Lomography

Quiet Afternoon at Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church
written by eclair on September 25th, 2009 , 4 comments (6 votes)

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A quiet Monday afternoon will make you end up in a locked up church. It will only open in the afternoon for a mass. Well, even church staff and priests need their holidays, I suppose. But God listens even to those who pray on such occasions. After all, it’s a matter of faith. The Philippines is very much Catholic and the Spanish influences are apparent. The very name of the church is an evidence.

Here’s trivia about this church:
bq. “The foundations of this church and monastery of the Augustinian Order were laid in 1601 and construction work was finished in 1629. Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe was chosen titular patroness in 1803. After the Chinese uprising of 1839 this sanctuary served as a seat of devotion for the Chinese. The buildings withstood the earthquakes of 1645, 1658, 1754 and 1863. The masonry roof of the church collapsed in the earthquakes of 1880 and the structure was rebuilt in 1882 by Rev. Jose Corujedo, O.S.A. Site of an orphan asylum and trade school administered by the Augustinian Order for the benefit of the children of the victims of the cholera of 1882. Both church and monastery were gutted by fire in February 1898, during the early skirmishes between Americans and Filipinos.”

Indeed, this church reflects the history of our people too. Having to go through all those things. In any case, these days, this church not only stands for the history of that area, it’s also a place where people find a haven for their weary souls, or a place to celebrate newly wedded bliss. Apparently, couples decide to get married here not only because of its location but its beautiful interior as well.