The Greek word for "church" is ekklesia, which means an assembly. In Acts 19:39, 41, it is used for a large group of townspeople. But among Christians, the word ekklesia came to have a special meaning: all who believe in Jesus Christ. Different churches were build during the Spanish period. Religion in the Philippines became more influential because of the increasing number of churches. Different churches were created with different styles and art forms that created splendor and beauty to the viewers.
Here are some of the churches in Cebu that brings great wonder in our eyes. :)
St. Teresa of Avila Church [Talisay]
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| St. Teresa of Avila Church |
Saint Therese of Avila parish church in Talisay City, Cebu is a Graeco-Roman structure,
that has lost most of its old features due to World War II.
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| Inside the church near the altar |
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| Left side of the church where the bell is located |
It has lost many of its heritage features.The original portions of the church were only thebells, the façade and some portions of its lateral walls due to WorldWar II.
Only the embelishments on the facade are subtle that any observer might fail to notice it from a distance.
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| Facade of the church |
One of the things that caught my attention in our first church trip is the plain triangle found below the statue of patron saint, St. Theresa of Avila. They say that the triangle represents Trinity with its 40 rays emanating from it. The façade of the church is elegant and has detailed interior design.
Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish [Pardo]
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| Facade of the church |
The parish honors Sto. Tomas De Villanueva as its patron saint.
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| Sto. Tomas de Villanueva |
The church was ruined during the time of Fr. Talegon due to the weak material used in building the church. It was only made of light materials: tabique pampango and nipa roof. The church was reconstructed but was destroyed again because of an earthquake. Fr. Manuel Ibeas was the one who build another edifice which is a stone church.
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| An image of a triangle with eyes in front of the church |
This church is a Latin-Byzantine Order structure that is unique from any other churches in the towns of the district of Cebu. This new church was finished on 1881. The church fabric is made of finely-cut coral stones covering walls of thick coral rubble
mixed with lime mortar and shows a fortress-like facade.Coral stones was used in this structure because these are natural ventilators. There were changes and renovations being done in the church at the present time but there are still a number of elements that are part of the original structure. One of these is the main altar reredo with a ciborium or canopy that contains the image of the patron saint, Sto. Tomas de Villanueva.
San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish [Pasil]
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| San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church |
San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish or paroquia de san nicholas de tolentino in pasil cebu is an old paroquia.
This was build on 1587. The church's history were said to be that this church was destroyed during the war and the other story was that the church was destroyed due to human negligence.
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| Two of the bells of the church |
This church has six(6) bells and three(3) of these have been given to the Pasil church. There was also rumors that there was a tunnel under the altar when the church was renovated.
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| Inside the church at the front of the altar |
Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu
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| Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu |
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| Right side of the church in which the bell is located |
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| Facade of the Church |
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| A carved image in a wooden door of the church |
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| A carved image in t |
The church was formerly called San Agustin and Monastery. It was elevated to the rank of Minor Basilica. There were 3 churches built before the present church. The first was made of nipa and wood by Fr. Diego de Herrera but was burnt down on 1566. The second church was also made of light materials by Fr. Pedro Torres and was also burnt down in 1628. The third was already made of bricks and stones by Fr. Juan de Medina but it was destroyed due to an earthquake on 1629. The present church that we see today was started on February 29, 1735 made by hewn stone from Mactan and molave materials from Talisay. It was finished in 1739. The Santo Niño church has all the characteristics of a solid construction that can withstand earthquakes. Since it was planned properly and Fr. Albarran has already take into consideration three (3) things while planning the church: utility, durability, beauty - the three principles of sound architecture.
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| One of the windows where light pass through |
The facade of the church is a blending of Muslim, Romanesque, and Neo-Classical features (Churiguerra style?). It follows the classical pattern and is divided into two levels. Shallow pillasters divide each story into three segments decorated with stone bas-reliefs representing Augustinian saints. The bell tower serves as counterbalance to the opposite end. A triangular pediment crowns the solid, but not massive, facade.
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| The altar having the image of Sto. Niño |
It is the second oldest in the Philippines after Bohol's Baclayon Church. It houses the country's oldest religious icon, the image of Señor Sto. Niño (Holy Child Jesus).
Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral
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| Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral |
The Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral is considered to be one of Cebu’s elegant and beautiful church.
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| The altar of the church |
It is also considered as the ecclesiastical seat of the metropolitan archdiocese of Cebu. The church may not be the oldest in Cebu but its facade and much of its walls and altar still retain the architectural splendor of the colonial period.
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| Thick walls with Corinthian order |
Construction of the cathedral took long due to frequent interruptions brought about by lack of funds and other unexpected events. The architecture of the church is typical with baroque colonial churches in the country — squat, cruciform, and with thick walls to withstand typhoon and other natural calamities.
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| A closer look of the altar |
The trefoil-shaped pediment is decorated with carved relieves of floral motifs, an IHS inscription and a pair of griffins. The Spanish Royal Coat of Arms is emblazoned in low relief above the main entrance owing perhaps to the contribution of the Spanish monarch to its construction.
The Cathedral was also destroyed during the World War II were only the belfry (built in 1835), the facade, and the walls remaining. But then it was quickly rebuilt during the 1950’s by architect Jose Zaragosa.
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| The elegant right side and wall of the Cathedral |
The newly embellished interiors. The cathedral recently underwent a major renovation in time for the 75th anniversary of the archdiocese of Cebu.
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| The left side of the Cathedral |
The Cathedral is home to Cebu’s biggest pipe organ made of 1,200 tin alloy and wood pipes encased in narra, calantas, and tanguile wood from the Philippines and almaciga wood from Brazil.
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| The biggest pipe organ in Cebu |
St. Joseph Patriarch Parish [Mabolo]
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| St. Joseph Patriarch Parish |
The church was not originally built in Mabolo but it was in the town called Talamban. A chapel was built in that town in honor of San Jose.
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| The wooden door in the church having flower design |
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| Facade of the Church |
Talamban(Mabolo) became an independent parish in 1850. At the same year, a new church of wood on a masonry base was built. Sixteen (16) years after, a convent with a mixture of wood and stone was built but together with the church it was badly damaged by a typhoon in 1877 and an earthquake in 1882.
The present convent traces to the 1866 structure but the church has been rebuilt and the facade altered.
The present convent traces to the 1866 structure but the church has been rebuilt and the facade altered.
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| The old bell used by the church |
The present church combines Neo-gothic and Classical elements.
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| The altar of the church |
The church is now renovated to improve its durability. The original bell of this church was placed at the front part of the church near the entrance.
Personal Insights :D
I was delighted visiting one of which we can proudly say the heritage of Cebu which are the different churches that were build many years ago. Churches that create a new life and new beginning to thousands of people. Cebu City is not only known for guitars and dried mangoes but also in a lot of old churches and shrines that make it a Pilgrimage City. These are not only the churches found in Cebu, I just choose six among all the churches because of our assigned tasks in our Humanities class. We went to different locations starting from the southern part of Cebu (Talisay City) to Mabolo. Witnessing the different styles and forms of art creates a feeling of fulfillment in my part and at the same time amazement that such art was created despite the limited resources during that time. Though it was also a challenge for me because of the few obstacles we encountered; the sun is radiating too much solar energy, traffic jam, and dust particles everywhere. But the travel was all worth it, I do learn a lot of things and because of this I appreciate the different structures even more, not viewing it as ordinary structures but instead an extraordinary one.
-->Donna
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