TravelswithCharie

Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Dinginan Visita Iglesia (church visit) is one of the traditional Catholic Lenten rituals that is widely practiced in the Philippines. Devotees may choose to visit 7 or 14 churches on Maundy Thursday after the Mass of the Last Supper or on Good Friday . Visiting 7 churches is symbolic of the 7 Last Words of Jesus. Fourteen churches represent the Via Crucis which consists of 14 Stations tracing the journey of Jesus Christ to Calvary. While visiting these churches, devotees pray and reflect on the sacrifice of Christ. Follow this link for the  prayers recited at each station of the cross:  https://www.catholic.org/prayers/station.php Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception The Cathedral sits in the heart of the cultural heritage sites of Roxas City. The current structure is from a reconstruction in 1954. This is a good place to start your church visits. St. Vincent Ferrer, Cagay* *Photo courtesy of Fr. Bernie Barrios Hesus Nazareno...

"My past, O Lord, to Your mercy; my present, to Your love; my future, to Your providence."  Padre Pio Sanctuary of Saint Pio at twilight* Padre Pio entered the Capuchin Order in 1903 and was ordained in 1910. He was assigned to San Giovanni Rotondo in 1916 where he remained until his death in 1968 when he was 81 years of age. In 1918, Padre Pio received the grace of the stigmata (wounds of Christ) which remained with him for fifty years. His bleeding hands were kept bandaged and covered with mittens. Pope John Paul II canonized Padre Pio in 2002.  Padre Pio initiated the construction of the hospital, Home for the Relief of Suffering, in San Giovanni Rotondo. The hospital has over 1,000 inpatient beds and is widely respected in Italy and around the world for its modern and state-of-the-art facility, medical services and clinical research in genetics and hereditary and familial diseases. *The Sanctuary was designed by Renzo Piano, the foremost Italian architect. It se...