Its unique appearance alone is worth talking about, but St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Makati's posh Bel-Air neighborhood has a few more interesting stories that are worth sharing here.
-
-
St. John Bosco Church: Makati’s Understated Landmark
Catholics commemorate January 31 as the feast day of the Italian-born saint, St. John (Giovanni) Bosco, or more popularly known as Don Bosco (in which, by the way, the “Don” was more of affectionate title of respect given to priests in Italy). If you are not familiar with the man, you may be familiar through the schools in the metropolis that bear his name, not to mention the programs in him name that are aimed at street children and out of school youth. Those were the product of the work Fr. Bosco initiated and believed in during his lifetime. He espoused the idea of helping street children become better citizens…
-
Santuario del Santo Cristo: San Juan’s Original Church
The city of San Juan has a rich history in itself, dating back to the days of the Spanish colonial period when it was known before as San Juan del Monte or the town of St. John (the Baptist) of the mountain, owing to San Juan’s hilly elevation. Its storied past is something we will be getting to in the future from time to time but for starters, the Urban Roamer shall take you to the place where the city was born. Contrary to the belief of some, the church of San Juan we are referring to here is not the one located near Pinaglabanan, the one officially named St.…
-
Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City
After World War II, the Santo Domingo Church laid in ruins, as with many of the structures in Intramuros. With the difficulties of reconstruction, not only physically but also emotionally, the caretakers of the now destroyed structures were faced with a dilemma: should they rebuild in the Walled City or start anew elsewhere? Some, like the Archdiocese of Manila, opted to rebuild the Manila Cathedral from the ground up. The Dominicans, however, may have thought the pain of the loss they felt not only with Santo Domingo but also with the old University of Santo Tomas (UST) campus nearby was too much. Thus, they decided to leave the old Santo…
