Visita Iglesia: Archdiocesan Shrine of Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life (Pasay City)

“Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life” - as we end this year’s Lenten Season let us contemplate on this mystery by checking out this church located just across Ikea in SM Mall of Asia (MOA).

The Shrine of Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life is the church nearest to SM MOA, which is perfect for mall employees and shoppers to unwind and relax their weary spirit.

As for me, I make it a point to visit this church whenever I go to MOA.

The Shrine got its name from the message of Pope John Paul II during the 10th World Youth Day in Rizal Park in 1995 where he highlighted Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life.

The land and the construction of the church was donated by the SM magnate Henry Sy, Sr. and his wife. The church was consecrated and dedicated in 1999 by Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin.

The church, despite being built during the modern era, is of classical church architecture. This is a plus point for me because I prefer old architectural styles like Baroque or Medieval. Churches with modern architectural styles tend to be ugly or banal because they look like an office or commercial building. Beautiful churches uplift the spirit because they mirror the beauty of God.

The church interior also didn’t disappoint. The altar is of classical church design but without the usual image of the Crucified Jesus.

The shrine’s altar features a painting of the Gospel scene where Mama Mary and Saint Joseph found the missing Jesus in the Temple. The designers of the Shrine chose this painting as it connects the young Jesus with the World Youth Day. The painting is telling young people visiting this church that Jesus was once a youth like them. This means that Jesus understands the challenges, joys, sufferings, and experiences of the youth. That Jesus will not belittle their prayers just because they are young.

The stained-glass window of this church features the patron saints of the youth: Saint Maria Goretti and Saint Dominic Savio.

There is also a beautiful stained glass art of the Virgin Mary.

The Shrine of Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life is the eighth and the last church that I featured for this year’s virtual Visita Iglesia. This is one more than the usual 7 churches I featured in the previous years. I did this because my Visita Iglesia journey leads to Easter. And the central figure on Easter Sunday is the resurrected Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

HAPPY EASTER to everyone!

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Mass schedules of Archdiocesan Shrine of Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday - 6 PM

Wednesday - 5 PM and 6:30 PM with novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Saturday - 5:30 PM (Anticipated Mass)

Sunday - 9 AM, 10:30 AM, 5:30 PM, and 7 PM

Weddings - schedule provided to Parish Office at least two months prior to the wedding date

Baptism - schedule provided to Parish Office at least two weeks prior to actual baptism date

Confession - 5 PM every day except Monday and Sundays

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Visita Iglesia is the Filipino tradition of visiting churches during the Holy Week. This virtual Visita Iglesia is my own tradition wherein I post about one church each day of the Holy Week.

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References

1. Brief History of Archdiocesan Shrine of Jesus, the Way, the Truth, the Life

Visita Iglesia: National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio (Santo Tomas, Batangas)

I have been listening to podcasts about Padre Pio of Pietrelcina lately. What struck me is that Padre Pio seems to have existed in a plane beyond the physical realm. He saw angels and devils, he perceived the state of the souls of the people he met, and he was able to see the impact of human actions not only on his or her soul but also to others.

That’s why I am blessed that I was able to visit the National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio last year.

National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio in Santo Tomas, Batangas

The Shrine is a “rotunda” or round church architectural style that is made to look like a giant “salakot”, which is the conical hat worn by Filipino farmers. The Padre Pio Shrine has similar architectural style as UP Chapel and the Greenbelt Chapel.

Atop the roof is the statue of Mama Mary whom Padre Pio loves very much. It is said that the padre is so devoted to Mama Mary that he prays the rosary multiple times each day. There was a time when he admitted that he prayed the Rosary 34 times on that day! He considered the Rosary as his weapon in his spiritual battles.

A short distance from the Shrine is the bell tower with its own salakot.

The National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio began as a small chapel under the Santo Tomas Parish of Santo Tomas, Batangas. The chapel was elevated to a separate parish in 2003 to cater to the large number of Catholics in the area. The new parish was dedicated to Padre Pio because of the first-class relic of the saint received by the Archdiocese of Lipa for the creation of the said parish.

First-class relic and glove worn by Padre Pio.

It was further elevated into a national shrine as approved by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in 2015.

I was amazed by the shrine’s premises. The place has ample parking space for cars. Then aside from the main church there are other chapels and facilities. And, of course, the main church is huge!

The builders of this church rightly predicted that many would come to visit the church dedicated to Padre Pio. They made the church spacious enough so as to accommodate all the devotees and pilgrims coming to ask for Padre Pio’s intercession.

Hanging from the center ceiling of the church is the image of crucified Jesus being held by God the Father. It is an image that reminds us that the Father was also deeply affected by the sacrifice and death of His only Son.

Behind that image is the image of young Jesus with His earthly parents: Joseph and Mary.

These two images, which are connected by the cross, show the Divine and human nature of Jesus.

We were fortunate because there was a Holy Mass during our visit to the National Shrine of Padre Pio. It was a perfect time for us to receive graces from God during mass and also ask for Padre Pio’s intercession.

The altar of the National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio uses bamboo as the backdrop. At center is the crucified Jesus then at the sides is Mama Mary with baby Jesus, and Saint Joseph. Also standing at the altar is a statue of Padre Pio.

Our visit to the National Shrine of Saint Pedro Pio was one of our stops while on our way to a beach resort in Batangas. I am glad that our family decided to drop by and say “hello” to this holy servant of God. I am hoping that Padre Pio interceded for our family, not only for our temporal concerns but, more importantly, our spiritual concerns.

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Mass schedules in National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio:

Monday to Friday: 6 AM, 8 AM, 10 AM, 12 Noon, 2 PM, 5 PM

Saturday: 6 AM, 8 AM, 10 AM (Healing Mass), 12 Noon, 2 PM, 5 PM (Anticipated Mass)

Sunday: 5 AM, 7 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM, 2 PM, 4 PM, 6 PM

Note that the Healing Mass is every Saturday at 10 AM

Confession is every Saturday 8 AM to 12 Noon and 2 PM to 5 PM

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Visita Iglesia is the Filipino tradition of visiting churches during the Holy Week. This virtual Visita Iglesia is my own tradition wherein I post about one church each day of the Holy Week.

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References

1. Faith in City of Sto. Tomas website

2. Padre Pio and the Madonna in Franciscan Media

3. Padre Pio Shrine in Wikipedia

Visita Iglesia: Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar (Santa Cruz, Manila)

It was 12 years ago when I did a virtual Visita Iglesia of Santa Cruz Church in Manila. For that many years I witnessed this church change from white to brown-orange then back to immaculate white. Spiritually, this church grew from a simple parish in Santa Cruz to minor basilica dedicate to Our Lady of the Pillar.

I am always drawn to this church simply because this is the only church that I encountered having Blessed Sacrament displayed upon the altar almost whole day every day. Praying directly to Jesus, in His mystical form of Holy Bread, is the closest we have to conversing to Jesus face-to-face. And I took advantage of that in Santa Cruz Church almost each time I go to the City of Manila.

Holy Eucharist at the altar of Santa Cruz Church

The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, which is the flesh of Jesus, is the charism of the Sacramentinos who administer this church. This religious society, known officially as Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, focuses on promoting Jesus in the Eucharist. They do this by Eucharistic Adoration in their churches.

The Congregation was founded by a French priest Saint Julian Eymard, who felt an overwhelming love for Jesus Christ in the Eucharist while holding the Blessed Sacrament during a Corpus Christi procession. This experience led him to profess the love of Jesus through the Blessed Sacrament. Thus, the Holy Eucharist became the center of the religious life of the Sacramentinos.

Saint Peter Julian Eymard, founder of the Order of the Blessed Sacrament.

The Sacramentinos were assigned by the Manila Archbishop to manage Santa Cruz Church in 1957. Saint Peter Julian Eymard was established as the secondary patron of the church in 1984. His image stands at one side of the altar. On the other side is the most revered image of Santa Cruz’s primary patron: Nuestra Señora del Pilar or Our Lady of the Pillar.

Nuestra Señora del Pilar

The devotion to Our Lady of the Pillar was introduced by the original caretaker of Santa Cruz, Church: the Jesuits. The image of Our Lady of the Pillar was enshrined by the Jesuits in Santa Cruz in 1643.

The started Santa Cruz Church as a simple stone and wood church in 1619 to minister to the Chinese immigrants living in Santa Cruz area. It was the Chinese who built the church, thus this is one of the heritage churches by the Filipino-Chinese Catholics like the Binondo Church located at the other end of Ongpin Street.

The devotion to Our Lady of the Pillar originates to the earliest apparition of Mama Mary. It is believed that Mama Mary appeared to Saint James the Apostle when is having difficulty in converting pagans in  Spain. Mama Mary and many angels appeared to Saint James to motivate him and his disciples. This is the first case of bilocation since she is still alive in Jerusalem 

The altar of the church was temporarily changed during the elevation of the church into a minor basilica.

The temporary altar looks grand but the real altar is much simpler. It is meant to honor our Holy Mother during the special occassion. The Sacarmentinos and devotees worked hard for their church to receive the recognition from Pope Francis as minor basilica.

Speaking of Pope Francis, I distinctly remember Santa Cruz Church as the church where I learned about his death. It was afternoon and the bells of Santa Cruz Church is tolling. There was a pig tarpaulin photo of Pope Francis at the side of the altar. I wonder why but I am thinking that maybe the Pope is dead because. And it was true. Pope Francis has just died.

The altar of Santa Cruz Church features the image of the lamb standing on a spring. The water from the spring flows down to the tabernacle indicating that the life-giving water comes from Jesus. The Holy Table features two angels holding the symbol of the Virgin Mary. This definitely shows the honor that the Sacramentinos give to the Holy Mother.

Aside from Our Lady of the Pillar, the Sacramentinos also honor Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

They also honor Our Lady of Deliverance, Empress of China Dong-Lu. This reflects the roots of Santa Cruz Church as the church built for the conversion of Chinese immigrants living in Santa Cruz.

During the Boxer Rebellion, soldiers attacked the Chinese village of Dong-lu because it has a small community of Christians. Our Lady of Deliverance appeared with a "fiery horseman" and drove the soldiers away thus saving the Christians and the whole village.

Santa Cruz Church is one of the two churches that I frequented whenever I am in Manila. I always find this church a good place for prayers, especially when the Blessed Eucharist is at the altar.

This church may change its facade, be raised to another level of recognition but its mission remains the same throughout all these centuries. That mission is to bring people closer to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.

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Visita Iglesia is the Filipino tradition of visiting churches during the Holy Week. This virtual Visita Iglesia is my own tradition wherein I post about one church each day of the Holy Week.

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References

1. Manila’s Sta. Cruz Church now a minor basilica in CBCP News

2. Saint Peter Julian Eymard in Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament Province of Saint Ann

3. Sta. Cruz Community in Blessed Sacrament Philippines

Visita Iglesia: Caleruega’s Transfiguration Chapel (Nasugbu, Batangas)

From a church in San Mateo, Rizal that has a red brick facade let us now do a virtual Visita Iglesia to a famous chapel in Nasugbu, Batangas that stands out because of its red brick walls. This chapel is popularly known as the best church for weddings in Nasugbu: the Transfiguration Chapel a.k.a. Caleruega Church.

Our family visited this church on a whim enroute home from a beach outing in Calayo, Nasugbu. It is on our way, so why not visit this church, right? Turns out that it was a good decision for us because our visit to Caleruega became a memorable part of our family trip.

Caleruega is not just a church but a spiritual retreat center for the Dominicans. The center’s motto is “closer to nature, closer to God” as the lush scenery of Batulao Mountain Range gives the priests a good place for meditation and contemplation. This lush scenery gave our children a chance to experience nature.

Our first stop was the Dominicum, which I thought was already the Transfiguration Chapel. I was wrong because it is just a retreat house.

What I noticed immediately at the Dominicum are the pineapples on its facade. I wonder why they placed pineapples there? Is it because this part of Nasugbu has pineapple plantations?

Inside the Dominicum is the beautiful replica of Our Lady of Manaoag.

The image of our lady is present in Caleruaga because her basilica in Manaoag, Bulacan is under the care of the Dominicans.

I guess Our Lady of Manaoag is telling me to also visit her in Manaoag.

The Dominicum also features Saint Dominic, who is the founder of the Dominican Order. His relic is also on display.

Saint Dominic is called “de Caleruega” because the small town of Caleruega in Spain is his place of birth.

According to Shoestring Diary, the Caleruega Retreat Center was established in 1994. It was developed with as minimal disturbance to the environment as possible. In fact, the designer of this retreat center, Arch. Yolanda D. Reyes, was awarded with the 1996 Design Awards in Architecture for her “graceful blending of man-made structures with the natural curves preserved through careful architectural handling and biotecture planning”.

We walked around the Caleruega Retreat Center before climbing up to the Transfiguration Chapel. We looked at images of the saints amidst the greenery.

Our kids experienced crossing the hanging bridge with much fear and trembling. My wife and daughter enjoyed the beautiful flowers planted around the retreat center.

Climbing up to the Transfiguration Chapel is difficult and a little bit exhausting because we walked up through a steep set of stairs dubbed as the Dominican Steps. My kids are as energetic as ever because they bet on who can reach the chapel first. They were up the stairs in no time! It is enviable to be a kid sometimes.

My exhaustion was blown away when I saw the Transfiguration Chapel.

The red brick walls really made the chapel stand out from the surrounding greens.

The Transfiguration Chapel is of Spanish-Moorish design as can be seen in its use of horseshoe arch on the doors, facade, and windows.

Unfortunately there was a wedding during our visit so I was not able to explore inside the chapel. It is difficult to explore this chapel peacefully because it is one of the popular churches for weddings.

I think the name “transfiguration” is apt for this chapel. Just like the apostles who experienced the transfiguration of Jesus up on a hill, the bride and groom in this chapel experienced similar transfiguration in front of the altar. They are “transfigured” from two separate persons into one body after their wedding ceremony.

Our visit to Caleruega Retreat Center and its Transfiguration Chapel was a good sidetrip. It allowed us to experience God in the nature that He created and also with the beautiful chapel that draws hundreds of pilgrims every year.

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Visita Iglesia is the Filipino tradition of visiting churches during the Holy Week. This virtual Visita Iglesia is my own tradition wherein I post about one church each day of the Holy Week.

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References

1. St. Dominic of Guzman, Priest, Founder of the Order of Preachers in Vatican News

2. Caleruega Church and the Scenic Views of Mt. Batulao in The Shoestring Diaries

Visita Iglesia: National Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu (San Mateo, Rizal)

Of the many titles given to Mama Mary, the one that always makes me wonder is her title as Our Lady of Aranzazu. Aranzazu what? Is it a place? Is it a thing? Is it related to Zazu, the servant of the Lion King? The trigger of my questions is the church in San Mateo, Rizal known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu.

The source of the Marian title of Our Lady of Aranzazu is mystical because it is connected to an apparition of Mama Mary in 1468. This mystical event happened in Oñati, Spain where a young shepherd saw the Virgin Mary standing atop of a thorn brush. The shepherd was so surprised that he exclaimed “arantzan zu?”, which means “You among the thorns?”. Mama Mary instructed the shepherd to build a shrine for her at the site and also promised protection and blessings for the townspeople.

Nuestra Señora de Arantzazu (source: National Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu)

The shrine that was built honoring Mama Mary is now the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Arantzazu in Oñati, Spain. This church is significant to the Jesuits because the founder of their Order, Saint Ignatius de Loyola, had a night vigil in it while on his way to Montserrat. It is inferred that this is the church where Saint Ignatius took a vow of chastity. This is the reason why Our Lady of Aranzazu has a special place in the hearts of the Jesuits.

The devotion to Our Lady of Aranzazu came to San Mateo when the Jesuits took over the mission from the Augustinians in 1696. Five years later, in 1705, Padre Juan Echazabal changed the patronage of the church and the town from San Mateo to Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu.

The National Shrine stands out because of the orange bricks on its facade and the big bell tower on its side. The current structure of the church is the result of the repair 

Also located outside are the old bells of the church.

The grey bell tower contrasts the orange wall of the church.

I was amazed by the outside view of the church. But I was more amazed when I took a look inside.

I was welcomed by a red carpet and flowers. Coincidentally, there was a wedding later in the afternoon.

Our Lady of Aranzazu stands at the center of the altar with the Spanish shepherd and his sheep at her feet.

At the side of the altar are the images of Saint Joseph and who I believe is Saint Matthew, the other patron of the town.

The church of San Mateo is one of the oldest churches in this part of Rizal Province. Thus, it was a silent witness to the history of San Mateo and even the whole province. The church is known to be the place where a Katipunero leader Pio Valenzuela was imprisoned. This church became the refuge of Spanish soldiers and officials during the Philippine Revolution. It was also damaged during the Philippine-American War and the Second World War.

In the side chapel near the entrance of the church I saw the most revered image of Our Lady of Aranzazu.

The image depicts Mama Mary standing on a thorny bush with the cloud on her feet and the silver crescent moon. Below her is the shepherd and a rectangular golden bell. This bell is part of the apparition of Our Lady. It was found in the bush together with the original statue of Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu after the apparition as a proof that Mama Mary appeared in that place.

I think that San Mateo is unique and special because its parish church is the only church in the Philippines that is dedicated to Our Lady in Aranzazu. The other religious site in the Philippines dedicated to Our Lady of Aranzazu is just a chapel in Colegio de San Juan de Letran. San Mateo is also special because the image of Our Lady is miraculous. The devotees said that Our Lady of Aranzazu saved them from floods. During a typhoon, the devotees processed the image of Our Lady and they claimed that flood suddenly subsided in the areas where the image went.

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu made an official relationship with the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Arantzazu in Oñate, Spain by establishing a Gemellaggio Spirituale or "Spiritual Twinning".

I am glad that I finally visited the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu. The truth is that I studied in San Mateo during high school and all those years I did not visit the church. I played basketball in the town plaza but I never took the time to say “hello” to Mama Mary and Our Lord. Looking back at that time, I am glad that I somewhat “improved”. I now know the value of going to the church, of praying to Our Lord everyday, and of asking Mama Mary and the saints for intercession. May Our Lady of Aranzazu help us to get over the flood of problems in our lives like the way she saved San Mateo from floods.

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A prayer in honor of Our Lady of Aranzazu

O loving Mother, who stand on the thorns on the mountains of Aranzazu! Like a watchman guarding all sinners. Stir our wills to relieve and remove in our hearts and souls the bad seed of sin, and substitute it with the beauty of God's grace. Then those who shall long dwell in hell because of sin will be brought to live in the heavenly home. We are grateful for your mercy; we implore you to show us your protection for we are surrounded by wicked motions that dwells in our souls. Clothe us with the true vestments of purity and bind us to the grace of holiness, so that we may gloriously reach heaven and there endlessly praise God. AMEN.

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Visita Iglesia is the Filipino tradition of visiting churches during the Holy Week. This virtual Visita Iglesia is my own tradition wherein I post about one church each day of the Holy Week.

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References

1. Sanctuary of Arantzazu and  Our Lady of Aranzazu in Wikipedia

2. Brief Histroy of the DSPNSDA Church and The History of the Devotion and the Jesuits of San Mateo in Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu

3. The San Mateo Church: the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Aranzazu in Dominus Est

4. Revisiting Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu of Colegio de San Juan de Letran and Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu of San Mateo, Rizal - the Miraculous Lady on a Thorn tree in Pintakasi