Sulangan Church 201004

No visit to Guiuan should omit the Sulangan Church, so said my driver! Thus, I went for a visit, even if this was not on my "to see" list. Tutal, the more I see things, the better, right?! Plus, he told me, this is a 'miraculous' shrine of St. Anthony De Padua. All the more that I said okay, therefore let's visit that. Go!

It is 'officially' called The Diocesan Shrine of St. Anthony De Padua, someone told me. Others call it the St. Anthony De Padua Church of Sulangan, Guiuan Eastern Samar. But there is nothing wrong if, like me, you prefer to call it "Sulangan Church" - wala naman ibang church (yata) sa Sulangan anyway!

This is the 'entrance' to Sulangan "main" island... the "Sulangan Bridge". Nice views here!

Actually, where this picture was taken (before crossing the bridge) is already Barangay Sulangan, and after the bridge is still the same barangay! In fact, most of their homes are located across this bridge.

Immediately after the bridge you turn right, then go straight and turn left at the end. Don't worry, there are directional signs to the church (nasa dulo)! Vehicle flow on this little island is one-way in a counter clockwise direction. Why? Well, because their streets are quite narrow and can't fit a two-way traffic.

Chadaaan... it's under renovation! But no worries, the church is open anyway - any day...

They're making this thing bigger to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims who come to visit this church. In fact they're "turning" this church around by 90 degrees! Pwede ba yun?! Yes, pwede!

Just think out of the box! Don't look at the roof now. You see the left edge of the pic? That's where the altar is as of now, and it faces the right edge of this picture, right? That, will be transferred somewhere to the middle of the photo. Now look at the fascia (yung triangle) of the roof-in-the-making. Over at its other end (doon sa likod) will be the new altar - and it will soon face front to this parking are. Ganun!

Sino nagsabing pipihitin?! You talaga! 'Wag kang ano..!

Here's the "insides" of the church as of now, as it has been for a long time, but will soon change...

That bright area on the left is the road and the parking area - what we described above. Far to the right of this pew on the lower right corner of the photo will be the new altar. All pews (seats) will face right.

How did I know? Under re-construction nga. Kita ang ginagawa nila.

Outside and across the church, beside the parking lot, is where you light candles...

This is to the left of the 2nd picture above. Beyond this (to the right) is the "kumbento" (convent) and their parish office (whatever that is called). And to the left of this pic is the mini-palengke where they sell candles, prayer booklets, shellcraft, other souvenirs, drinks and snacks, fresh fish, dried fish, etc.

They even have a charcoal grill by the fish vendors, some men can grill whatever you bought, pronto!

I went past the many stores, fish vendors and grill to the water's edge and this is what I saw...

Look at the horizon. You should see a haze of an island there. They told me that is Homonhon Island.

Wonderful place, and lucky I came to visit NOT on a pilgrim day. No crowds!