A sort of pilgrimage to the relic of St. Francis of Assisi at the Sta. Clara Monastery

My siblings had already visited the relic of St. Francis of Assisi when it was still as the St. Francis of Assisi Church at Lourdes Mandaluyong. I wasn't able to get a chance to go there but my brother sent me the schedule and saw that this week, the relic will be at the Monasterio de Sta. Clara in Katipunan, Quezon City. 

Sta. Clara was transferred to its current location back in the 1990s prior to the construction of the Aurora Flyover and the Line 2 Katipunan Station. The lot where it was previously is unoccupied.

 

The relic is located at the right when facing the altar. It will be here until June 26th.

Sta. Clara when I visited before noontime had few people. One vendor mentioned that this time of the year, the church usually had the most visitors on Sundays. There are no licensure exams or entrance exams coming up soon so I guess many who come here to say a prayer and ask for help in their exams are elsewhere or maybe visiting other churches or shrines for the same purpose. I wonder how many come back for thanksgiving after their desired results are granted. 

I think Sta. Clara remains a place for quiet reflection and prayer. It is not as crowded as Quiapo or Antipolo or Baclaran. You can actually come and sit or kneel away from the other people in the church so you can immerse yourself in prayer or meditation. The nuns pray and sing solemnly at a section separated from visitors so you will probably hear their humming voices while you are there. They only increase the volume when they sing and respond during the regular Masses held at the monastery church. 

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Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Church, Miag-ao, Iloilo

I am back in Iloilo. While this trip is mainly work-related, we were planning to have a side trip during our free time. Unfortunately though, a storm is arriving soon in this area. Tropical storm Basyang is currently inundating provinces in Mindanao and Visayas, and is expected to bring heavy rains to Iloilo today. We might just be content on doing indoor activities then.

Meanwhile, I am content in posting (late post) some photos of Miag-ao Church that I took during my travel here last November. 

Church facade 

UNESCO market recognizing the church as a World Heritage Site

The church as seen from the grounds

 

The main altar features a retablo with key figures such as the crucified Christ and the Sto. Nino.

The church features a long main aisle, which is preferred by many for church weddings (i.e., the bridal march is longer and somewhat more dramatic).

Another view of the church interior

More on Iloilo later! 

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Mortuary Chapel of San Joaquin, Iloilo

San Joaquin, Iloilo also has a mortuary chapel that was designated as a National Cultural Treasure. It features a baroque design that has been preserved over so many years. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a good photo of the chapel itself. We didn't stop by for photos, and I was only able to take this quick photo of the main gate to the cemetery that leads to the chapel.

 

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San Joaquin Church, Iloilo

The last time I was in San Joaquin, Iloilo was on a side trip in September 2024. It was raining then and I couldn't get a good photo of the church. It was also closed and so I wasn't able to get photos of the interior. Two weekends ago, we were back in San Joaquin and I made sure we could go out and take some nice photos of one of the heritage churches in the province.

Photo of the church with the image of Christ the King at the center of the plaza

The details on the facade depicts the Spanish victory over the Moors in the Battle of Tetuan.

Photo of the church front showing the historical markers and the statues of saints including San Joaquin.

Historical marker ca. 1977

Inside the church is a long aisle leading to the main altar. The ceiling appears to have been reconstructed and includes two giant fans to help make parishioners more comfortable.

The main altar features this retablo.

A more recent marker relating the history of the church and the carving on its front pediment.

Plaque stating the church to have been designated as a National Cultural Treasure in July 2001.

There's a view of the Garin Farm cross from the church grounds. We actually came from there before we went to San Joaquin Church.

More on the heritage churches in the next posts! 

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Back in Cabatuan

I previously wrote about recharging my batteries. That simply won't do by just traveling to Iloilo. I had to go to the hometown of Tatay, which I have always called my hometown, too. I spent many summer breaks there including when I was already working and wanted to have some days off and a change in environment. Though I am heartbroken every time I see what looks like our old house there in ruins, I just had to go around and see the place on a drive-by. 

The main altar and retablo of the San Nicolas Tolentino Church in Cabatuan, Iloilo

Pathway to the main gate of the Cabatuan Catholic Cemetery

The cemetery's mortuary chapel is currently under renovation. 

I always feel emotional when on a homecoming no matter how brief. There's just so many memories of so many places there including our home that is now practically unrecognizable from what I have in my mind and heart. I would like to keep those happy memories that I cherish and remember with fondness. They keep me calm and grounded in life.

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Our Lady of Peñafrancia Minor Basilica and National Shrine, Naga City

We made sure we were able to visit the shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia the last time we were in Naga City. It is actually a jeepney ride away from the hotel we were staying at but we chose to go there as part of our morning walk. And we were pleasantly surprised to see a lot of people also walking and jogging on the church grounds including priests and nuns who probably walk as part of their health routine. One can actually do some meditation while walking. People weren't noisy and were just going about their business.

Sign at the entrance/main gate of the basilica, which is a pilgrim church of the Archdiocese of Caceres

The basilica's main grounds are spacious with wide roads that are also used by people walking or jogging around the area.

Side view of the basilica showing the bell tower, which is to the right if you were facing the main door (shown in another photo)

One of the large stained glass windows as seen from the outside

Side view of the basilica

The basilica as seen from the lawn fronting it

The gazebo features stained glass at the central part of the dome

The front of the basilica featuring the bell tower at the right. It was difficult to get a clear shot as many people usually take photos here.

A peek at the basilica's interior from just outside the main door

A view of the church interior from the main door

A view of the church interior showing the vaulted ceiling, the stained glass windows, and the main altar.

A close-up of the main altar of the basilica with the image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia prominently featured.

The grounds are definitely more spacious than the old shrine and also more spacious than the cathedral grounds. There were a lot of people walking or jogging at the basilica grounds including a few nuns we spotted who were also doing some exercise. We thought that allowing people to do their morning exercises there also strengthens the church's relationship with the general community. The grounds and the church welcomes everyone including non-Catholics.

 

I just wanted to post this before I forget about the photos. I am actually heading to Naga City again in early August as we continue on our project there. I am not sure I would be able to visit the basilica the next time we visit. And it is getting close to the fiesta in September so perhaps they would have started sprucing up here and the older church in time for the celebrations, when a lot of people are expected for homecomings. 

 

[A bit of history - During the Spanish Period in the Philippines, there were 4 original Dioceses established by the Roman Catholic Church that eventually became archdioceses. These are Manila, Cebu, Nueva Caceres (Naga) and Nueva Segovia (Viga). The use of 'nueva' here is similar to its use while referring to towns or provinces in Spain. There is a Caceres and Segovia there as well as an Ecija and a Vizcaya.]

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San Francisco de Asis Parish Church, Naga City

While the nearest church to our hotel was the cathedral, not so far was the San Francisco de Asis Parish. San Francisco de Asis, of course, is St. Francis of Assisi, who founded the Franciscan Order that later also branched out the Poor Clares and the Capuchins. [I attended school at a Capuchin run institution for my Elementary and High School education.] The parish was along the way to the PNR Station that I wanted to see and is located across Quince Martires Plaza.

The church's frontage makes you think this is a small church. In truth, it is a large one with a long aisle leading to the main altar.

One of the minor altars to the right of the main altar.

A close-up of the icons of the minor altar shows a crowned image of Our Lady, angels and an image of what seems to be St. Veronica holding the cloth used to wipe Christ's face on his way to Calvary.

The main figures of the main altar shows St. Francis of Assisi embracing the crucified Christ, whose one arm is stretched towards Francis. This is very familiar to me as I studied at Lourdes Mandaluyong where our church and school features the same in the main altar and logos.

A view of the stained glass windows and pews of the church

Schedule of liturgical celebrations at the parish church.

More on the churches in Naga City soon!

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The old shrine to Our Lady of Peñafrancia

The old shrine Our Lady of Peñafrancia is along Peñafrancia Avenue. It is still visited by many people and like others like it, there is supposed to be an hourly Mass. It is very accessible as it is along the national highway and you can easily get there using public transportation. Here are some photos I took last June 21.

Most of the grounds are paved and typically used for parking.

The old shrine is smaller and though there's some space on the grounds that's usually used for parking.

Historical marker at the church

The main altar of the shrine

There is a stage there that I assume is used for special occasions including the feast of Our Lady.

The carriage used in transporting the image is parked here.

I took this close-up of the relief displayed as a backdrop at the stage. It depicts the devotion of the citizens of this city to Our Lady. The larger figures are probably prominent people in Naga's history who are linked to the devotion to Our Lady.

I tried to get a nice photo of the shrine with Mt. Isarog in the background. The power lines were in the way though.

I tried to get another, car-free photo of the shrine but it was impossible considering the constant arrival of people on cars.

I usually light some candles at the churches I visit. 

 

More on my recent travels to Naga City on my posts this month of July! 

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The Metropolitan Cathedral and Parish of St. John the Evangelist - Part 2

We were finally able to enter the cathedral on our next visit to Naga City. Here are photos from that trip, all taken in the morning. We actually did our morning walk around the city and our final stop was at the cathedral.

The Porta Mariae - he main gateway of the cathedral featuring an image of Our Lady of Penafrancia and two angels blowing trumpets.

The dome with the cathedral in the background

The cathedral is being repainted

A peak inside through the main door showing the main altar.

Large churches like this usually have one or more minor altars where prayers, novenas, other rites or even Masses may be held. Altars like this 

One of the main doors of the cathedral

Photo showing the expanse of the cathedral including the ceiling of this grand church.

A close-up of the main altar. Note that this is not the shrine or basilica to Our Lady of Penafrancia. The retablo is simpler and features the Crucifix, Mother Mary and St. John the Evangelist (who is also St. John of the Cross or San Juan dela Cruz, the beloved apostle).

I will share photos of the Shrine and Basilica in the next posts. 

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