Visita Iglesia: Saint Michael the Archangel Church (BGC, Taguig)

I treat churches in the city as my spiritual oasis that brings me comfort from the chaos of city life. These churches serve as my rest stop where I can stay for free rather than going to coffee shops with their overpriced sugar-loaded drinks.

That’s why I was glad when I stumbled upon Saint Michael the Archangel Church in the middle of Bonifacio Global City (BGC).

I was awed the moment I saw the altar with the image of our crucified Lord literally hanging from the ceiling.

The image is quite expressive and the raw pain is visible in his body posture and his fingers almost closing around the nails piercing His palms. I “felt” the pain that He is feeling and made me recall that I am one of those who crucified Him because of my many many sins.

Just beneath the image of the Crucified Lord is the image of Saint Michael — the patron saint of this church.

Saint Michael became the patron saint of this church because of its origin as a military chapel in Fort Bonifacio.

The chapel was established in 1957 and was later replaced by a new chapel in 1995 after Fort Bonifacio was converted into BGC. From then on the chapel was transferred from the Military Ordinariate to the Archdiocese of Manila and efforts began to establish a new parish church.

The efforts of the priests and laity bore fruit and the military chapel transformed into a new Saint Michael the Archangel Church, which was consecrated in 2017.

Filipino soldiers have special devotion to Saint Michael. In fact, I already visited another chapel in Fort Bonifacio that is dedicated to Saint Michael. 

Other angels present in the church are Saint Gabriel and Saint Raphael. And then we have Mama Mary in her title as the Queen of Angels:

It seems that this church is reminding us that angels are all around us and that they are always guiding us and protecting us from harm.

I spent a good time inside Saint Michael the Archangel Church praying to our Lord and asking the intercession of His saints. The time I spent praying refreshed my soul and prepared me for the meeting that I had to attend later.

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Who is Saint Michael the Archangel?

Saint Michael’s name was mentioned in the Bible four times. In the Book of Daniel, he was mentioned as the helper of Saint Gabriel the Archangel and the protector of the Israelites. The Book of Jude recorded Saint Michael protecting the body of Moses from the evil plans of Satan and in Revelations, he led the heavenly army against the dragon and its army.

Saint Michael is the protector of the Church and Pope Leo XIII composed a prayer for his intercession after seeing a terrifying vision. He asked the whole Church to say the Saint Michael Prayer after every Mass as protection for the whole the world from the Devil.

In the Philippines, the most popular and oldest church devoted to Saint Michael is the National Shrine of Saint Michael and the Archangels in Malacañang Compound, which was founded in 1603. Other notable churches devoted to Saint Michael are Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel in Tayabas, Quezon and Archdiocesan Shrine of San Miguel Arcangel in Argao, Cebu.

As for me, I only visited two churches dedicated to Saint Michael, aside from the one in BGC, I also visited the Saint Michael the Archangel Chapel in Fort Bonifacio.

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Here is the Mass schedule for Saint Michael the Archangel Church:

Monday to Friday - 06:30 AM

Saturday - 06:30 AM and 06:30 PM (Anticipated Mass)

Sunday - 07:00 AM, 09:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 04:00 PM, 05:15 PM, 06:30 PM

Contact numbers:

General inquiries and wedding services: 09175159255

Precana seminar: 09171799255

Baptismal services: 09911274798

Masses for the dead and columbarium services: 09051139463

House/condo/office blessings: 09933357564

Car blessings and confessions are available after scheduled Masses

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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. "Saint Michael the Archangel Parish" from Bearers of the Cross: Defenders of the Kingdom in the Far East

2. "St. Michael the Archangel" from the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia

Visita Iglesia: St. Michael the Archangel Chapel (Taguig City)

Of the three angels named in the Holy Bible, Michael is considered as the warrior since most of his "screen time" is him fighting some demons. In the Book of Daniel he fought the Prince of Persia, who is a demon who rule over the Persian Empire. In the Book of Revelations, Michael led the faithful angels against Satan and the fallen angels.

As the leader of the heavenly host, many Filipino soldiers consider him as their protector and patron saint. Because of this, the chapel located within the grounds of the headquarters of Philippine Army Support Group along Bayani Road in Taguig City is dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel.

The facade of this chapel is unremarkable with a facade that is plain and forming the shape of a quonset hut, which are temporary structures popularized by the military.

Just outside of this chapel is an armored personnel carrier.

So far, this is the only church that I encountered that has a war vehicle parked in front of it.

Despite being a chapel, the interior of St. Michael the Archangel Chapel is quite spacious.

I finally saw this chapel's altar. I was disappointed during my last visit because a tarp covered the crucifix.

In front of the altar is the image of the chapel's patron saint.

The church is under the care of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines, which provides pastoral care to the members of the military, police, and coast guard.

Catholic military chaplains are a unique group of priests because they have military ranks and can be deployed to a battlefield. They minister to the wounded and the dying.

One striking scene in the movie Saving Private Ryan is of a military chaplain, possibly a Catholic, ministering to a dying soldier while under fire.

(Source: Quora)

In fact, the story of Saving Private Ryan is loosely based on the story of a military chaplain of an airborne regiment.

Military chaplains were also present during the 2017 Battle of Marawi. A military chaplain was the first priest to celebrate mass in Marawi Cathedral after it was retaken from terrorists.

(Source: Rappler)

The Holy Mass was held while the sounds of war still rang all around Marawi. The dismembered image of a saint and the desecrated image of Christ is still around while the mass is ongoing.

I attended a couple of masses in St. Michael the Archangel Chapel and the celebrant is a military chaplain and the servers are members of the military. It is an unusual sight for a civilian like me.

Angels are classified into nine choirs or ranks. St. Michael is an archangel, which is the second lowest choir. Lucifer, who led the third of angels in rebellion against God, is a member of the cherubim, which is the second highest choir.

It is interesting to note that St. Michael of the low rank led the faithful angels and defeated Lucifer of the second highest rank. Revelation 12:7-9 tells us the story of that great battle:

And there was a great battle in heaven. Michael and his Angels were battling with the dragon, and the dragon was fighting, and so were his angels.

But they did not prevail, and a place for them was no longer found in heaven.

And he was thrown out, that great dragon, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduces the whole world. And he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.

This story of St. Michael tells us that being in a lowly rank or humble situation in life is not a hindrance to serve God. All we need is to be faithful to Him so that we can away the evil dragons that imperil our soul.

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Visita Iglesia is a Catholic tradition of visiting seven or fourteen churches during Maundy Thursday. For each day, this Holy Week, I will feature one church as a sort of virtual Visita Iglesia.

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic and the lockdowns, I was only able to visit three churches. So, for this year's virtual Visita Iglesia I can only feature 3 churches, namely:

Palm Sunday: St. Polycarp Church in Cabuyao City

Holy Monday: St. Francis Church in Ortigas, Mandaluyong

Good Friday: St. Michael the Archangel Chapel in Taguig

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Read about my previous visit to St. Michael the Archangel Chapel in 2017.

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Visita Iglesia: Saint Michael the Archangel Chapel (Fort Bonifacio)

Saint Michael the Archangel is the most badass angel in Heaven. He slices up dragons. He slays giant serpents. And, the best of all, he KOed Satan out of Heaven.

Saint Michael is so badass that he was considered by the Church as the head of the Heavenly Army and the Prince of Angels. In military parlance, we can say that Saint Michael is the Chief of Staff of the Heavenly Army. His Commander in Chief is none other than our Lord.

Saint Michael is considered as protector of Christian soldiers. Thus, it is no wonder then why Filipino soldiers venerate the archangel as their personal patron.

I noticed this veneration to Saint Michael the Archangel when I entered the chapel dedicated to him inside a Philippine Army camp in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

My favorite image of the archangel welcomed me as I entered the chapel grounds.

This signifies that the Devil will never be victorious against the followers of Jesus Christ because Saint Michael will be there to defend them.

Saint Michael the Archangel Chapel is one of the few churches in the Philippines where the lector and the servers are members of the Military. The Mass in this chapel is being presided by a military chaplain.

Unfortunately, I visited this chapel after the Easter Sunday thus the crucified image of Christ was covered by an image of the Risen Lord.

I am not sure though if what they did was correct. The truth is that I didn’t like this change in the altar.

This is the view of the altar during the normal days:

(Source: RARMartinez Fotografia)

At the side of the altar is the image of the military’s patron saint.

What I found weird is that the lectern bears the logo of the Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas (Philippine Army).

The pew also bears the Philippine Military logo.

Despite being called a chapel, Saint Michael the Archangel is bigger than some church structures. In fact, it is big enough to hold weddings and baptisms.

Saint Michael the Archangel Chapel is the most popular angels in Christianity and many soldiers around the world ask for his intercession. He is also considered as the protector of the Church and Catholics seek his protection by uttering this prayer:

Saint Michael the Archangel,

defend us in battle.

Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,

and do thou,

O Prince of the heavenly hosts,

by the divine power of God,

cast into hell Satan,

and all the evil spirits,

who roam throughout the world

seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

I always say this prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel together with the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be prayers. I especially say this prayer whenever I felt fear or if I think there are demons or evil spirits in my vicinity. I believe, like the whole Church believes, that Saint Michael will defend those who are oppressed by Satan and his minions.

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Visita Iglesia: Marine Barracks Chapel

A friend had his wedding inside the place, which I think, is the most unexpected of all. This place is the chapel inside of the Marine Barracks in Fort Bonifacio. It was unexpected because my friend is not a member of the Marine Corps and I thought that weddings of soldiers are the only ones allowed inside a military camp.

I am glad, nonetheless, because I got the chance to enter the Marine Barracks and even its chapel.

The chapel was dedicated to Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary La Naval de Manila. There’s a bit of history why a chapel inside a camp under the Philippine Navy was dedicated to her.

In 1646, Netherlands and Spain were at war. The Philippines, then a colony of Spain, was not spared from the attacks of the Dutch.  The colonial naval force was in a sorry state during that time. Initially, the Spanish-Filipino navy only had 4 ships, two of which was described as old and rotting away. The Dutch, on the other hand, deployed 18 ships.

Defeat was the obvious outcome if these two navies clash. The only hope in defeating the Dutch is a miracle. The soldiers prayed the Rosary on their knees. They even vowed that they will walk barefoot to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary when they emerge victorious.

Their prayers were answered and the Dutch navy received a death blow after the fifth battle near Lubang Island of Mindoro.

Since the victory against the Dutch, the image of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary La Naval de Manila (which is currently enshrined in Santo Domingo Church), is one of the most revered images of Mama Mary in the Philippines.

Because of her miracle, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary La Naval de Manila became the patroness of the Philippine Navy.

The chapel's interior is simple but I like it. Since it is just a chapel, its interior is not spacious enough. But I think it’s good for couples who want privacy for their wedding. The small space is perfect for a small number of guests. Also, the public shy away from the chapel since it is located inside the Marine Barracks.

What I like the most with this chapel is that the Tabernacle is at its rightful place.

I don't know if the chapel can be visited by anyone. What I know is that it is open for weddings, and maybe, for other special occasions.

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Information about the naval battle by Filipinos and Spaniards against the Dutch were obtained from website of La Naval de Manila and the Battles of La Naval de Manila and Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary la Naval de Manila articles from Wikipedia.

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Visita Iglesia is a Catholic tradition of visiting seven churches during Maundy Thursday. For each day, this Holy Week, I will feature one church as a sort of virtual Visita Iglesia.
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