Prepare to see seven of the country's heritage churches
With many Filipinos posting #ECQSeason2 on social media, it also seems like we are about to get a second take of our Holy Week observation at home. No communal pabasa, evening processions, and even public senakulos.
While many Lenten traditions have been crossed off the list this year, one can still be done remotely and digitally—the Visita Iglesia. Also known as the Seven Churches Visitation, the Visita Iglesia is a pious Roman Catholic Lenten tradition where devotees visit seven churches on the evening of Maundy Thursday. Following the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the Blessed Sacrament is placed on the Altar of Repose in the church for Adoration. This was keenly observed in the walled city of Manila or Intramuros during Holy Thursday.
This year, Negros Season of Culture will attribute the Catholic tradition with church visits to be live streamed on Facebook. Spearheaded by the Angelica Berrie Foundation, the Negros Season of Culture aims to bring Negrense arts and culture to the consciousness of the local community, and then share it with the rest of the world. This time, they are focused on sharing the stories of faith that are embedded on its heritage churches.
“It didn’t take long for Spanish missionaries to reach the island of Negros. The town of Binalbagan was established in 1572, while the town of Hinigaran was founded three years later in 1575. And yet, it took three centuries for Christianity to take a foothold and spread,” it says in a statement. “Although parishes in the province were established as early as the 16th Century, construction of heritage churches as we know them today took place after the Recollects returned in the mid-19th Century.”
The virtual Lenten offering will feature the seven beautiful heritage churches: San Sebastian Cathedral in Bacolod City, San Juan de Bautista Church in Bago City, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Valladolid, St. Mary Magdalene Church in Hinigaran, Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Church in La Carlota City, San Nicolas de Tolentino Church in Talisay City, and San Isidro Labrador Church in Binalbagan.
Negros Season of Culture Visita Iglesia 2021 will be this Holy Thursday, April 1, 2021, at 10 a.m., on its Facebook page.