GenSan News Online Mag

It’s Holy Thursday today and people all around the Philippines including the “generals” of GenSan have started the annual Lenten tradition commonly called “Visita Iglesia”.

According to Pinoy traditions, Catholics must visit at least 7 churches to represent the 7 Great Basilicas of Rome, a practice which started during the time of beginnings of Christianity to venerate the Blessed Sacraments.

The St. Peter's Basilica, one of the 7 Great Basilicas in Rome

Here in the Philippines, each visit would require a contemplation of the 14 Stations of the Cross, at 2 stations per church.

Some would go as many as 14 churches, with each church representing one station.

Unfortunately, General Santos City do not have that much number of churches.  As of last count, the Tuna Capital only has 6 churches and parishes.  To make up for the lacking church, the Catholic faithful include the Chapel inside the Novitiate Compound as part of the “Visita Iglesia” since masses are being said there every Sunday.

Here then  are Catholic Churches of GenSan (plus one chapel) which you could visit for your observance of the “Visita Iglesia”.

• Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Church. This is actually GenSan’s oldest church, older than the 50 year-old Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish Church.  Located at Lagao Kanan, Barangay Lagao, the church is under the Diocese of Marbel and run by Diocesan priests.  The structure has not changed much for the past 30 years or so, just a few minor adjustments were done to fix the rotting parts plus a couple of major paint jobs.

Sts. Peter and Paul Parish

"Inside Sts. Peter & Paul Parish Church"

• Santo Nino Parish Church.  Located at Barangay Bula, the original home of GenSan’s major fishing industry, this parish church is only 31 years old.  Over the years however, due to the magnanimity of its parishioners, who are among the city’s famed fishing magnates, the parish was to able to build, aside from its sail-like design church, a separate building for the convent.  Look for its replica of the Image of Sto. Nino which is encased in a small wooden boat.

The sail like facade of Sto. Nino Parish Church in Barangay Bula, home of the fishing industry players

The altar of Santo Nino Parish.

• Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish Church. One of the most beautiful, if not the most beautifully-redesigned house of worship in South Central Mindanao, this one turned 50 last year and is under the care of the Passionist Fathers.  Based on Architect Michael Ang’s idea, the renovated church is more spacious and well-illuminated.  Strategically located at the heart of downtown GenSan, the best time to visit it for your Visita Iglesia is at night when some of its huge chandeliers and the sky-blue lights of the altar are switched on.

Our Lady of Peace & Good Voyage Parish Church at dawn

A jampacked OLPGV Parish Church

• St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church. This parish is less than 10 years old and yet its huge structure now dominates the skyline of Purok Malakas, owing to the generosity of its parishioners who helped build it from scratch from the time of Fr. Art Pancho, a diocesan priest.  It sits at a donated lot along Yumang Street and could be reached by taking a Purok Malakas jeep which could drop you at the corner of Yumang Street where you could take a small tricycle (or tricykad) again.

St. Michael the Archangel Parish at dusk

A peek inside St. Michael the Archangel Parish

• Holy Cross Parish Church. A church designed to look like the Bishop’s Miter, this one is adminstered by the Passionist Congregation.  Located at Barangay Calumpang and just across its Retreat Center, the church has the widest structure and most spacious interiors among the churches in GenSan.  It’s then safe to say that it is the largest Catholic church in GenSan.

The Bishop's miter-like structure of Holy Cross Parish Church in Calumpang, the biggest church in GenSan

Inside the cavernous Holy Cross Parish Church in Calumpang

• Our Lady of Fatima Parish Church. The baby of  the group, this church is less than a year old since its Canonical Erection last year.  Strategically located in a 2-hectare lot at Barangay Fatima by the local government of GenSan, it is still undergoing construction.

The Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Barangay Fatima and its new roof donated by her parishioners

The altar of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Barangay Fatima, which is made of bamboo

• St. Paul of the Cross Novitiate Chapel. Due to the lack of churches in GenSan, this chapel has since time immemorial been part of any family’s Lenten Visita Iglesia.  It sits inside the 7-hectare coconut tree-dotted lot of the Passionists along the National Highway where their Novitiate is.

The entrance to the St. Paul of the Cross Novitiate Chapel

The open-air structure of the Holy Cross Novitiate Chapel along the National Highway

Inside the Novitiate Chapel

With this note, allow me to greet everyone a Happy and Blessed Easter Sunday!

Related posts:

1. Bishop Gutierrez officiates Canonical Erection of new GenSan Parish
2. Regular Sunday Mass at Robinsons GenSan
3. Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish of GenSan
4. My Good Friday images in GenSan
5. OLPGV Parish and GenSan Camera Club’s “Bahay ni Maria Photo Exhibit”