Visita Iglesia and where to go: Visiting Metro Manila’s finest churches

Easily among the Holy Week traditions some remember the most is Visita Iglesia.

- By INIGO S. ROCES

Whether spurred on by the promise of getting a free wish if you’ve visited a church you’ve never been to before (as my Dad often told me) or simply for the sheer enjoyment of the journey, this Holy Week tradition continues to endure.

For those looking to pass on the tradition to a new group or their own young family, here’s everything you need to know about it.

History

Visita Iglesia, as the name suggests means "church visiting." This Roman Catholic tradition requires those undertaking it to visit at least seven churches to pray and reflect on the Stations of the Cross. This practice, typically done on Holy Thursday after the Mass of the Last Supper is celebrated at the main altar, allows believers to deepen their faith and commemorate Jesus' sacrifice.

To symbolize the Passion and Death of Christ, the altar is stripped of its cloth and the Sacred Host is removed from the tabernacle and transferred amid aceremonious procession to a side altar called the “Monumento.” Churches remain open all of Holy Thursday night and Good Friday morning to allow the faithful to visit at least seven churches before the Good Friday rituals.

Visita Iglesia typically involves walking from church to church, however, some may opt to drive if the churches they plan to visit are farther away. The more pious and able can even double the number of churches to fourteen. At each church, devotees typically pray two Stations of the Cross per venue. An offering is sometimes made at each church and to the poor as a form of almsgiving.

Suggested churches