CEBU, Philippines - To foster a deeper understanding of man's relationship with God especially in this Year of Faith as well as to rediscover our Filipino cultural heritage, GMA Network airs Visita Iglesia today, July 21. Visita Iglesia is a series of Sunday masses to be held in some of the country’s historical and most popular churches all over the country.
Visita Iglesia not only promises to be an uplifting spiritual experience but will also give Kapuso viewers significant insights on the country's religious history.
For its pilot episode, the one-hour program features the 124-year-old St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish (Santa Catalina de Alejandria) located in the so-called gateway of the South—Carcar City, Cebu.
Built in 1860 and completed in 1875, St. Catherine’s Church has been well preserved over the years and now holds the record of being the second oldest church in Cebu. According to the Balaaning Bahandi: Sacred Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu, the St. Catherine’s Church's distinct features are of Graeco-Roman order. Its fence is styled with columns accentuated by life-sized statues of the twelve apostles. With ceilings painted by local artists in the early 1900's, the structure also reveals strong Muslim architectural influence, making it unique and truly worth visiting.
After St. Catherine’s Church, Visita Iglesia will soon be holding masses in Iloilo’s Jaro Cathedral and Molo Church, General Santos’ Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, Bicol’s Peñafrancia Basilica Minores, Cagayan de Oro’s St. Augustine Cathedral, Dagupan’s St. John Cathedral, Davao’s St. Peter Church and Saint Jude Parish, Cebu’s St. Michael Archangel and Basilica del Sto. Niño, and Pangasinan’s Our Lady of Manaoag Shrine.
Visita Iglesia airs Sundays, 6am to 7am, on GMA Network’s regional stations in Ilocos, Bicol, Dagupan, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao, General Santos, and Cagayan de Oro. (FREEMAN)