Visita Iglesia has been part of my family's tradition since 2012. Every year, during Lent and Holy Week, several pilgrims visit seven churches and recite the fourteen Stations of the Cross (two per church visited). Traditionally done following the Mass of the Lord's Supper on the evening of Maundy Thursday, it can be done on any day during Holy Week.
In this blog, I'll take you to 3 churches in the province of Laguna, as well as 4 churches in Batangas. We did this Lenten pilgrimage on Holy Wednesday, April 16, 2025. This features some churches that may be familiar to you, but some might be relatively new or unknown to many.
Note: This is a continuation of my 2025 Lenten and Holy Week Pilgrimage from April 13 to 20, 2025. This is the last of four parts; see these links for Part 1, Part 3, and Part 4.
1. Sto. Niño de Cebu Parish - Biñan, Laguna
My first church for our Visita Iglesia 2025 is the Sto. Niño de Cebu Parish, located in Southwoods City, a mixed-use development near the famous Splash Island water park in Biñan, Laguna.
According to the Philippine website of the Augustinians, it was first built as a small church in 1984 by the Augustinian Friars after La Paz Housing and Development Corporation offered a six-hectare lot on condition that the friars would establish both a parochial school and a church. Colegio San Agustin-Biñan opened in 1985, while the parish was canonically erected on July 29, 1986. A small chapel opened in 1989, while the current church was built in 2002.
2. Diocesan Shrine of San Vicente Ferrer - Cabuyao, Laguna
The Diocesan Shrine and Parish of San Vicente Ferrer traces its roots to a discovery of the saint's image beneath a large tree at the present-day site of the church. A small chapel was then built by villagers, then a wealthy family donated the land to the Church, according to a report by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The parish was erected in 1946, under the jurisdiction of the then-Diocese of Lipa (now elevated to an archdiocese). Since 1966, it has been under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of San Pablo.
According to the same report, this church has recently been spiritually twinned with the Basilica de San Vicente Ferrer in Valencia, Spain. Valencia was where Saint Vincent Ferrer was born and spent his early life. When I learned about this during the planning stages for our Visita Iglesia, I decided to include this church because of this development.
3. Saint John the Baptist Parish Church - Calamba, Laguna
One of Calamba's oldest landmarks, this church holds a significant role in the life of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, since he was baptized there on June 22, 1861.
Jesuit missionaries established a church there after purchasing a big portion of land in 1757. It gained independence in 1779 from the parochial church of Cabuyao, Laguna. The stone church, built in 1859, was destroyed during the Second World War in 1945; the current church is a reconstruction of the original.
4. National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio - Sto. Tomas, Batangas
A popular pilgrimage site in Santo Tomas, Batangas, the National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio is being pushed by the Philippine Catholic bishops to make it as the second international shrine (i.e., shrines recognized by the Vatican for its significant importance) after Antipolo Cathedral.
Initially starting as a small chapel along Maharlika Highway in 2002, it was erected as a parish in 2003, making it the first parish in the Philippines under the patronage of St. Pio. Devotees to the Capuchin saint increased, making the chapel badly overcrowded. It was then relocated to a 1.6-hectare site kilometer away from the national highway; it broke ground in 2006 and was dedicated in 2013. The Philippine bishops declared it a national shrine in 2015.
The shrine consists of two church structures and several other features making it a popular pilgrimage site like Manaoag Church in Pangasinan. The Divine Mercy Sanctuary is where most of the day's activities are held; on that day, I went to confession being held at the main church.
5. Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Sebastian - Lipa, Batangas
Originally named as the "Convento de San Sebastian de Comintang" (administered by the Augustinians) and located close to Taal Lake since its 1605 founding, the city of Lipa was transferred to its present site after the 1754 eruption of Taal Volcano.
During the late 19th century, there was intense competition among the towns of Batangas, Bauan, Lipa, Taal, and Tanauan for the selection of the seat of the new diocese in the Southern Tagalog region (present-day Calabarzon). This competition motivated the people to build big churches in those towns. After the creation of the new diocese on April 10, 1910, Lipa was chosen among the five towns because of its cold climate. For this reason, this church was elevated to a cathedral. It was elevated as the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Sebastian after the diocese’s elevation as an archdiocese on June 20, 1972. It is dedicated to Saint Sebastian, an early Christian martyr whose feast is celebrated every January 20.
6. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish - Lipa, Batangas
The Parish Church and Monastery of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was our next stop. It was founded on May 31, 1946, as the Carmelite sisters from Manila moved out to Batangas.
A garden located beside the main church was the site of an alleged Marian apparition on September 12, 1948, known as Mary, the Mediatrix of All Grace, or simply Our Lady of Lipa. The Holy See dismissed it in 1951 as "non-supernatural". Although a canonical investigation was launched in 2015 with the archdiocese overruling the Vatican’s position, the latter soon overruled the former. One of the locals of the city I interviewed told me that his parents were one of the witnesses of the petals, from Vietnam, which fell from the sky.
7. Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of St. James the Greater - Ibaan, Batangas
My last church for our Visita Iglesia 2025 is the Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of St. James the Greater, located in the poblacion (town center). The first church and convent was built in 1817. Its current structure was built in 1853–1869. The natives are strongly devoted to Santiago Apostol, whose feast is celebrated every July 25. The Archbishop of Lipa, Gilbert Garcera, authorized the elevation of the parish church to an archdiocesan shrine on March 16, 2022; its solemn declaration was held on June 16.
Known for its Easter traditions of Dagit and Sayaw ng Pagbati, the shrine hosted the 5th National Congress of St. James Parishes and Devotees in January and February 2024. It is managed by the Oblates of Saint Joseph (OSJ), with its regional Philippine office based in nearby San Jose, Batangas.
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