Holy week this year is significantly different. The RH bill controversy has made most of the churches we went to seem unwelcoming (there was a giant banner infront of the Our Lady of Consolation Parish with saying “Buhay ang bayad sa RH bill” or Life is the payment for the RH bill [non verbatim]), while the absence of my nephew has made the house extremely silent.
As usual we had our yearly Visita Iglesia, though this time we started earlier as my old grandmother accompanied us this year. We returned to our regularly visited parishes (instead of traveling around manila looking for old churches) to conserve on gasoline as well as not to strain my grandmother’s legs.
Visita Iglesia is a catholic tradition that stemmed from pilgrims who visited the seven pilgrim churches of rome for penance during Maundy Thursday.
I wasn’t able to take a lot of shot’s as we we’re trying to get back home earlier this year but I was able to take a snap shot of the Church of the Gesu from my Iphone. Unfortunately the cross got chopped on at the end.
The Church of the Gesu, Ateneo de Manila University
The Church of the Gesu is one of the church’s I really really like going to during Visita Iglesia. This year the presentation of the blessed sacrifice was simpler than other year’s but the screen showing Mel Gibson’s The Passion was still playing on the side. I haven’t really been back at the Gesu since I graduated (and I’ve rarely visited the Ateneo these last few months) so it was a nice treat to come back.