Holy Week Guide: Visita Iglesia in Cavite

We are now down into a few weeks before the Holy Week begins in the Philippines. During this season, many Filipinos travel around the country to strengthen their Faith by observing the different traditions that we have for Semana Santa-- and one of those is Visita Iglesia.

It is a habit among Filipinos during the Lenten season (especially on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday) to visit seven churches and recite the Stations of the Cross with them. Some devotees even try to visit as many as 14 churches to represent each of the 14 stations.

Due to its Roman Catholic population, the Philippines offers a wide variety of churches to visit, and the area of Cavite alone is a great location for pilgrimage. With the major part of the country already having the lowest level of community quarantine, people can again travel to different places as long as they observe and follow the proper health guidelines from the government.

These are some of the churches in Cavite that you may visit during Holy Week:

Diocesan Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Church (Naic)

A church dedicated to Mary, the Immaculate Conception, known as the Naic Church, was built in 1839 in Naic Cavite. Due to a shortage of funding, this one of the churches in Cavite was built without a bell tower until it was finished in 1892.

Archbishop Ricardo Vidal dedicated the church in 1996 and declared it the Diocesan Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the 8th of December of that year which is also the feast day of the church. The bell tower's fracture was preserved since it was caused by a cannon from Corregidor Island and left a historical trace during the war.

For its Neo-Gothic-inspired construction, the Naic Church in Cavite is the only one of its kind in the town. It was built by the Dominicans and was based on the demolished Sto. Domingo Church in Intramuros before the war, which was destroyed at that time.

The Diocesan Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Church is located at Poblacion, Captain Ciriaco Nazareno St, Naic, 4110 Cavite.

Imus Cathedral (Imus)

This is a Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in Imus and also known as the Our Lady of the Pillar Cathedral. It serves as the administrative center for the Diocese of Imus, which includes all of the Catholic churches in Cavite. Founded at Toclong in 1795, the parish was moved to its present site in 1823. Nicolas Becerra, a parish priest in Imus from 1821 to 1840, oversaw the construction of the stone and brick church in 1897, which was completed under his direction. In 1961, it was elevated to the status of a Diocese within the diocese.

When the National Historical Institute of the Philippines erected a historical marker on the cathedral's grounds on November 13, 2006, the building was officially recognized as having historical value.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar or Imus Church is located at General Castañeda St. Poblacion III-A, Imus Cavite.

St. Mary Magdalene Parish Church (Kawit)

The Kawit Church, also known as the St. Mary Magdalene Parish Church of Kawit Cavite, is one of the oldest churches in Cavite as well as the Philippines. It has been in existence since 1737. Interestingly, the first chapel was built out of wood in 1638, but Kawit, which was visited by Spanish marines at the time, became a red-light district.

The Archbishop of Kawit decreed the dedication of the Kawit church to St. Mary Magdalene in an effort to improve the town's image. As may be seen on the church's exterior, the church was extensively damaged during the Philippine-American conflict. The church then had a major renovation and restoration in 1990.

The St. Mary Magdalene Parish Church or Kawit Church is located at Tanggulan St, Kawit, 4104 Cavite.

Saint Francis of Assisi Parish Church (General Trias)

The Franciscans built the first church at General Trias in 1611, and the Jesuits of Cavite City took control in 1624, and it remained a separate parish until September 9, 1753, when it became its own diocese. 1769 was the year when the first stone church was built under the direction of the Countess of Lizarraga Doña Maria Josepha de Yrizzari Y Ursula. In 1834, it was renovated and expanded.

Partial damage from the 1880 earthquakes can be seen from the church. Rebuilding of the facade began in 1881, with further work completed a year later, in 1885. To bring back its previous splendor, the cathedral underwent a renovation from 1989 to 1991. The consecration of the church was performed by the Most Reverend Felix P. Perez of the Diocese of Imus, which oversees St. Francis of Assisi Parish Church, on June 22, 1991, after it was completed.

The St. Francis of Assisi Parish Church is located at Gov Ferrer Dr, Sampalucan, General Trias, 4107 Cavite.

Silang Church (Silang)

The original church was erected in 1603 after the Franciscan missionaries established the mission in 1595. A new church was erected from 1637 to 1639 using stone. In 1604, it was dedicated to Nuestra Señora de Candelaria. Retablos in rococo style decorate the inside of the cathedral, so don't miss out on seeing it. You can visit this church in Cavite for Visita Iglesia.

The Silang Church is located at J. Rizal St., Silang Cavite.

Our Lady of The Assumption Parish Church (Maragondon)

Known as The Maragondon Church, or Our Lady of the Assumption Parish Church, the sole historic edifice in the city of Maragondon has been proclaimed a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum. Our Lady of The Assumption Church was founded in 1618 by the Jesuits, and is about four centuries old.

In comparison to other Jesuit churches, Maragondon's size sets it apart from the others. Instead of being squat as in other churches, this one has a thin yet towering façade. With no distinct boundaries between the levels, the larger bell tower is situated to the left of the front. The tapered buttresses that support the facade also provide a minimalistic touch to its overall look.

Our Lady of the Assumption Parish Church is located at Col. Infante, Maragondon, Cavite.

Immaculate Conception Parish Church (Dasmariñas)

The church, also known as the Dasmariñas Church, is situated in the heart of the city, just across the street from the city hall. The chapel and the convent are historical landmarks since it was the scene of bloodshed during the Philippine Revolution against Spain in 1897.

The Immaculate Conception Parish Church is located at P. Campos Ave, Dasmariñas Cavite.

Sto. Niño de Ternate Parish Church (Ternate)

Also known as the Ternate Church, a homage to Sto. Niño de Ternate was built here by the Jesuits in 1663 at the height of the Spanish colonial empire. Only the holy image of St. Niño remained after the church was destroyed in a rebellion against Spain during the Philippine independence movement.

The Ternate Church is located at Sto. Niño, Ternate Cavite.

The Most Holy Rosary Parish Church (Rosario)

The Municipality of Rosario takes its name from Nuestra Señora Virgen del Santissimo Rosario, Reina de Caracol, the patron saint of the people of the area. The patron saint is also known as Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Queen of the Caracol.

The Madonna and Child are shown in a miraculous manner in the church's sacred picture. The Virgin Mary, dressed in blue and crimson, seems to be seated on clouds above what appears to be purgatory. The Infant Jesus is in her left arm, while the cross of a 15-decade Rosary is in her right hand. The little chapel on the bottom right wing of the church has a duplicate image of the patron saint. On either end of the image is a steel fishing net, held up by two fishermen as a tribute to the primary source of income for the people living in the municipality.

The Most Holy Rosary Parish Church is located at Ave Maria St., Rosario Cavite.

These are just some of the churches that you can find in the Province of Cavite. After visiting all the churches, you might also want to try some of the province's delicacies such as their sinukmani and kapeng barako for your merienda. It is also a great delicacy for breakfast before you start your Visita Iglesia in the so many churches in Cavite.

Also Read: Instagrammable Places in Cavite near Lumina Homes

Apart from these delicacies, there are also a number of developments in terms of infrastructure in Cavite. Some of the Build build projects included in the Cavite line up are:

Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge

The Build Build Build Program's newest project for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Currently under construction in Manila Bay, Philippines, is a 32.15 km long cable-stayed Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge planned to reduce travel time from Bataan to Cavite from five hours to 40 minutes.

Ternate-Nasugbu Road

Also called as Ternate-Nasugbu Highway or Nasugbu-Ternate Highway, this Philippines secondary route has two to four lanes and connects the provinces of Cavite and Batangas. It links the municipalities of Ternate and Nasugbu in Cavite and Batangas, respectively.

The East West Expressway

The 41.67-mile East West Expressway would fill in the gaps between two national roads: the Cavite-Batangas Road in the East and the Ternate-Nasugbu Road in the West. In addition, it will pass through the towns of Silang, Amadeo, Indang, Maragondon, General Aguinaldo, Magallanes in Cavite and Nasugbu in Batangas.

Knowing the various infrastructure developments that will be built in the area, Lumina Homes grabbed this opportunity to build and provide a Prime Condominium complex in the Province of Cavite through Prima Tanza.

Located close to the province's capital and international airport, Prima Tanza is situated in the prime area of Cavite inside a self-sustaining community. It is the first condominium project in Brgy. Tanza and will be located immediately next to the Vistamall Tanza shopping mall.

To know more about this prime condominium complex from Lumina Homes, you can check more about Prima Tanza.