Ave Maria !

Last March 2, 2025, Sunday the seminarians of Our Lady of Sheshan House of Formation went for a cultural trip to some historical churches in Metro Manila. The trip was headed by the seminary rector, Rev. Fr. Diego Ibarra, IVE.

The seminarians left Lipa, Batangas right after the seminary breakfast. After more or less two hours of travel the group finally arrived at the first church, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, in Pasig. It was around 1:00 pm and there was a funeral mass ongoing. So the group decided to go first to the city museum just across the church but the museum was closed. Since it’s almost past lunch time we went to the parish office to ask for a place to eat, to the group’s surprise the Pasig Cathedral has their own museum which is being prepared for a lenten exhibit. The group ate their lunch first and while sharing the delicious pansit that the group brought from Batangas, Fr. Diego took advantage of the time to tell us about the missionary adventure of the Augustinians in the 1570’s including the establishment of Pasig as a town and the erection of the parish dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. After lunch, the group went to the museum that houses a big beautiful mural depicting the history of the Pasig faithful as a church. Inside the museum there was a big paper mache replica of the facade, old liturgical vestments and vessels, documents written in spanish all show the church’s rich history. It also showcases the beautiful vestments of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception used during the processions and the image’s canonical coronation. The museum also keeps the works of Fr. Manuel Blanco OESA, ( 1778-1845 ), Flora de Filipinas, a study on the Philippine plants and flowers, it is around the Cathedral’s vicinity that Fr. Blanco created a garden for his botanical studies.

Inside the church is a very ornate retablo that enshrines the canonically crowned image of the La Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig. The cathedral’s ceiling was beautifully painted with the scenes in the life of the Virgin Mary. At the center of all the paintings is the one depicting the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth.

The group’s intention is to go to the historical church of Pateros dedicated to Saint Rock but since the was a Sunday Mass ongoing. The second church they visit was the Minor Basilica and Archdiocesan Shrine Parish of Saint Anne in Taguig. To the group’s surprise it was the town’s fiesta during that day. The town fiesta is being celebrated during the Sunday before Holy Week that is why it is a movable day. Fr. Diego and the seminarians were warmly welcomed by the parishioners’ greetings and big smiles as they were preparing for the much awaited Saint Anne’s Grand procession. A well-known parishioner welcomed the group and she gave a tour to the Church’s Museum which exhibits different images of Saint Anne with the Child Mary coming from different places. The highlight of the experience was when the feast in charge opened the urn of venerated image of Saint Anne which was covered with a golden metallic vestment and perfumed with scented oil which is in the altar retablo exclusively for the group.

Then the group headed back to Pateros to visit the Diocesan Shrine of Saint Martha and Parish of Saint Roch. The church houses the venerated Patroness and Rose of the town of Pateros: Saint Martha. According to the town tradition, there was a time when a big crocodile were eating the ducks which were the main source of livelihood in the town. ( This is very obvious if you see the town’s seal ) The town’s people, decided to come together and pray to Saint Martha, one day a luminous lady was seen slaying the crocodile until it was found dead near the river of Pateros. After the 18th Century incident, Saint Martha was held to be the “Patroness and Rose of the town of Pateros. After a short prayer and a veneration to the well-loved image of Saint Martha literally standing upon a crocodile, the group headed to the Pateros Museum which features the rich history of the people of Pateros.

After the museum tour the group hopped in the vehicle and headed back to Batangas. What is the most beautiful way to end an IVE cultural trip? A community rosary in the vehicle and singing the Salve Regina in thanksgiving for the graces received.