Visita Iglesia is one of the most pleasant traditions that Catholics observe during the Lenten season. And by going to the right churches, two things can be done at the same time - offer a solemn prayer, and immerse in culture kept alive within the walls of ancestral churches. We are offering you four tour options to have a more meaningful way of spending the Holy Week: 1 is in Batangas, 2 is in Bataan , 3 is in Pampanga and 4 in Cavite.
For more information please contact 0919-893-7236 or email mariarona.beltran@yahoo.com
For more information please contact 0919-893-7236 or email mariarona.beltran@yahoo.com
We already have a Visita Iglesia Tour Package for 2014. For more details please click here.
5 SLOTS LEFTDate: March 28, 2013
Maundy Thursday
Assembly: at Caltex North Ave fronting Trinoma Mall
beside Mc Donalds at 4:30am
Churches to visit:
Mary Magdalene Parish
Our Lady of Pilar Parish
Immaculate Conception Parish
Shrine of the Our Lady of La Salette
Nuestra Senora de Candelaria
Adoration Convent of Divine Mercy
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish
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TOUR OPTION 2 BATANGAS
11 SLOTS LEFT
Date : Holy Wednesday, March 27
Assembly Places : St. Francis Street, Mandaluyong City (back of EDSA Shangri-La Hotel)
: Shell Magallanes, Makati City
Assembly Time : 5:45 a.m. – St. Francis Street
: 6:00 a.m. – Shell Magallanes
Departure : 6:00 a.m. – St. Francis Street
: 6:15 a.m. – Shell Magallanes
Churches : Cathedral of San Sebastian, Lipa
: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Lipa
: Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Joseph, San Jose
: Church of St. Isidore the Farmer, Cuenca
: Basilica of St. Martin of Tours, Taal
: Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay, Caysasay
: Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Tagaytay
Tour Cost : PhP2,000.00 per person, inclusive of round-trip land transportation in an air-conditioned tourist bus, services of a DOT-accredited tour guide and, buffet lunch of Taaleño cuisine at Taal Bistro in Taal.
Tour Highlights
1. Venerate the image of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Grace in the Carmelite convent where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared 19 times to a novice in 1948.
2. Devotees making a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay will now be able to receive the same plenary indulgence granted to pilgrims who visit the ancient basilica of St. Mary Major (Sta. Maria Maggiore) in Rome.
3. Rev. Fr. Nelson Osorio, OSJ, a well-loved healing priest, will lead a general healing pray-over for tour participants during the stop in the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Joseph, one of the best-preserved church complexes in the province of Batangas.
4. Visit the biggest Catholic Church in East Asia, declared a National Shrine in 1974. The Minor Basilica of St. Martin de Tours has been recently restored and is once again, one of the most beautiful churches in the country.
5. Batangas’ only pipe organ can be found in the Cathedral of San Sebastian.
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TOUR OPTION 3: BATAAN
5 SLOTS LEFTDate of Departure : Holy Thursday, March 28
Assembly Places : St. Francis Street, Mandaluyong City (back of EDSA Shangri-La Hotel)
: Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City (front of Jollibee)
Assembly Time : 5:45 a.m. – St. Francis Street
: 6:00 a.m. – Mindanao Avenue
Departure : 6:00 a.m. – St. Francis Street
: 6:15 a.m. – Mindanao Avenue
Churches : Church of St. Peter, Hermosa
: Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Orani
: Church of St. Catherine of Sienna, Samal
: Church of St. Dominic, Abucay
: Cathedral of St. Joseph, Balanga
: Church of Our Lady of the Pillar, Pilar
: Church of St. Michael the Archangel, Orion
Tour Cost : PhP2,300.00 per person, inclusive of round-trip land transportation in an air-conditioned tourist bus, services of a DOT-accredited tour guide and, buffet lunch at Louis Resort in Balanga.
Tour Highlights
1. Offer prayer intentions to the miraculous image of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Orani. The retablo is the best preserved in the province.
2. The Church of St. Catherine of Sienna has the most intact colonial convent in the province.
3. During WW II, the Cathedral of St. Joseph was used as an artillery bunker to bombard Mt. Samat where Filipino and American troops gave their last stand.
4. A National Historical Landmark, the Church of St. Dominic housed the first printing press in the country where Fr. Francisco Blancas de San Jose and Don Tomas Pinpin printed several books in Spanish and Tagalog. Its courtyard was the site of a fierce battle between the Dutch invaders and the Kapampangan defenders on June 23, 1647.
5. The colonial church of Our Lady of the Pillar has its belfry uniquely located on top of the church’s main façade.
6. While the Church of St. Michael the Archangel looks small, its interior is a sight to behold – from the retablo, to the painted ceiling, to the chandeliers, to the flooring and walls.
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TOUR OPTION 4: PAMPANGA
SOLD OUT
Date of Departure : Holy Thursday, March 28
Assembly Places : St. Francis Street, Mandaluyong City (back of EDSA Shangri-La Hotel)
: Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City (front of Jollibee)
Assembly Time : 5:45 a.m. – St. Francis Street
: 6:00 a.m. – Mindanao Avenue
Departure : 6:00 a.m. – St. Francis Street
: 6:15 a.m. – Mindanao Avenue
Churches : Church of St. Rita de Cascia, Sta. Rita
: Church of St. James the Great, Betis
: Church of San Guillermo, Bacolor
: Church of St. Monica, Minalin
: Cathedral of the Holy Rosary, Angeles
: Church of St. Catherine, Arayat
: Church of San Luis Gonzaga, San Luis
Tour Cost : PhP2,200.00 per person, inclusive of round-trip land transportation in an air-conditioned tourist bus, services of a DOT-accredited tour guide and, buffet lunch at Everybody’s Café in San Fernando.
Tour Highlights
1. The town of Sta. Rita is home to the Holy Relic of St. Rita de Cascia. The first-class relic, part of the flesh of the incorrupt body of the Saint, is housed in a special altar at the left side of the town’s colonial church.
2. The unadorned exterior does not prepare the visitor for what he is about to witness inside. A National Cultural Treasure, the Church of St. James the Great is often called the “Sistine Chapel of the Philippines” because of the spectacular murals that fill up its walls, wooden ceiling and dome. The ornately decorated main altar has saints peeking out from niches like ancient dolls.
3. Once the biggest church in the province, the church in Bacolor is now half buried in lahar. Visitors now enter the church through the choir loft windows. The townspeople of Bacolor take pride in their rich heritage (at one time, Bacolor served as the capital of the Philippines from 1762 – 1765, and was once Pampanga’s best preserved heritage town), which is why they painstakingly excavated the ornately carved wooden main and side altars which are now back to their pristine condition.
4. The Renaissance Church of St. Monica and its convent are enclosed by a low stone atrium with four capillas posas, a rarity in Philippine churches. A detail not to be missed are the corbels and beams in the convent and in the church, with carvings that some say depict pre-Hispanic pagan deities like naga (serpent), dapu (crocodile), and galura (eagle).
5. The Cathedral of the Holy Rosary was constructed from 1860 – 1891 through a forced labor system known as Polos y Servicios. It served as a military hospital for the Americans during the Filipino-American War. The cathedral has a beautiful transept that measures 70 meters long, 20 meters wide, and 12 meters high.
6. The Church of St. Catherine is one of the oldest in the province and is known for its classical architecture.
7. The Church of San Luis Gonzaga’s three-tower façade is perhaps the only one of its kind in the country. Do not miss to check out the centuries-old cemetery, located in a hidden corner at the back of the church, with some tombstones dating back to the 1800s and bearing the names of the town’s prominent families.
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