Immaculate Concepcion Parish

Inside the Immaculate Concepcion Church during bisita iglesia, meditation about the stations of the cross is the main theme. The icon of the patron saint is covered by the purple cloth during semana santa or holy week to put special emphasis on the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

dasmarinas cavite church

Immaculate Concepcion Parish is in the center of Dasmarinas Cavite town proper. Many students and alumni of De Lasalle University Dasmarinas are very familiar with this church.
The feast day of this parish is December 5th which coincides to the feast of Immaculate Concepcion. Renovations are ongoing inside and outside the church.

Nature Church

The entrance of the Church has a gate made of wood branches weaved together at the end, and the surrounding walls are adobe like blocks populated by creeping flowers and weeping vines. The top of the church has a wooden cross that is lit at night. There is also a chapel beside the church with wooden pews and a San Damiano cross in the front.
Fr. Raniero Cantalamesa, the preacher to the papal household, wrote that God revealed Himself to us through creation and through the Word (written and oral). How fitting to read and preach the Word of God in a nature like setting. God revealed fully in the Nature Church of Mary Immaculate Parish.

Mary Immaculate Parish

Mary Immaculate Parish is in Moonwalk, Las Pinas, Philippines. It is built using indigenous materials and cooperation with nature in mind. . The roof of the church was made of Anahaw leaves, the light fixtures were made of capiz shells shaped like doves, and tree trunks were used for the pews/seats. A giant clam shell was used for the holy water font. Trees and shrubs lined the border and support the roof creating an open and welcoming design.

Amazing paint job, use of bright colors, and customized designs are very common in the Philippines.

Filipino craftmanship

Move over Sarao or Malaguena motors. This is not AM General's Hummer H1 but a could pass for one. The combination of basic automotive knowledge and Filipino craftmanship is amazing. Click picture to find similarities and notable differences. Buckle up!

Street scene

Go Green! This public mode of transportation has a negative carbon footprint and is classified as an (HOV) high occupancy vehicle. One more passenger and it is ready to go. Street scene from Divisoria.

More Churches

More Churhes that we went to during Holy week 2008.
Nature Church at Moonwalk Las Pinas, Amadeo Church, and Simbahan ng Mabuting Pastol in Pala-Pala Philippines.

Different Church architechtures

During Holy Thursday, seven churches are visited to reflect on the fourteen station of the cross. The churches in the pictures are La Sallete Shrine, Binondo Church, Immaculate Concepcion Church in Dasmarinas Cavite, Imus Cathedral, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.

If walls could talk

The walls of the Church also holds remains of notable people of Silang from the 1700's and earlier. This one here is a young boy with the last name of Montoya.

There is also an old baptismal font located in the right side of the church where most of the children were baptized and was born of water and spirit.

Church facade

The facade of Silang church has a concrete awning that was added during renovation. The front door has a figure of two large keys crossing each other.
The circular stained glass windows are also new.
The height of the church is another sign of trying to point to heaven or getting closer to God. Moses went to a mountain to talk to God, Enoch was taken up to the mountain by God, and Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac on a mountain.
The back of the church used to have evergreen trees and was converted to a parking lot.

Silang town proper

This is a view of the town proper from where the church bells are located. Strategically placed to maximize the reach, the bells would signal the start of mass, angelus, funeral, town fiesta or special announcements.
The Silang Church is located on Jose Rizal Street, next to the municipal building and Infant Jesus Academy.

silangchurch bell

This part of the church was destroyed by earthquake back in 1880 and was reconstructed in 1989. All the bells are located in the top floor to improve resonance and reach as far as possible.

This is the new ceiling in the middle of the church, shaped like a dome, with new fixtures. The flat ceiling had asbestos insulation and was replaced by woodstrips arranged in a circular motion. Even the walls were renovated to appear like adobe bricks.

Hidden features

The Choir sings in this next level like angels lending their voices to sing praises to God. Singing is praying twice.

The winding stairs goes up to the church bell. The Church uses sounds (bells, music), smell (incense), sight (arts, light), and all our senses to allow us to experience God in His fullnes. This is the closest we could get and use our finite mind in order to comprehend His infinite being.

Silang Church internal beauty

1. 
   Image of Silang Church, between the two intricate pillars viewed from the entrance created the sense of depth going towards the altar.
2. The view from the ceiling made of wooden strips towards the pews and altar represents the height. The altar illustrates the story of salvation. From the patriarchs, prophets, and saints to the salvific events such as nativity, Christ's baptism, pentecost, and coronation, all were represented. All carved in wood and painted, created to help a young mind to understand the Word of God and salvation history. During mass, the universality of music and art lift our spirit to God's worship.
   
   

Silang Church History

Providence has returned me to Silang Cavite Church to culminate my sabbatical voyage. Initially established by the Franciscans in 1595 but burned down, and reestablished in 1697 dedicated to Nuestra Senora de Candelaria. The Church was patterned after the Rococo style. Recent improvements inside the church preserved such style, which is not possible without the charitable help of the parishioners. The preservations helped elevate worship to the level that was originally intended, that is, to create heaven on earth with the use of height, width and depth.