It was Holy Week again and it has been my duty to do Visita Iglesia every Maundy Thurday. So this time, I and my sister chose to visit the churches in Cavite. Cavite has been called Tierra de Maria Santisima (Land of the Most Holy Mary) in the last quarter of the 16th century because of the venerated images of the Virgin Mary located in Cavite’s century-old churches.

1. St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Bacoor, Cavite

We started in Bacoor because it was the nearest to the house of my sister. St. Michael the Archangel Parish is one of the oldest churches in Cavite, being established in 1669 using bamboo, straw, and nipa leaves. One of the martyred Filipino priests GomBurZa, Fr. Mariano Gomez served as the parish priest of the church for 48 years until his execution in 1872. During his term, the church was renovated with the present architectural structure made of adobe and tegula.

2. St. Mary Magdalene Church, Kawit, Cavite

Our next stop was the St. Mary Magdalene Church in Kawit, Cavite. Some people believe that it is possible that St. Mary Magdalene may not be the original patron saint of Kawit, since most of the old parishes in Cavite were consecrated to the Virgin Mary. In the 17th century, Kawit was known to have a bad reputation as a red-light district as it was frequented by the Spanish marines. Because of this, then Manila Archbishop Miguel Garcia Serrano ordered the dedication of the Kawit Church to St. Mary Magdalene. It was also one of the oldest churches in Cavite as the first wooden church was constructed there in 1638. One of its historical value is that it is where General Emilio Aguinaldo, the president of the First Philippine Republic was baptized in 1869.

3. Holy Cross Parish, Noveleta, Cavite

The Holy Cross Parish in Noveleta, Cavite was our next stop. Founded in 1937, it is one of the newest churches on our list.

4. Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church, Sto. Rosario, Cavite

It is not the first time that I have visited the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church in Sto. Rosario, Cavite. I used to visit with my aunt the house of her co-worker/friend in that place. The parish was established at the same time with the town of Rosario in 1845. Enshrined in the church is the image of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Queen of the Caracol, which was venerated by the Catholic Church in October 7, 1995.

5. St. Francis of Assissi Church, Gen. Trias, Cavite

St. Francis of Assissi Church in Gen. Trias, Cavite was founded by the Franciscan priests in 1611, with the first stone church being erected in 1769. The church was declared as a historical structure by the National Historical Institute of the Philippines in 1992.

6. Diocesan Shrine of St. Augustine, Tanza, Cavite

We got lost while we were looking for the St. Augustine Church of Tanza, Cavite. We were following Google Map but it pointed us to the wrong direction. It was already lunchtime when we reached Tanza, so we had lunch first at a fastfood restaurant nearby. The parish was declared as a structure of historical significance by the National Historical Institute of the Philippines on May 3, 1980.

7. St. Jude Thaddeus Church, Trece Martirez, Cavite

With its modern architecture, St. Jude Thaddeus Church in Trece Martires, Cavite was our next stop. We stayed there for a while to take a short rest.

8. St. Gregory the Great Parish, Indang, Cavite

St. Gregory the Great church was established in Indang, Cavite as a Jesuit mission station in 1611. It was one of the first churches in Cavite to use galvanized iron as its roofing in 1869.

9. St. Augustine Parish, Mendez-Nuñez, Cavite

Mendez-Nuñez is the municipality where our undergraduate students are doing their field practice for a month. Although I have been there multiple times, it was my first time to visit the St. Augustine church. The church looks new because of its recent renovation in 2005, however it already celebrated its 300th anniversary. The original church was built in 1712 and then rebuilt after World War 2. Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio De Tagle was assigned in this parish as an associate pastor after being ordained.

10. Our Lady of Manaoag at Tierra de Maria, Tagaytay, Cavite

It’s already getting dark and there’s heavy traffic in Tagaytay. We reached our next destination, Our Lady of Manaoag at Tierra de Maria. It is a chapel with a 15 m (50 ft) statue of the Virgin Mary at the entryway.

11. Our Lady of Candelaria Church, Silang, Cavite

It was already night when we reached the Our Lady of Candelaria Parish Church in Silang, Cavite. The church is known for its Spanish colonial architectural style and the rococo-influenced retablos which were just recently declared as National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2017. The stone church was built from 1637 to 1639 and was dedicated to the Nuestra Senora de Candelaria in 1640. But before this, a small chapel was built in the same location in 1595 using light materials and originally was dedicated to St. Diego of Alcalá. This was destroyed by fire in 1603.

We were so tired and sleepy when we finished the Visita Iglesia, But I am already looking forward to our destination churches for next year.