroque design, the UNESCO recognized it as a World Heritage Site.
San Sebastian Church in Quiapo, Manila is the only metal church in Asia first built in 1621. Its steel was shipped for Belgium and stained glass windows were from Germany. Although damaged and repaired four times, the original looks and interior had been preserved and resisted the ravages of times.
San Lorenzo Ruiz Church in Binondo, Manila, at the center of the oldest Chinatown in the world. Known previously as "The Binondo Church" and now a national shrine, it was established by Dominican friars in 1596 to convert Chinese to Catholicism. Renamed after the first Filipino saint of Chinese descent. Masses here are in Filipino, English, Hokkien, and Mandarin.
Our Lady of Good Voyage in Antipolo was recently declared as an international shrine. It was completed in 1632 and administered by the Jesuits, although Franciscan missionaries were the first to handle Catholics in the area. The image of the Nuestra Señora dela Paz y Buen Viaje arrived in the church in 1626. This Cathedral is the end point of the famous annual Holy Week Alay Lakad.
St. Padre Pio National Shrine in Sto. Tomas, Batangas was just a bamboo structure when we first visited in 2014. In 2015, the CBCP declared this modest pilgrimage site as a national shrine. Devotees and pilgrims flock to the shrine for healing and special prayers to the saint who lived with stigmata. Now the complex has the Chapel of Lights, Divine Mercy Sanctuary, Mary Mother of Mercy Belfry, Sanctuary of the relics of St. Padre Pio, convent, office, and a souvenir shop.
St. Martin de Porres Basilica in Taal, Batangas is considered the biggest Catholic Church in Asia located atop a hill. When we were younger, its belfry was a must-try adventure. From there, one can get a good look of the Taal Volcano and the lake. Famous for its baroque architecture, the church was built in 1856. It has 26 classical columns at the entrance and a tabernacle that resembles that in the St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.
Other churches, I also recommend for pilgrimage are those in Manaoag in Pangasinan and Barasoain in Bulacan
(email opinyon.luchie@gmail.com or luchiearguelles@yahoo.com)
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