Mapanas Church
Two blocks away from the municipal hall, I chanced upon the 'also fairly young' Our Lady of the Angels Parish Church of Mapanas, commonly called Mapanas Church.
I hope you get the drift of these "fairly young" pronouncements that I keep saying. It is because this town was created from 7 barangays of Gamay only in 1966, and this church was created as a parish only in 1975. So it's rather young compared to many!
So I did not expect to find historic things here, like I did at Palapag.
It was closed (churches are like that now). But to my left, there was an open gate.
Beautiful new fence & gate. Mala-eskwelahan ang arrive! Thank you sa mga donors! Syempre, enter da dragon na agad - baka mag-automatic close pa yan - malay natin!
Like at many churches, I suspected I'd find an ajar side door. Ay, just as I said above, nowadays churches normally close their many entrances, leaving just 1 open or ajar.
We already know the rationale behind that, right? Damo na it kawatan ha kalibutan!
Oops, I did not find an open side-door on this left-flank of the church.
That transept (yun yung naka-usling parte ng simbahan, near the altar) probably has an open door, but I didn't go there anymore. Looks like pang pari at sakristan lang eh!
Why did I suspect that to be so? Ah, because that new pavement goes straight (and a bit left) to the convent (red roof behind the white pader & gate behind the Dalakit)!
Baka bawal ang madlang public doon.
Baka bawal, kasi malapit na sa altar. Baka mapag-kamalan akong kawatan hehehe! Besides, those 2 men at the gate (di ko alam kung pari ang isa) were bathing a dog!
That is too private and personal an activity. I did not want to invade their privacy na! Besides too, eh kung sugurin at sakmalin ako nung azucena? Yes, yung sigbin! D ak!
Hahaha! As I always say, kahit mukha akong matapang, hadlukon ak oi! That house with open-sides (left edge of the photo) by the way, looks like a parish activity center.
If you are curious why they built that kind of road (awh path lang pala!) on the grass, during rainy days kasi, this town gets easily submerged in flood waters. That is why.
This area of town is actually relatively higher-ground na, but can still be flooded.
So wala na? Surrender na? No way! Ako pa! I went to the other side of the church!
That door was half-open. I mean only the left panel was open (since it's a huge door anyway), and no people around. The church side-door ha? Not the adoration chapel.
Actually I didn't check if that's really an adoration chapel or 'daragkutan kandila'. But seeing that it's so enclosed, probably even (to be) air-conditioned, then it's a chapel!
So I got inside the Our Lady of the Angels Church of Mapanas. Here's the altar:
First I noticed is that "honeycomb" design at the back of the retablo, and only on the left half of the wall. Not sure if it's wallpaper, painted or latticework (screen) design!
I think my ageing eyes was too far to recognize whatever (material) that is.
Whatever that is, unless I see/hear/read an explanation, I think it's ugly because it is "too much". Too many lines and shapes in that altar, for a prayerful brain to process.
Teka, now (as in now lang, as I write while looking at that picture above), I think 'that' is wallpaper or something printed with gold-colored little hexagons. Ang pangit padre!
What is the purpose of that honeycomb thing anyway? To hide the building's beams that have not been "walled-over"? I believe it doesn't do it. It highlights them instead!
Moving to the middle of the church, I looked at the altar again, and faced this...
I initially said "what da"! But, to each his own 'ika nga. Walang basagan ng trip, diba?!
Too many curved lines and shapes, that overwhelms the senses, which doesn't help us the prayerful in achieving a quiet mind for prayer or contemplation. Makalilipung!
Well, for the designers and/or "cura parroco", they may not necessarily wish that we feel 'peaceful' inside this church with trying-to-be Baroque interior art. Just Grandeur!
Do you still remember your college Asian Civilizaions and/or Art History? "Baroque" art was brought to us mainly by European Catholic priests. That was/is the influence!
Exuberant interriors "to create drama, awe, and a sense of grandeur" (bongga-effect) to attract natives to the church and then the faith, kasi napapa-wow sila! The rest is:
History! O di ba?!
Basta ako, I find those things masamok, malinop in a prayer place! Besides, original church artworks of yesteryears had those Rococo motifs carved on wood or stucco.
So they were more of 3D and not shiny. Now, kung Boysen lang yan, wag na!
Oops oi, there's my drivr at right. Nahagip!
And I never forget... I returned to near the altar for my customary "priest's view"!
Do you see what I mean with those intricate yet generic decorative motifs up on the ceiling? It makes anywhere in the church such an "active" scene - full of "movement" even if empty (since our brains assess the lines, curves, shapes) - yet meaningless.
Wouldn't it be best if surroundings only make you feel serene and prayerful?
Anyway, I could see that the scaffoldings (wood and bamboo) are for a future choir loft. Parang me hagdan na sa kanan o! May it be strong and beautiful for everyone!
Hey, I still loved being in this church. It is a good study on the merry mix of spiritual pursuits, tradition, history, knowledge, available resources & everything in between!
Traveling to places, chancing upon many versions of the same thing (e.g., church) makes you learn many things! Like priests and architects do not necessarily know real meanings of Baroque (the ceiling art) and Neo-classical (the exterior facade).
Ako rin di ko (pa) alam yung mga ganyan. But I'm learning by discovering!
Aliw na rin, di ba?!
So I did not expect to find historic things here, like I did at Palapag.
It was closed (churches are like that now). But to my left, there was an open gate.
Like at many churches, I suspected I'd find an ajar side door. Ay, just as I said above, nowadays churches normally close their many entrances, leaving just 1 open or ajar.
We already know the rationale behind that, right? Damo na it kawatan ha kalibutan!
Oops, I did not find an open side-door on this left-flank of the church.
Why did I suspect that to be so? Ah, because that new pavement goes straight (and a bit left) to the convent (red roof behind the white pader & gate behind the Dalakit)!
Baka bawal ang madlang public doon.
Baka bawal, kasi malapit na sa altar. Baka mapag-kamalan akong kawatan hehehe! Besides, those 2 men at the gate (di ko alam kung pari ang isa) were bathing a dog!
That is too private and personal an activity. I did not want to invade their privacy na! Besides too, eh kung sugurin at sakmalin ako nung azucena? Yes, yung sigbin! D ak!
Hahaha! As I always say, kahit mukha akong matapang, hadlukon ak oi! That house with open-sides (left edge of the photo) by the way, looks like a parish activity center.
If you are curious why they built that kind of road (awh path lang pala!) on the grass, during rainy days kasi, this town gets easily submerged in flood waters. That is why.
This area of town is actually relatively higher-ground na, but can still be flooded.
So wala na? Surrender na? No way! Ako pa! I went to the other side of the church!
Actually I didn't check if that's really an adoration chapel or 'daragkutan kandila'. But seeing that it's so enclosed, probably even (to be) air-conditioned, then it's a chapel!
So I got inside the Our Lady of the Angels Church of Mapanas. Here's the altar:
I think my ageing eyes was too far to recognize whatever (material) that is.
Whatever that is, unless I see/hear/read an explanation, I think it's ugly because it is "too much". Too many lines and shapes in that altar, for a prayerful brain to process.
Teka, now (as in now lang, as I write while looking at that picture above), I think 'that' is wallpaper or something printed with gold-colored little hexagons. Ang pangit padre!
What is the purpose of that honeycomb thing anyway? To hide the building's beams that have not been "walled-over"? I believe it doesn't do it. It highlights them instead!
Moving to the middle of the church, I looked at the altar again, and faced this...
Too many curved lines and shapes, that overwhelms the senses, which doesn't help us the prayerful in achieving a quiet mind for prayer or contemplation. Makalilipung!
Well, for the designers and/or "cura parroco", they may not necessarily wish that we feel 'peaceful' inside this church with trying-to-be Baroque interior art. Just Grandeur!
Do you still remember your college Asian Civilizaions and/or Art History? "Baroque" art was brought to us mainly by European Catholic priests. That was/is the influence!
Exuberant interriors "to create drama, awe, and a sense of grandeur" (bongga-effect) to attract natives to the church and then the faith, kasi napapa-wow sila! The rest is:
History! O di ba?!
Basta ako, I find those things masamok, malinop in a prayer place! Besides, original church artworks of yesteryears had those Rococo motifs carved on wood or stucco.
So they were more of 3D and not shiny. Now, kung Boysen lang yan, wag na!
Oops oi, there's my drivr at right. Nahagip!
And I never forget... I returned to near the altar for my customary "priest's view"!
Wouldn't it be best if surroundings only make you feel serene and prayerful?
Anyway, I could see that the scaffoldings (wood and bamboo) are for a future choir loft. Parang me hagdan na sa kanan o! May it be strong and beautiful for everyone!
Hey, I still loved being in this church. It is a good study on the merry mix of spiritual pursuits, tradition, history, knowledge, available resources & everything in between!
Traveling to places, chancing upon many versions of the same thing (e.g., church) makes you learn many things! Like priests and architects do not necessarily know real meanings of Baroque (the ceiling art) and Neo-classical (the exterior facade).
Ako rin di ko (pa) alam yung mga ganyan. But I'm learning by discovering!
Aliw na rin, di ba?!
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