That is its official name. It is a big chapel inside the Archbishop's Residence Compound in Cebu City. I am no religious, I have even yet to know the full and real story about this beatified and soon to be saint dude from Cebu, but I must say, this chapel is one of the most beautiful I have seen. Maybe because it was finished just very recently (2002), thus, it benefited from a good and updated design concept and construction specifications, or something like that! One of the most serene places I have visited.
Its actually too big for the usual chapel that we see everywhere but too short too for the usual church that we see around. The height though makes for its church-like stance. Its one modern air-conditioned house of worship. While I actually have yet to see those air-conditioners being switched on, I could see very clear signs that it is constantly and properly maintained. I even get to thinking that this should be the size and make of churches. I mean it is big enough vertically so you don't feel cramped inside even when the church is filled to full capacity, yet the altar is not that far and you can still see the facial expression of the priest while doing his homily!
As I said I am not that religious so am not even aware yet of how to properly behave in a house of worship. At times, I like playing with little things just to make sounds and observe how they reverberate inside big structures. In this one, there is not much of the disturbing echo, though you still could create one. But that should be like banging the pews with so much force hehe. Though if you start out and up to the stairs, the click clack of your shoes would be easily discernable.
Upstairs? Well yes, there is a big full sized choir-loft just above the equally big main door. And it is an even nicer place to perch on and view the whole insides of this chapel. Haven't seen one yet, but this must be a very lovely and intimate setting for a wedding – the type where there would probably be just a hundred or less in attendance, that is!
There's something interesting with those colored or tinted glass on the windows. They create some bluish-purplish hues in my pictures. Sometimes I don't like it, but I don't seem to know yet how that can be avoided. I said interesting, because, when you are inside the chapel, you do not necessarily notice or feel the blue or purplish dominance anywhere. Everywhere is relatively normal to the eyes, including the reds and yellows in flowers, even the browns in the wood and other materials. But when you click a photo, there goes the blue hehe! Without the flash, it is more blue than the usual darkness of black. With the flash, it becomes a purplish-reddish rendition. Ah whatever, I just feel its interesting!
Go see the place folks, at least before the canonization. An employee tells me that this was the first chapel dedicated by the church to Pedro Calungsod spearheaded by Cardinal Vidal and was consecrated in December 2002. Hmm, so it has been standing tall and beautiful for almost a decade now.
ganda sya!
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