Visiting churches had become my tradition every Holy Week and this year is no different. This time though, I did not go for numbers and instead picked seven churches that I really am fond of.
1. UST Chapel (Santisimo Rosario Parish)
UST Chapel had become my starting church for the past few years and this is here where I ask for safety for the trip ahead, among others. It is a unique church in the way that it looks like an ordinary building.
2. San Sebastian Church (Basílica Menor de San Sebastián)
My next stop is San Sebastian Church. This is one of my favorite churches, architecturally-speaking, as it is made out of steel and inside it looks like you’re in a church in Europe.
3. Quiapo Church (Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene)
My third stop is one close to my heart, Quiapo Church. It is one of the first churches that I’ve known and it to this day it still plays a huge part in the culture and religion of Filipinos.
4. Santa Cruz Church (Our Lady of the Pillar Parish Church)
Santa Cruz Church is my next stop. It is quite close to Quiapo and is located near Chinatown. It may not be as popular as Quiapo, but it has a long history behind it as well.
5. Binondo Church (Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz)
On the other end of Chinatown is Binondo Church. I usually end up in this church whenever I go to Chinatown.
6. Manila Cathedral (Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception)
Second to the last on my list is the venerable Manila Cathedral. It is of course one of the must-see churches in the Philippines and it has one of the most impressive structures.
7. San Agustin Church (Immaculate Conception Parish Church of San Agustin)
Last on my Visita Iglesia is the country’s oldest-standing stone structure, San Agustin Church. It is over 400 years old and is one of the World Heritage Sites in the Philippines. It also has a very impressive interior, but unfortunately it was closed when I arrived. On a side note, did you know that the first Governor-General of the Philippines (under the Spanish East Indies), Miguel López de Legazpi, is buried here?
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I hope you had a meaningful Lenten season!
runningpinoy 