I have also love churches since I cannot remember when and have always wanted to go to different churches - especially for the past few months; probably because I'm looking for the best church for my wedding? Or I just love the design and the oldness of it.
Did you know? My ambition when I was a kid was to become an architect. And here I am.. far from it. Haha! I had that ambition before because I wanted to build our own house!
When I learned that there's what they called "Bisikleta Iglesia" during Holy Week, I really wanted to join! Bike + Church?! Pardon me as I salivate on the thoughts of this!
Bisikleta Iglesia is actually the same with Bisita Iglesia / Visita Iglesia wherein you visit different churches as part of penance and then pray. As a practice here in the Philippines, we recite the Station of the Cross depends on how many churches we're going into. Some only go to 1 church then go from station to station as all churches have the Station of the Cross. Some go to 7 churches and recite 2 station per church while the others will really visit 14 churches! This is usually being done on a Maundy Thursday but can be done until Good Friday or before the death of Christ at 3PM. The difference of Bisikleta Iglesia to this is instead of walking to different church locations, we use our bike for transportation.
I saw two events for Holy Week. The first one was organized by United Folding Bikers aka UFB. Picture below was taken during last year's Bisikleta Iglesia and that was Binondo Church at the background. This year's event happened on a Holy Thursday at 2PM, meet up at UP Diliman Oblation, ride out at 3PM to visit different churches around that vicinity.
photo grabbed from event's invite
Another event are from a bike group called Cyclists for Christ. This happened on a Good Friday. Rideout was at 7:30AM and off they went to Jubilee Churches of the Diocese of Cubao. Since I've been to Jubilee Churches early this month with my parents, I am really looking forward to go to more Jubilee churches. As quoted, "The Jubilee officially began when Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of Mercy at Saint Peter’s Basilica last December 8th, 2015. Cathedrals and designated churches all over the world have similar Holy Doors, and they will remain open during the Jubilee Year." That's why during my first Visita Iglesia this year, we went to different churches and entered their Holy Doors. Entering the door is symbolic of entering into God’s mercy, whose loving and compassionate embrace waits for people with repentant hearts. That's why I want to join this event as well by Cyclists for Christ!
photo grabbed from a member's cover photo
The dilemma? I have work during Holy Week - Monday to Thursday from 11PM-8AM. So it's either R and I join the event and don't get sleep or leave early on a Friday morning to join the Cyclists for Christ but R won't be with me. I'm okay with being deprived of sleep - as they say, you know you're important if a person sacrifices his time and sleep for you. So what's a little sacrifice of sleep just to do the Bisita Iglesia, Way of the Cross and say a little prayer, right? But then, I don't want to leave R at home nor I want to go alone although I'm already contemplating on that. So... it's for R to decide. Haha!
I have told him I wanted to go to Bisikleta Iglesia because for sure we can't do our usual Alay Lakad since we have work on a Thursday night. He doesn't want to join the Bisikleta Iglesia because he knows we'll lack some sleep. So I keep on giving him hints ever since I knew about the ride. Come Wednesday, he said that he will only go to Bisikleta Iglesia with me IF I go out at 8AM from work. He choose UFB as well since we've been going on a ride with them since January and already know some people and would be familiar with the pacing. It'll be a challenge to leave early for him as well on a Friday morning, that's why. So come Thursday shift at 8AM, I waited for a phone call from R to say that we're leaving.. And so we did. I did not make him wait.
We set the alarm at 2PM. I set it 3 times for 3 intervals starting 1:30PM. But we were so asleep we woke up at 2:30PM! Boo! Ride out is at 3PM in UP and I don't think it's possible to arrive there by then! We still need to change clothes, freshen up and ride our bike - 8kms from our place and I don't know where's the church in UP! Que horror! But I know we still have time. The group pacing will not be that fast so we can still follow. So we decided to go and I told R that we'll just wait for the group on the second church - Monasterio de Santa Clara - 5kms away from us and I know the place.
Here are our church destinations for the day:
*Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, UP
*Monasterio de Sta. Clara
*Christ the King, Greenmeadows
*Mary the Queen, Greenhills
*Our Lady of Mt Carmel, New Manila
* Sto. Domingo Church
* St. Paul de Apostles
Before we left the house, I called my uncle to ask where are they and they said that they are about to leave UP Oblation, that was 3PM already. He told me to go to Christ the King instead because they'll be quick in UP and Sta Clara will be next so we can just meet them where it's nearer - Green Meadows. It's been so long since I passed by White Plains so I'm not familiar where Christ the King is. I have never been there as well so we just follow our guts and we can always ask anyway. I was looking for signs when I saw a village gate that has a tarpaulin for Christ the King so we went there and asked. They said that we need to go straight and on the stoplight, we'll see it. So we continue our journey and saw the church but we haven't seen any bikers yet.
photo grabbed from www.lds.org
So I checked my phone and was thinking they might still be in Sta Clara coz we were fast in pedaling on our way. So we waited... I then called my uncle to ask where are they. He said they're about to leave UP Church so we then decided to meet them in Sta Clara since it's not that far from where we are - 4kms long only.
We stopped by 7-Eleven convenient store on our way back to grab some food and drinks as we're exhausted already with the weather. We ate hotdog sandwich. I grabbed some energy bars, chocolate and Gatorade to replenish my energy. Then off we go to Sta Clara.
Did you know? If you're a biker and you passed by 7-Eleven, you can get some free ice through their Gulp Station and it won't cost a thing! Just act as you usually do it. Haha. A helpful tip I got from my uncle. *wink
We then arrived at Monasterio De Santa Clara:
photo grabbed online
There were a lot of people - vendors, pilgrimages and polices. It's not hard to spot a biker especially a big group but I've never been inside so they might be in there. I asked R to watch our bikes and went inside but did not find them. While inside, I checked the place as well and say a prayer. I love the façade of the church as it's very beautiful and pleasing! I only know the church as people offer eggs here but nothing other than that. So, Google became my friend. *wink
Monasterio de Santa Clara or St. Clare Monastery is famous for people who would like to pray for clear skies, clear mind or clear conscience. They offer egg as egg whites are very clear and it's also a reference to the name of the saint herself - Claire - which means clarity. If you happen to pass by this church and you do not have eggs with you, you do not need to worry as there are a lot of vendors outside selling eggs and covered with colored cellophane depends on your offering. Best to ask the vendors to offer the correct color!
So if you want to pray for a good weather on a special event - wedding, birthday, pilgrimage and the likes, best to go here and ask for St Clare's intercession.
How to get there:
-From Cubao, one can ride a jeepney along Aurora Blvd. going to Marikina or Antipolo and alight at Katipunan Ave.
-Via LRT2, alight at the Katipunan station along Aurora Blvd. and walk towards Katipunan Ave.
To be continued...
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