Monday, February 02, 2015

Assumption Parish-Santa Maria,Ilocos S

Back to Main Page

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption (Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion), commonly known as the Santa Maria Church is the parish church of Santa Maria in Ilocos Sur province, Philippines
The parish of Santa Maria started as a chapel-of-ease (visita) of Narvacan, its neighboring town to the north, in 1567. The influx of the settlers after the full conquest of the Ilocos Region by the Spaniards greatly increased the population of Santa Maria. The chapel became an independent ministry in 1769 and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary depicted as Our Lady of the Assumption. Besides economic progress, evangelical missions were expanded. The mission at Santa Maria, located on a narrow flat plain between the sea and the central mountain range of Luzon, close to the interior settlements, made Santa Maria as the center of both the religious and commercial activities.
According to the legend, before the Santa Maria Church was built on its present site, the Virgin Mary was enshrined at a different place called Bulala. The frequent disappearance of the Virgin Mary from her previous place of enthronement only to be found perched on a guava tree that grew where the present church is located, had led the townspeople to move the church to its present location.
Construction of the present church was started in 1765. In 1810, the bell tower was built during the renovation of the church and furnished with a bell the following year. During the renovation of church complex in 1863, the protective wall around the sides of the hill was constructed. After the bell tower was remodeled the same year, its foundation must have gradually settled down making the imposing structure slightly leaning or tilting as it appears today. The convent was greatly renovated in 1895.

Old Churches in the Philippines

Sunday, February 01, 2015

Virgin Mary Parish -Baclayon, Bohol

Back to Main Page

La Purisima Concepcion de la Virgen Maria Parish Church (also The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary Parish Church), commonly known as Baclayon Church, is a Roman Catholic Church in the municipality of Baclayon, Bohol, Philippines within the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tagbilaran. Baclayon was founded by the Jesuit priest Juan de Torres and Gabriel Sánchez in 1596, and became the oldest Christian settlement in Bohol. It was elevated as a parish in 1717 and the present coral stone church was completed in 1727. The Augustinian Recollects succeeded the Jesuits in 1768 and heavily renovated the church since then.
The Jesuits, the first evangelizers of the Baclayon, planted the first seed of Christianity in Bohol upon the request of Doña Catalina de Bolaños, mother of the encomendero of Bohol island, Pedro de Gamboa to Father Antonio Sedeno, mission superior of Leyte and Samar. In November 17, 1596, the first Jesuits, Father Juan de Torres, SJ and Father Gabriel Sánchez, SJ , came to Baclayon. At that time, a Catholic chapel is already existing inside the encomienda.
In 1717, Baclayon was elevated as a parish. The present stone church constructed under the Jesuits was finished in 1727. When the Jesuits were expelled in the country in 1768, the Augustinian Recollects immediately succeeded them in the late part of the same year in administering the spiritual needs of the people of Baclayon. Renovations on the church was done during the administration of Father Pedro de la Encarnación, OAR (1839–1854), Father Antonio Úbeda, OAR (1856–1859, 1861–1868) and Father José María Cabañas, OAR (1870–1898). The church was saved from destruction that might be brought by American soldiers in exchange for food and water in 1901

The church entrance is flanked by an arcade leading to the narthex. The entrance to the choir loft and the carosa for the images of saints is found on the right and left side of the narthex respectively. Since the floor inside is lower than the ground outside, a new floor made of wood (particularly molave) was installed in 1852 which was later replaced by brick tiles from 1874 to 1875.

Reddish paintings on wooden panels commissioned by Father Antonio Ubeda from 1856 to 1859 can be found inside the church. These are the Ascension of Our Lord and Pentecost on the doorway; and two portraits of the Doctors of the Church. A third portrait belonging to the set of Doctors of the Church is on the church museum while the fourth portrait is lost. The paintings Agony in the Garden and Crowning of Thorns, also commissioned by Father Úbeda, is currently housed at the San Agustin Museum in Intramuros, Manila. The works of art are done by Liberato Gachalian.

Murals, mostly replaced by monochromatic tin sheets, were also present on the church's ceilings. Though most ceiling paintings were unpreserved, an original work of Max Aya-ay in 1957 can still be seen on portions of the crossing. The walls were originally adorned with wooden images of Stations of the Cross commissioned by Father Ubeda in 1859 which were later replaced by European-made images.

One of the largest earthquakes to hit Bohol struck the island at 8:12 AM on October 15, 2013. The center of the M7.2 earthquake was near Sagbayan, Bohol. Centuries-old churches in Bohol, including seven churches on Baclayon, Dauis, Dimiao, Loay, Loboc, Loon and Maribojoc, declared as National Cultural Treasures, were damaged. The church of Baclayon sustained major damage with its collapsed portico and bell tower.
The Diocese of Tagbilaran plans to restore the Church of Baclayon and all other churches destroyed by the earthquake. Together with government agencies, pre-restoration works are currently on-going.

CHURCH RESTORATION – The restoration of quake-ruined centuries-old Baclayon Church starts, giving material momentum to Bohol’s recovery effort in heritage aspect. The provincial government with the national government in securing fund and assisting the religious sector in rebuilding or restoration of antiquated churches toppled by the strong tremor. The National Historical institute and National Museum responded to the effort. The Baclayon Church is just one of the several icons of Boholano faith totally or partially destroyed by the 7.2 magnitude major ground shake. The reconstruction of the priceless monuments of religious culture has highlighted Bohol as the country’s learning center for heritage restoration and preservation, according to the Bohol governor who is seen as a poster boy of Filipino resilience to calamity.

Old Churches in the Philippines

St.John the Baptist,Bato,Catanduanes

Back to Main Page

St. John the Baptist Church (Bato, Catanduanes)
St. John the Baptist Church was created in 1830 and finished in 1883. It is situated in the town proper. It was built on the site of the first cross planted in Catanduanes to mark the grave of an Augustinian friar, Diego de Herrerra. Herrerra died there in 1576.
St. John the Baptist Church is a very simple, Classical structure. The main portall is topped by a clean semicircular arch gramed by pilasters. The wall is leveled to the side to deviate from absolute flatness. A cornice divides the the church into two levels. The bell tower serves as the church's entire second level which is crowned with a dome. The whole church is topped with a large white cross. The absence of a pediment is noticable.

Bato Church retained its exteriors made of mortar and coral lime stones despite the test of time. It’s one of the dominant structures in the island with thick and massive walls. The interiors are a bit of contrast however as there were alterations done on the ceiling as well as the altar.

Old Churches in the Philippines

Santuario del Santo Cristo -S J,Manila

Back to Main Page

The Santuario del Santo Cristo, situated in San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines, also known as the Church of San Juan del Monte, was a church and convent that was built in 1602-1604 by the Dominican Friars of the most holy rosary on a land that was donated to them by Capitan Julian De Cuenca. During the Chinese uprising 1639, both structures were destroyed and burned during the Chinese uprising in 1639 and was rebuilt in 1641. It was again set on fire in July 1763 during the brief 18-month British occupation of Manila. The current church and convent were constructed in 1774 and has been renovated many times during the mid-1900. It is noted for its historical importance when it was used as a shelter by the Katipuneros during the 1898 Philippine Revolution. This sanctuary is the seat of the Cofraternity of Santisimo Cristo De San Juan Del Monte approved by Pope Innocent X on March 4, 1648.

The Dominicans arrived in the Philippines in 1587 and had founded the Santo Domingo Convent in what we now call Intramuros. In 1602, 15 years after they arrived in the country, the Dominican Fathers came to San Juan which was not yet San Juan del Monte, but the mountains of San Juan. A few clusters of nipa huts scattered on the property of a certain Captain Julian de Cuenca, who had been granted an encomienda along the San Juan River banks, where cattle was bred and raised.

<
Altar, Santuario Del Sto. Cristo Parish, San Juan City

Nave, Santuario Del Sto. Cristo Parish

Right Side Entrance of Santuario Del Sto. Cristo Parish<

Entrance To Santuario Del Sto . Cristo Parish

Convent and Right Side of Santuario Del Sto. Cristo Parish

Old Churches in the Philippines

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Fly Me Back

Back to Main Page

The New York Public Library

Victir Wood - SH- Boom

Vinyl vs CD, which one sounds better?

Back to Main Page

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Size Matters

Back to Main Page

New Study Shows Which Country Has

The Biggest Penises In The World

New Study Shows Which Country HasThe Biggest Penises In The World

Well here is what we have all secretly been waiting for – a global ranking of Wang sizes. BodyRock is based in Canada, so I guess we will just have to continue to take pride in our Hockey prowess.

Out of the 80 countries they researched, the average penis size is 5.5 inches. South America is the most well hung continent at 6.36 inches. While North Korea, at 3.8 inches, takes home the booby prize.=
Americans didn’t even reach the global average and find themselves in 61st place out of 80. No wonder our women are so attracted to foreign men. Just pray your lady never hooks up with a guy from the Democratic Republic of the Congo or it’s ballgame over.
Before we get to the map and list of the average erect penis sizes for 80 countries worldwide, here are some notable findings:
-The proper way to measure is from tip of the penis to the very bottom of the pubic bone.
-The global average is 5.5 inches.
-The most well hung country in our study is the Democratic Republic of the Congo (aka Congo), with an average of 7.1 inches.
-On average, South America is the most well hung continent (6.36 inches).
-North Korea has the smallest dick size on average (3.8 inches).
-Only 3 percent of men worldwide are over 8 inches. Only 6 percent of men actually need extra large condoms.
-Of the 80 countries included, the U.S. ranks #61 in average erect penis size.

What She's Thinking

Do you think you could accurately identify what 5.0 inches looks like within ¼ inch? Yeah, we didn't think so. And guess what, most women couldn't do it either. The variances in the middle ranges of penis sizes only offer about ¾ of an inch from the low-end to the high-end of the scale, including the supposed racial variances that have seeped into popular culture but remain largely unsubstantiated in the scientific community. So, unless you are the proud owner of a significantly smaller (under 4.0 inches erect) or significantly larger (over 7.5 inches), your partner's ability to identify your exact size and judge you on it are pretty slim

Back to Main Page

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Sinkhole

Back to Main Page

　　According to the "CCTV News" microblogging reported about at 15:00 on the 20th, Liaoning Tieling City, a road collapsed. Bring disaster to five car accident, in which a severely damaged, at present no casualties. Below the accident site was built underground air raid shelters commercial project, a construction area of 30,000 square meters. Cause of the accident is under further investigation. (CCTV reporter Li Xinfeng Wei Yanhao)