REL 103N

MY OWN PILGRIMAGE

Different 9 churches to be visited

1. Parish and National Shrine of St. Padre Pio

- One of the churches I'd want to see is the National

Shrine of St. Padre Pio. I recently realized my mother
was able to visit this church; if I only knew how lovely
this place was, I would bring my family. During the
Archdiocese of Lipa's centennial year, the shrine was
named as one of its pilgrimage churches. The
majority of its followers continue to share their experiences of healing and miracles, testifying
to the patron saint's great healing power through their devotion to and faith in him. The church
was located in Batangas.

2. St. John the Baptist Parish also known as Liliw Church

- St. John the Baptist Parish Church, also known as
Lilio Church or Liliw Church, is a baroque-style
structure highlighted by its gorgeous red-bricked wall.
This gorgeous church was built during the Spanish
era and has also been renovated as a result of
tragedies such as earthquakes and fires. Saint
images in white welcome you as you enter the
cathedral, and solemnity surrounds every corner and this church is located in Laguna.

3. Simala Parish Church

-
Simala Parish Church is located in Cebu and one of
the reason why I want to visit this church is because
of the beautiful structure like a castle. The
Monastery of the Holy Eucharist is also the chapel
for the Monks of Mary. It is a massive shrine
dedicated to the miraculous Virgin Mary and a
popular pilgrimage destination for those who come
to worship, make wishes, express appreciation, and submit specific petitions. Inside the
church, you may see many healing and faith-related testimonies, as well as miracle encounters
from devoted followers who have had their petitions and prayers granted.

4. Baclayon Church
 -
Baclayon Church may look simple but when
you’re inside the church you will see the beauty
of the church itself. Baclayon Church, officially
known as The Immaculate Conception of the
Virgin Mary Parish Church, is one of the
Philippines' oldest Catholic stone churches, built
in 1717 by the people of Baclayon. Prior to being
forced to evacuate to Loboc due to the threat of
Moro marauders, it held Spanish Jesuit missionaries. This neoclassical coral stone structure
was cemented together with egg whites.

5. Church of the Holy Sepulchre

- The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is located in the
Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, is
one of the most holy and special sites in
Christianity. One of the reason why I wan tto visit
this place is because I saw it on television and
because of it I was mesmerized by its beauty. It
makes me want to visit it because I heard that it
was claimed to be the Holy Sepulchre, the tomb of Jesus. t is the site of Calvary or Golgotha,
where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. While the exteriors of the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre are not as spectacular as those of other modern churches, nor are they as huge as
the majestic cathedrals of Spain, Italy, and France, it is evident that this is not just ordinary
church. Aside from its long and rich history, it appears to have a lot of other things worth
considering.

6. St. Peter's Basilica

- St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Italy is the most
important of Rome's four main basilicas, making it
the most important Catholic Church on the world.
The Basilica is a cultural, historical, and
architectural landmark that preserves treasures
from throughout time, including artwork,
sculptures, artifacts, and more. Vatican City is
home to the Renaissance-style church known as
St. Peter's Basilica. Tradition holds that St. Peter, one of Jesus' twelve apostles and the first
Bishop of Rome, was buried above the location where the basilica now stands.
7. Cologne Cathedral
- Germany's stunning cathedral city of Cologne
is immersed in everything that is
characteristically German. The Kölner Dom,
popularly known as the Cologne Cathedral, is
more than a beautiful structure. Since 1164,
the Shrine of the Three Kings has been
housed within the cathedral. Because the
scroll fragments is said to retain the remains
of the Three Wise Men from the Bible, the cathedral has become somewhat of a Catholic
pilgrimage site. The elaborate medieval flying buttresses, elegant tomb, and breathtaking
stained-glass windows will undoubtedly answer the question, "Why visit Cologne?"

8. Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

- Notre-Dame, one of the most iconic

landmarks in Paris, noted for its
architectural style, rich history, antiquity,
and is regarded as France's symbol of
worship. This magnificent cathedral, a
Gothic masterpiece whose construction
began in the 12th century, stands on the
Île de la Cité and serves as the city's
symbolic heart.

9. San Agustin Church of Paoay

- Paoay Church, also known as St.
Augustine Church of Paoay, is one of the
Philippines' most well-known churches
and has been designated a Natural
Cultural Treasure. The Augustinian friars
built this earthquake-resistant Baroque
style in 1694, making it one of the
country's oldest churches. The structure's
construction, which is made of coral
stones and bricks, combines Baroque, Gothic, and Oriental elements. It was built to separate
its bell towers from the church, preventing structures from colliding in the case of a disaster
and preserving the cathedral from recurring earthquakes. With its beautiful architecture,
attractive environment, and historical significance.
 1. Diocesan Shrine of St. Mary Magdalene - Parish of San Lorenzo Ruiz - Olongapo City,
Zambales (Diocese of Iba)

San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish Church, part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Iba, was
established in 1979 and dedicated in 1994 in the Olongapo City neighborhood of
New Kalalake. The Parish Fiesta is celebrated every 28th day of September.

The patron saint of the church is no other that San Lorenzo Ruiz. San Lorenzo Ruiz
de Manila, the first Filipino saint to be canonized and the protomartyr of the
Philippines, is depicted at the honor point of the blazon as one of the saint's symbols.
He can be seen praying the Holy Rosary and gazing up at heaven while wearing the
traditional white kantiseta. This portrayal honors the saint's Dominican history as he
worked as a secretary for the parish of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Binondo,
Manila, the country's center for the Chinese-Filipino community, and whose church
was designated as the national shrine devoted to the saint. The martyr who gave his
life to defend the faith is represented by the red background by his blood. His famous
last words, "Ego Catholicus sum et animo prompto paratoque pro Deo mortem obibo,
Si mille vitas haberem, cunctas ei offerrem," are what remind us of him ("I am a Catholic and wholeheartedly do
accept death for God; Had I a thousand lives, all these to Him shallI offer.)

PRAYER
Our dear patron saint, Lorenzo Ruiz, God's favor is upon you. Because you served him in life and offered this same
life to glorify Him, we are honored to hold you dear in our hearts and to call you our brother and friend in Heaven.
We thank you for your quiet presence in our lives, as you continue to show us merit in one's ordinariness. We
fervently seek to bring your name across the faithful's hearts, so that, like the Blessed Mother, who was your model
of discipleship, we may also, at the end of our lives, embrace the eternal joys of heaven.
Through your intercession, St. Lorenzo Ruiz, may God favor us in our quest to further our dream of raising Bethel,
this house of God, to be declared a Diocesan Shrine, where the union of Creator and creation is forged into one in
piety. We pray that a Shrine in your name, St. Lorenzo Ruiz, may bring us all to follow Christ in your example of" ... to
live our faith in action and to become fierce defenders of Christianity."
We ask this in the sweet and holy name of Jesus Christ. AMEN.
 2. San Roque Chapel, SBMA Zambales
The san roque chapel was allegedly constructed by the Spanish
in the 1880s, when the region was designated as a spanish
naval base. When the Americans acquired control of the
Philippines in 1899, they continued to use the base and kept
most of its structures, including this chapel. The church is in
excellent condition, and the visitor can recognize how carefully
the American paid attention to restoration. Originally, San Roque
served as the patron saint of Olongapo's then-barrio. The
community of San Roque (now known as Cavite City) donated the San Roque image that is presently
displayed in the chapel

San Roque, commonly known as St. Rocco, is a patron saint of many

different things, including dogs, bachelors, and those who have been
wrongfully accused. For the record, God worked miracles through his life by
curing the ill and sending healing through his prayers.

PRAYER TO SAN ROQUE*

by Veritas of the Archdiocese of Jaro

O BLESSED SAN ROQUE,

patron of the sick,
watch over those who lie upon a bed of suffering.
Your power was so great when you were in this world,
that by the sign of the Cross, many were healed of their diseases.
Now that you are in heaven, your power is not less.
Offer, then, to God our sighs and tears
and obtain for us that health we seek
especially at this time of great need
when so many of our children have succumbed to the onslaught of dengue.
Pray to God for us that we may be delivered
from the scourges that afflict our communities and our world.
Through your intercession,
entreat God to preserve our bodies from contagious diseases,
and our souls from the contagion of sin.
Assist us to make good use of our health,
to bear suffering with patience; and, after your example,
to live in the practice of penance and charity
especially towards our sick brothers and sisters,
that we may one day enjoy the happiness
which you have merited by your kindness.
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

San Roque, pray for us, that we may be preserved from all diseases of body and soul. (3 times.)
(you may light a candle before his altar)

Parish of St. Joseph - Olongapo City, Zambales

The Diocese of Iba's Parish of St. Joseph was founded in 1920. It is located in the Province of Zambales,
City of Olongapo. Every year on March 19th, the Parish Fiesta is held. Roman Catholic Diocese of Iba San Jose
Vicariate, taken during the Mass, Liturgy of the Feast Day of Saint John Paul II.

Saint Joseph is well-known for being the patron saint of fathers—both biological and
adoptive—of families, virgins, and workers—particularly carpenters—carrying women, and
unborn children. Jesus' foster father and Mary's husband are both mentioned in the
Bible. When he learned that his wife, Mary, was suddenly pregnant, St. Joseph faithfully followed God's plan for his
life by not divorcing her. Although the details of Joseph's passing are unknown, it is likely that he passed away before
the start of Jesus's ministry, and it is inferred that he passed away before the Crucifixion (John 19:26-27). Joseph
was already the patron saint of Mexico, Canada, and Belgium when Pope Pius IX proclaimed him the patron saint of
the entire church in 1870. In 1955, Pope Pius XII declared May 1 to be the "Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker" in
opposition to Communists' May Day.
PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH
To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our afflictions, and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse, we
confidently invoke your patronage also.

Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with
which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has
purchased by his Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.

O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving father, ward
off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from
heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness.

As once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church from the snares of the
enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your
example and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven.
Amen.