FILIPINO Catholics have entered the last week of Lent, which began when they carried their palaspas, or palm fronds, to church and prayed for peace on Palm Sunday.
Many are expected to flock again to multiple churches for the traditional Visita Iglesia this Holy Week.
This pious practice, passed down to members of Generation Z by family elders, requires devotees to visit at least seven churches, often done on Maundy Thursday, and pray at the Stations of the Cross. Visita Iglesia is a form of vow for some who believe that their prayers will be granted if they complete the stations.
There is no specific set of churches for this religious tradition, allowing devotees to plan for their own Holy Week pilgrimage. There are plenty of churches in the Philippines, and Metro Manila houses some of the famous churches one could include in their Visita Iglesia this year:
Binondo Church
One can complete their Visita Iglesia even if they only explore Manila City. Among the many churches in the nation’s capital is the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of San Lorenzo Ruiz—popularly known as Binondo Church.
Built in 1596 by the Dominicans, the Binondo Church witnessed several important events in the modern history of Philippine Christianism, including the formal opening of Caritas Internationalis’ Global Week of Action by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle in June 2018.
Sta. Cruz Parish
A few minutes walk from the Binondo Church is the Parish of Sta. Cruz, established by the Jesuits in the 17th century.
This parish is where the Confraternity of the Our Lady of the Pillar was canonically founded in 1743. The Our Lady of the Pillar statue, which was brought from Spain, was then enshrined at the parish and became its patroness.
Malate Church
The existence of the Our Lady of Remedies Parish, also known as Malate Church, dates back to 1588 when the Augustinian friars built a church in honor of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, the patroness of childbirth.
It is also one of the churches in the Philippines that took part in the country’s rich history, becoming the headquarters of the British troops during their occupation of Manila.
Tondo Church
The Archdiocesan Shrine of Santo Niño, or Tondo Church, is known for being the home to Sto. Niño de Tondo, the second oldest image of the Infant Jesus in the Philippines. Tondo is popular for the feast day of Sto. Niño de Tondo, celebrated every third Sunday of January.
Legends say that Tondo Church stands on the site of the palace of Tondo’s last ruler, Lakandula.
Paco Church
Also found in the capital city is San Fernando de Dilao Parish, or simply Paco Church, which honors the Castillian King Saint Fernando III de Castilla y León.
According to its historical marker, it was the first chapel built in 1599-1601, but was damaged during the Chinese uprising in 1603. The Paco Church has been repaired multiple times as its previous structures were damaged by natural disasters like earthquakes in 1852 and 1881.
Sampaloc Church
In 1613, the Sampaloc Church, also known as Loreto Church, was built in honor of Our Lady of Loreto, who was declared the official “Patroness of Sampaloc” in 2023 by the City Council of Manila. For the faithful, she is known as the “Protectress of Christian homes against fire and calamities.”
The parish, located along Figueras Street, keeps the centuries-old image of the Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Loreto. It is the only parish in the Philippines dedicated to the Marian title.
Baclaran Church
Last but not least is the Baclaran Church, also known as the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. The once-small wooden chapel is among the popular go-to destinations for Visita Iglesia, now known as the biggest shrine in the world dedicated to Our Mother of Perpetual Help.
One of the features of the Baclaran Church is the life-size “Begging Jesus” image depicting Jesus Christ as a homeless beggar. The bronze sculpture, installed in the compound of the Baclaran Church in 2024, was made by Canadian sculptor Timothy P. Schmalz, who also crafted the “Homeless Jesus” image at the Manila Cathedral.
