San Fernando (Cebu) Church
Just passing by from our Carcar and Sibonga visit, San Fernando’s church and municipal hall attracted us so we got off and roamed the area a bit.
The church looks beautifully ancient with a spacious frontage garden. Sunday afternoon service was in progress but we still went in – and in the process attended mass too! See?!
We were just by the main entrance as the church was very full (all Sunday afternoon
masses in this country are, right?) and we were admiring things of and around the church. Suddenly a voice whispered unto my left ear saying “ang kapal mo coming here in shorts and naka-tsinelas”. That was a familiar voice so I immediately turned. OMG, a long lost friend, an ex-workmate. I was about to exclaim my surprise loudly but he placed his forefinger on his lips to tell me keep quiet hehe. We went a bit farther out of the entrance to talk more and reconnect.
Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? That was first the question. My reply: how would I, I didn’t know you come from this place and I didn’t even imagine you were still alive. I received a big whack on my back for that hehe! Frankly I didnn’t even imagine he was/is bisdak since back in Manila this workmate always talked in that sing-song coniotic Taglish. He still does.. and made kwento about the church. Yeah, really. Ack!
I was asked why I was there and I replied that the church just attracted our attention. And so I was told many things about this church from no less than an aristocratic Taglish tongued friend I have not seen in eons! Wow! Many of the things he told me I think I have forgotten hehe. But let’s see…
This chuch has been so since the late 1850s but the beautiful structure just came about sometime 1886. This is one of the few beautiful gothic style churches around. And I asked what gothic meant. That irked the storyteller but he did concede by lecturing on medieval designs of tall and slender structures with pointed tops and so on. Ah hehe, I liked what I was hearing… nose-bleed and even eardrum-bleed! Their patron is San Isidro Labrador the patron of farmers. I said I like it that grass was growing on the walls. I was told that some folks believe their roots make the stones sturdy. Wow! I asked why the insides of the church is already beautifully modern and the reply was “that’s what you get ‘pre when people become rich”. Okay, fine!
After mass, we just looked at the municipal hall and their sports center. Got invited to have dinner at the friend’s house but I said a very firm NO! It was only sunset and we both knew what would have happened from that time until dinner – lasingan! He was after all a constant drinking buddy in Manila and I know him very well in that field hehe.
The church looks beautifully ancient with a spacious frontage garden. Sunday afternoon service was in progress but we still went in – and in the process attended mass too! See?!
We were just by the main entrance as the church was very full (all Sunday afternoon
masses in this country are, right?) and we were admiring things of and around the church. Suddenly a voice whispered unto my left ear saying “ang kapal mo coming here in shorts and naka-tsinelas”. That was a familiar voice so I immediately turned. OMG, a long lost friend, an ex-workmate. I was about to exclaim my surprise loudly but he placed his forefinger on his lips to tell me keep quiet hehe. We went a bit farther out of the entrance to talk more and reconnect.Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? That was first the question. My reply: how would I, I didn’t know you come from this place and I didn’t even imagine you were still alive. I received a big whack on my back for that hehe! Frankly I didnn’t even imagine he was/is bisdak since back in Manila this workmate always talked in that sing-song coniotic Taglish. He still does.. and made kwento about the church. Yeah, really. Ack!
I was asked why I was there and I replied that the church just attracted our attention. And so I was told many things about this church from no less than an aristocratic Taglish tongued friend I have not seen in eons! Wow! Many of the things he told me I think I have forgotten hehe. But let’s see…
This chuch has been so since the late 1850s but the beautiful structure just came about sometime 1886. This is one of the few beautiful gothic style churches around. And I asked what gothic meant. That irked the storyteller but he did concede by lecturing on medieval designs of tall and slender structures with pointed tops and so on. Ah hehe, I liked what I was hearing… nose-bleed and even eardrum-bleed! Their patron is San Isidro Labrador the patron of farmers. I said I like it that grass was growing on the walls. I was told that some folks believe their roots make the stones sturdy. Wow! I asked why the insides of the church is already beautifully modern and the reply was “that’s what you get ‘pre when people become rich”. Okay, fine!
After mass, we just looked at the municipal hall and their sports center. Got invited to have dinner at the friend’s house but I said a very firm NO! It was only sunset and we both knew what would have happened from that time until dinner – lasingan! He was after all a constant drinking buddy in Manila and I know him very well in that field hehe.
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