Visit Iglesia 2022 | Cavite Pilgrimage Circuit: Coastal Area

On our long weekend off, we spontaneously decided to do our own Visita Iglesia! We are not practicing Catholics but our late father was, and we would stop by old churches whenever we go out and he would have a short prayer inside while we take photos and admire its architectural structure and design.

We literally planned it the night before and sister-schwaan found the Facebook page of Cavite Tourism! They posted guides on all the heritage churches in Cavite. They have the Upland Area, Midland Area and our final choice; the Coastal Route:

We figured it would be an easier drive if we do the Coastal Area since it's just one straight route compared to the other two choices.

Church-hopping Start-o!

Sister-schwaan made our itinerary for the day. We head off early, around 7:00AM, passed through the route, and started from Ternate.

Church #1: Sto. Niňo de Ternate Parish Church, Ternate

The Ternate Parish Church is located at Sto. Niño Street Poblacion I Ternate, Cavite. We missed it by one corner as Waze pointed us at the back of the actual church. We had to walk from the back to see it - "tourists", lol. We also saw people preparing for their procession.

It was still early so there were still few people around. This church looks so nice upfront and even nicer inside! Maybe we just didn't saw it because the area is surrounded by trees.

Church #2: Our Lady of the Assumption Parish Church, Maragondon

2nd stop: Maragondon. Their Parish is not hard to miss! The Maragondon Parish is all white and is adjoined by an old structure that seemed to be old quarters turned offices.

It seemed like they have renovated the interiors and kept some of the notable structures - like their amazingly sculpted doors!

Quick Tip: "If it's your first time entering a church, knock three times on it's main door and make a wish."

Church #3: Diocesan Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Church, Naic

The Naic Diocesan Shrine has an interesting placement. It's surrounded by establishments that you can't really take a good full photo of it from the outside. Right upfront it, there's a basketball court that just barricaded what could've been a nice view of the structure.

One of the notable parts of the church is its cemented floor outside that drew a map of Cavite. The parish was also beside an old Casa Hacienda that was eventually converted into an Elementary School.

With a quick Wiki - it was said that this is the First Diocesan Shrine in the Diocese of Imus and is considered the largest.

Church #4: Diocesan Shrine of Saint Augustine, Tanza

Another white church!

We weren't sure -- but it was really huge outside but the inside looks small. We wondered if it was under construction because there's a huge red cloth covering something at the back part of the church and they have this huge tarpaulin display of the interiors and it didn't look a slight similar.

We hope to have seen the true beauty of the church when we visited, Tanza Diocesan Shrine looks very nice from online photos.

Church #5: Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Rosario

This was the most ironic among the churches we visited today. I got really disappointed from the outside view - as a tourist, I really don't like seeing stalls/people selling things in a supposed-to-be tourist/attraction spot, it spoils the mood and you can't fully appreciate what needs to be appreciated.

Now, I say ironic because it looks so unkempt from the outside, yet it looked so prim and modern on the inside. We love the details on the arch by the entrance and how everything is symmetric inside.

Church #6: Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Solitude of Porta Vaga, San Roque Parish Church, Cavite City

This one is MASSIVE! We literally saw the tower part of the church miles away from where it actually is. It could've taken a nicer shot of the whole church if there weren't a barricaded par right in front from its opposite street.

There was a sign up-front at the entrance saying the church is under renovation; maybe the reason why the roof looks empty, but we all love high ceilings! The other thing I loved about the Cavite City Parish is its stained glass art windows, it beautifies the place and also brightens the hall with natural light!

Quick Detour

Cavite City was a peninsula connected to the mainland so we made our detour here - where Samonte Park is. This is also where the Governor of the city stays. It was a really huge park. And they have this long view deck by the sea.

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Church #7: Saint Mary Magdalene Church, Kawit

The last one! This one looks the oldest for me - unless it's the locals' preference to not scrub off some impurities on their structure. Not that I'm saying that negatively but again - it would be much nicer to appreciate if there were no vendors upfront flaunting their huge and colorful umbrellas blocking the beauty of the structure.

You can also feel the vibe inside that it is old. The red bricks were also patched up carefully, enough to still show the red color of the bricks. I hope the local government continues to take care and rehabilitate the Kawit Church, so future generations can appreciate its beauty.

It's amazing how some structures stand the test of time and exist more than the people who built and grew in them; much more amazing if you actually see them with your own eyes.

Capping the day

As we detour back, we stopped by Emilio Aguinaldo's Shrine. We have been living in Cavite all our lives and this is the first time we are stepping foot here.

Of course, the place is closed since it was a holiday, but we were content just seeing the estate up close. it felt so tiny in photos, but looking at it in person I can finally tell how huge it is!

The whole tour ended around 3:00PM-ish, including lunch. We had a quick snack and rest at Roma before going home, and that's it!

I hope next year we can do it again and explore more churches - I need to make more wishes! lol. :D

Thanks for reading all the way through!

xoxo

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