Catholic Churches of GenSan for your Visita Iglesia
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 the 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 two (2) stations per church.
Some would go to as many as 14 churches, with each church representing one station.
Unfortunately, General Santos City does not have that much number of churches. As of last count, the Tuna Capital only has 6 churches and parishes, excluding chapels. To make up for the lacking church, the Catholic faithful include the small 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 us here at GenSan News Online Mag to greet everyone a blessed and meaningful Holy Week!
Addendum:
Other chapels in GenSan which you could visit are the Sta. Cruz Chapel in Silway, beside the Silway Bridge, the Bo. Obrero Chapel in Bulaong Avenue, the Upper Labangal Chapel in Upper Labangal, the Samaria Cursillo House Chapel along Nunez Street, Purok Malakas, Brgy San Isidro.
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Bariles is a Filipino word for “Tuna”, the primary source of income of the people of General Santos City which hosts 6 of the Philippines’ 8 tuna canneries and more than 80% of its tuna processing plants.
busyjay Says:
kuya avel, i think mas maganda ‘pag may pictures po lahat ng churches
i hope malagyan n’yo po, =P
Posted on April 10th, 2009 at 8:23 AM
Amie Says:
This is one of the Holy week activities that I really miss here in the US…kahit kasi Good Friday regular day lang dito. Feel mo lang ang Holy Week pag sa loob ka ng church…
Amies last blog post..My Summit
Posted on April 10th, 2009 at 9:47 AM
Amie Says:
BTW Bariles, ganda ng pagka capture mo ng OLPGV at Sto. Nino church…
Blessed Holy week sa iyo at sa lahat ng generals!!
Amies last blog post..My Summit
Posted on April 10th, 2009 at 9:49 AM
Gay Says:
Thanks for the list, Avel. Not doing the Visita Inglesia this time but I can go and hear masses in those churches in the future. Have a great weekend!
Posted on April 10th, 2009 at 3:39 PM
epm Says:
sana may picture din ang St.Michael Parish Church…
Posted on April 10th, 2009 at 6:30 PM
orman Says:
kahit super init kahapon…go pa rin kaming pamilya sa pagbisita iglesia and it was worth it… si kuya avel lang tumaas ang bp dahil sa init…
ormans last blog post..Pussywillows Cattails by Kenny Rankin
Posted on April 11th, 2009 at 5:26 AM
jed sumampong Says:
thank you so much for the pictures of gen san churches.
happy easter to you.
Posted on April 11th, 2009 at 9:19 AM
tanchi Says:
wow..ganda na pala ng holy cross parish…its been a while.
tanchis last blog post..Gensan Tastebud: Orange Bistro
Posted on April 11th, 2009 at 10:18 AM
jinky Says:
Happy Easter, everyone!
jinkys last blog post..St. Elizabeth Hospital’s 3/F Expansion Now Operational
Posted on April 11th, 2009 at 2:48 PM
richard Says:
ayos ah.. i’ll try to visit those churches,,.. sa davao. marami.. pero nakatatlo lang ako this holy week..
richards last blog post..Pictures of the Holy Week- Davao City, 2009
Posted on April 11th, 2009 at 5:54 PM
MArites Says:
na-guilty tuloy ako that I was not able to do Bisita Iglesia this year.
MAritess last blog post..PhotoHunt#25 Triangle
Posted on April 11th, 2009 at 10:09 PM
lito Says:
i was at HOLY CROSS PARISH CHURCH here in calumpang last GOOD FRIDAY…
yes its spacious.ngayon ko lang nalaman its the biggest churh in gensan…
litos last blog post..short hair this summer?
Posted on April 11th, 2009 at 11:34 PM
archmykel Says:
hi bariles,
include mo na rin ang silway and bulaong chapels
Posted on April 12th, 2009 at 11:49 AM
bariles Says:
@archmykel, hahaha! Next year na oi.
Posted on April 12th, 2009 at 1:24 PM
gensanite Says:
galeng ng post, KUY!!!
happy easter to all!!!
Posted on April 12th, 2009 at 6:42 PM
dimple Says:
hapi easter!
Posted on April 12th, 2009 at 7:20 PM
sheng Says:
This is a great tour of the churches in Gensan. I am always fascinated with churches in the Philippines because of its origin of Christianity, i am not a Catholic but i love going inside churches like these, the best I have so far visited is the Basilica of Sto. Nino in Cebu, so huge yet so crowded that many parishioners hear mass outside.
Thanks for sharing Kuya Avel…
Posted on April 13th, 2009 at 5:35 AM
gilbertyaptan Says:
We have been called a nation of servants as the Israelites were the slaves in Egypt during the time of Moses. Like them, we believe in the Messiah who will free us from bondage. We are an Easter people believing in God’s redemption. We shall overcome one day. Happy Easter everyone.
gilbertyaptans last blog post..Anatomy of a Fight Pt. 5 – Reprint
Posted on April 13th, 2009 at 8:53 PM
Mackay Says:
I’ve been to most of the Churches in GenSan except the last 2. Aawwww. I miss spending holy week there. Never did see a reason to get out of the City during those times.
Posted on April 16th, 2009 at 9:04 PM
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Jay Says:
I am an American married to a Filipina who is now in Gensan. Right now we are having serious marital problems. She has requested to speak with a Father at several Catholic churches for two weeks now but they have yet to speak to her. I have tried to contact a Catholic church online to no avail. My wife needs help. Can anyone tell me how to contact Church officials in Gensan?
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BRYAN ONATE Says:
NAG iisa ka talaga sir Avel! Truly Generals. Mabuhay ka!
Posted on April 19th, 2011 at 12:27 PM
jordan Says:
sir avel, how about the sta cruz church near the SILWAY bridge po?
Posted on April 19th, 2011 at 5:04 PM
fahdingding Says:
God Bless to all my Christian brothers and sisters….
Posted on April 20th, 2011 at 7:07 AM
michelangelo Says:
there are two new chapels which you can visit too. The Chapel of the Lady of Manaoag (nunez road extension) and the Chapel of Padre Pio (inside Las Villas de Dadiangas)
Posted on April 21st, 2011 at 8:17 AM
Mark Says:
hi, today we’ve celebrated the goodness of God which shared to us his begotten son to takes away the sin of the world… as we all catholics as a full Christian, this day represents the forgiveness of sins and the forever love of God to us… Tnx sir avel for the lists of churches to be visited… God Bless to everyone.. (^_^)
Posted on April 21st, 2011 at 12:24 PM
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[...] Suarez’s Healing Mission here is through the efforts of the Sts. Peter and Paul Parish and the Parish Renewal EXperience Ministry (PREX) of Lagao, with the blessings of Bishop Dinualdo [...]
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