Visita Iglesia ’09 – On the Run

Visita Iglesia is a time honored Philippine tradition.  People visit Churches during Holy Thursday where they pray the Stations of the Cross or medidate on the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus.  People say that we need to visit 14 Churches.  Others say 7 and others say one is enough provided you enter the Church 7 times during the day.

I started doing the Visita Iglesia with my family in 1992 and it remained unbroken until last year when I had to miss it due to a Closed Lenten Retreat that I attended.  During those times, I brought my car.  But this year I thought that I should do something different – I would have my Visita Iglesia in the Vicariate of Our Lady of the Abandoned and do it on the run.  Nobody wanted to join me.

I started my Visita Iglesia at the St. Jerome Emiliani and Sta. Susana Church right across Alabang Town Center.  This Parish is administered by the Somascan Priests and is the Mother Parish of St. James the Great.  At 8:00 am, the Church was still closed presumably because the priests were attending the Chrism Mass at the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Shrine in Sucat.

St. Jerome Emiliani and Sta. Susana Church, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa

St. Jerome and Sta. Susana Parish side entrance

I then proceeded to run along Commerce Avenue on to the old National Highway proceeding to the junction of the National Penitentiary where the Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned, the seat of our Vicariate,  was located.   I also found out that the sidewalks of Bayanan were narrow so I had to zigzag my way around pedestrians and motor vehicles.  This made me slow down considerably.

Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned, Bayanan, Muntinlupa

The next stop was Mary Mother of God Parish along the old National Highway.   I still had to weave my way around people and motor vehicles.  The sun was up and it was getting warmer and warmer by the minute.

Mary Mother of God Church, Bayanan, Muntinlupa

Interior of Mary Mother of God Church

Next was San Roque Church, the Mother Parish of St. Jerome Emiliani and St. James the Great Parish.  I had to walk from Metropolis up to the Church as there was no way I could run because of the number of people and the inhospitable Molina St..

San Roque Church, Alabang, Muntinlupa

Interior of San Roque Church

It was almost 10:00am and the heat was punishing.  I ran towards Commerce Avenue up and make a second visit to St. Jerome and Sta. Susana Church.

Interior of St. Jerome and Sta. Susana Church

I made my last run to my alma mater’s Alabang facility San Beda College.  It was nice to be in the familiar Benedictine environment at the height of the summer heat.  For one, the aircon in the chapel was refreshing.  I really needed to cool down at this point.  While  the simplicity of St. Benedict Chapel is something to behold, it is not a favorite destination of Visita Iglesia.

St. Benedict Chapel, Alabang Hills, Muntinlupa

Interior of St. Benedict Chapel

It was at this point that I called it quits and started walking on my way home.  I feared that I might suffer heat stroke if I continued running.  There are still many more times to run.

I capped the day serving at the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper in St. James the Great Parish, my last stop.

St. James the Great Parish, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa

Interior of St. James the Great Parish

Altar of Repose, St. James the Great Parish

This Visita Iglesia was not just a Way of the Cross recitation but a time for meditation, prayer and thanksgiving.