Palompon Church Visit

frontal view St. Francis Xavier Parish Church Palompon Leyte
The St. Francis Xavier Parish Church, commonly known as the Palompon Church. There was no one that seemed in the know to talk to. So I just moved on my own. Yeah, I miss having a tour guide like I had in Iloilo last month, or Cagayan Valley two months ago :(

Anyway, I think this was the first time I saw a church proudly displaying in good and visible signage, their Mission and Vision. I wonder, is there an ISO Certification para sa mga simbahan? Well, why not, and there might as well better be. Countability hehehe!

front view, St. Francis Xavier Parish Church, Palompon Leyte
A wedding ceremony was in progress. So I waited for that vehicle (a cute "bridal car") to be gone before I entered the church. Baka sabihin nakiki-wedding ako sa wedding ng me wedding, in board shorts and with my backpack still firmly hugging me hehe!

While waiting for that wedding to finish, I went to sit on one of the benches surrounding the plaza in front of this church. At a nearby bench, I saw something that crushed my heart, but let me tell you about it in my next story.

4:14PM, wedding done, cute bridal car departed, so I immediately went in.
inside view of St. Francis Xavier Church Palompon
Amazingly, a number people immediately got busy cleaning-up and arranging things. I was not sure if they were church staff or part of the just-finished wedding's crews. They just sprung busy (at times even panicky noisy), so I wasn't able to ask them questions.

But I was free to move around, even if they threw 'wondering glances' at me!

So I walked thru the red carpet hehe and reached as far as halfway of its length..,
altar view of St. Francis Xavier Parish Church Palompon Leyte
This was 'nearest to the altar' that I could reach. Any further, I thought I would already be in the way of the clean-up staff who kept darting from anywhere to everywhere! But...

Like at the Iloilo churches, at halfway middle of the aisle I turned around to see this...
preist's view of St. Francis Xavier Parish Church Palompon
The 'priest's view'! That is a big wide and sturdy choir loft up there.

I saw someone going up those stairs on the left. Yes, big and real stairs, not a winding staircase made of wrought iron! I hurried to ask if I can also go up there! He said yes!

So this was my view from up at the choir-loft! Nice, right?!
choir loft view of St. Francis Xavier Parish Church Palompon
Yep, very nice view from up this choir loft. And, how lucky of me! I learned things from the manong who I followed and asked permission from to go up there.

Everybody was in a rush to clean up after that wedding because, the 5PM mass would soon start! He is part of the choir, and was up there to already set-up their instruments and sound equipment for the mass.

I also learned from him, that this is the oldest church on the island of Leyte, built in the 1700s. That as far as Ormoc in the south, to Matag-ob and Villaba on the north, all were under this church/parish until they each became independent towns. What an info! Wow!

Alright folks, I never really thought I would learn any new information in and about this church as I roamed around it. There just seemed no one to interact with. Now I believe...

Even when there is no "will", sometimes there comes a "way"!

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 Click these numbers for a chronology of my notes:
01   02   03   04   05   06   07   08   09   10
11   12   13   14   15        Fifteen stories!   
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