Saturday, March 21, 2015

Lenten Pilgrimage In Rizal Province

The Today would be the Lenten Pilgrimage in Rizal Province arranged by Green Faith Travels.  Meet-up is at McDonald's at Greenbelt.  There would be two (2) buses.  Our Pilgrimage Chaplain is Fr. Alex Balatbat, who joined us at Regina RICA.  Registration starts at 4AM, ETD 4:30AM.  Was able to leave at 5AM.  We stopped along Ortigas to pick-up other pilgrims.

Pilgrimage Bus

Our first Church is the National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo, where we would also be attending the Mass.

"In 1578, the Franciscans prepared Antipolo to be our Lady's Shrine with the missionaries' teaching of Catholic faith.  On March 25, 1626, on the Feast of the Annunciation, the galleon Almirante arrived with Gov. Gen. Juan Nino de Tabor who brought with him a dark image of the Virgin from Acapulco, Mexico.  Don Juan died in 1632 and in his will entrusted the care of the image to the Jesuits.

"It was said that the image disappeared twice from her altar and was found on the branches of a tipulo tree.  The Jesuits then ordered a church built in the vicinity of the tree and the trunk was used to carve the pedestal for her.

"The statue travelled the Pacific Ocean several times as patroness of the galleon trade.  Hence, on September 8, 1823, Manila Archbishop Miguel Poblete conferred on the Virgin of Antipolo the title of Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje.

"The Church was declared a National Shrine of the Philippines on January 14, 1954 dedicated to the Virgin Queen of Peach and Good Voyage."

National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage

Before proceeding to the rest of the Churches, we had breakfast at Gloria's Bahay Handaan.

Gloria's Bahay Handaan

Our next stop is the Regina RICA at Tanay.  This is where we had our recollection as well as vegetarian lunch.

"The Regina Rosarii Institue for Contemplation in Asia (RICA) is the response of the founding community to continue the ministry of bringing healing, hope and hospitality to all those who look up to our Lady.

"The Dominican Sisters of the Regina Rosarii, is a community of consecrated women called to be Salt of the Earth.  They were former members of the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary fo the Philippines who continued the apostolate in Tanay.  They conduct retreats, recollections and seminars.  Accompaniment in Contemplative Prayer and Devotion to Regina Rosarii; broadcast ministry through radio and cellphone; and Socio-pastoral services."

Regina RICA

Next is the St. Mary Magdelene in Pililla.

"The first missionary priest arrived in 1572 and named the place Pilang-Morong, being a 'visita' or barrio of Morong town.  In 1583, the place gained its independence, thus a new name Pililla, which means small Pila, to distinguish it from Pila, Laguna.

"The first stone church was completed in 1673 and was dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene.  The church underwent renovation since its establishment, including its main altar in 2004, bringing back the grandiose by mingling both and new architectural designs."

St. Mary Magdalene

Our next Church is San Ildefonso de Toledo in Tanay.

"Monte Tan-ay separated from Pililla in 1606 and was made an independent parish.  San Ildefonso de Toledo was chosen as the patron saint with Fray Pedro de Tavera as first parish priest.

"The original San Ildenfonso Church was built more than four centuries ago but was relocated three times.  The structure today is much bigger and was completed in 1783.

"The church houses the 1st class relic of a small bone of San Ildefonso given to Rev. Fr. Felipe Pedraja on October 2006.

"In front of the church, is a 13-foot tall sculpture of the Virgin Mary appearing before San Ildefonso de Toledo.  It used to be a lifeless acacia tree and one of the two trees said to have been planted by a Franciscan priest on the churchyard.

"The 14 Stations of the Cross inside the church is considered to be one of the most beautiful Stations of the Cross in all of Asia.  It is believed to be the work of a native artist of Tanay.

"The Church was declared as one of the five Jubilee Churches in the Diocese of Antipolo in 1999.  On July 31, 2001 the church was declared a National Culture Treasure by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts along with 25 other churches in the Philippines."

San Ildefonso de Toledo

Next stop is St. Joseph in Baras.  We were not able to go near the altar as wedding is ongoing.  But we were able to pray the Stations/s of the Cross.

"The parish of Baras was founded in 1595 by the Franciscan Missionaries on the present site of Bosoboso.  It was then called Santiago, after the patron St. James the Apostle until such time that it became Baras.  The present church was completed in 1686 and solemnly dedicated under a new patron saint, St. Joseph, The Patriarch.

"The parish of Baras was fondly called the Darling of the Archbishop of Manila because there was a time when all the parishes in Eastern Rizal were given to the Columban missionaries except Baras, which remained under the administration of the secular clergy."

St. Joseph

Our last Church is St. Jerome in Morong.

"Christianization of Morong by two Franciscans, Fr. Juan de Placencia and Fr. Diego Oropesa, dates back in 1578.  They built small chapels in the sitios attached to bigger settlement called Pueblo de Morong, which was later made the capital.

"The stone and mortar church was built in 1615 through forced labor and under the direction of Chinese master craftsmen as evidenced by the Chinese lion sculptures at the entrance to the steep driveway.  The three-storey facade was built from 1850-1853 to support the new belfry
."

St. Jerome

On our way back to Makati, Green Faith Travels gave the pilgrims a rosary bracelet with Benedictine Cross.  Also received a sleeping St. Joseph.  Yes!  This is the one mentioned by Pope Francis when he visited us in the Philippines.  And for the trivia, I won an image of Our Lady of Antipolo.  Thanks!


1 Comments:

At 11/12/2015 10:53:00 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

Hi! Would like to ask for permission in using your photos for Tanay. Kindly e-mail me for more details. Hope you'd allow us to!

 

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