Holy Week Activities: Visita Iglesia

It's the last week of the Lenten season and it has been a while since I participated in the many Catholic traditions related to Lent. In the Filipino community in Stuttgart, Germany we usually have the Pabasa which takes place every afternoon of Maundy Thursday and ends at around 3PM on Good Friday.

I haven't gone on a Visita Iglesia yet and from what I know, it is usually done on a Maundy Thursday but one can do it at any day of the Holy Week. My mother-in-law prefers to do the Visita Iglesia in the evening of Good Friday, just after the death of Jesus.

According to Wikipedia, ´"The general practise is to visit seven churches either on Holy Thursday or Good Friday and recite the Stations of the Cross in them. The pious would double the number of churches to fourteen, while the infirm and elderly usually visit only one or a handful. Until the 1970s, people recited all fourteen stations in one church."

If you are in Davao City, there are a number of churches that you can visit. 

Included in our itinerary are the following:

1. Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish, JP Laurel Ave., Bajada, Davao City
2. Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, F Torres St., Davao City
3. St. Jude Thaddeus Parish, Malvar St., Davao City
4. St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Maa, Davao City
5. San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish, Talomo, Davao City
6. Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Phase 2 Central Park Subdivision, Bangkal, Davao City
7. St. Paul Church, Juna Subdivision, Matina, Davao City
8. San Pedro Cathedral, San Pedro St., Davao City
9. Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Fatima St., Davao City
10. San Antonio de Padua Parish, Agdao, Davao City
11. Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, N Torres St., Obrero, Davao City
12. Sta. Ana Church, Sta. Ana Avenue, Davao City
13. St. Mary's Parish, Cabantian, Davao City
14. St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Sasa, Davao City

Hopefully, we will be able to visit these churches tomorrow. God-willing, it will be a memorable and enlightening Holy Week for us and will hopefully be something to look forward to in the succeeding Lenten seasons. It is also one good family activity that can be transformed into a family tradition. I have always believed that the family that prays together, stays together and what better way to bring the family together than visiting these places of worship.

Will post about my post Visita Iglesia experience over the weekend so that you will also be guided on what to do and what to expect should you also decide to do one in the coming Lenten seasons. God bless everyone!

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