In the Philippines, a way of spending the Holy Week is through prayer, meditation and the traditional Visita Iglesias. It is a pilgrimage to various churches which people intend to pray the Stations of the Cross at each stop. The Stations of the Cross has 14 stations, each capturing the journey of Jesus Christ through the streets of Jerusalem to Golgotha. Ideally this would mean that there are about 14 churches to visit.

In case you are in Pangasinan, visit the following churches:

Pangasinan is sometimes synonymous to a pilgrimage to the miraculous Our Lady of Manaoag housed in the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish Church in Manaoag.

Next stop would be at the St. Hyacinth Parish Church in San Jacinto, then to the St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Church in Mangaldan.

A few kilometers away is the San Fabian Church. From San Fabian you could go to Dagupan via Bonuan Binloc. Near the junction going to the Bonuan Tondaligan Beach is the Annunciation of the Lord Parish in Bonuan Gueset. You could also visit the Simbaan Ya Bato (church made of stone), a small church beside it and within the compound. St. Gabriel the Archangel Church in Bonuan Boquig within the interior of Bonuan could also be visited.

At the heart of Dagupan City is the historic and newly renovated/ reconstructed St. John the Evangelist Cathedral  (formerly known as the Old Cathedral).

Near it is the bigger St. John the Evangelist Parish Church (formerly known as the St. John the Evangelist Metropolitan Cathedral). 

Calasiao is not just home to the famous and delectable Calasiao puto, it is also where you can find one of the oldest churches in the region, the Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Church. Although not a church, another famous pilgrimage site in Calasiao is the Senor Divino Tesoro, where a statue of crucified Jesus of Nazarene is enshrined.

From Calasiao, you could go to San Ildefonso Parish Church in Malasiqui,

St. Vincent Ferrer in Bayambang or St. Dominic Church in San Carlos City.

On the way to Western Pangasinan, pass by Our Lady of Purification Parish Church in Binmaley and the Epiphany of Our Lord Parish Church in Lingayen. Lingayen (soon to be a city?) is the province’s capital. It is also famous for its bagoong and patis (fish paste and sauce).

Although there are a lot of other notable churches along the way towards Alaminos City, I’ll just leave that your adventurous and devotional spirit.

Last stop could be at the St. Joseph Catherdal in Alaminos City. To culminate your day, stay at the one of the natural wonders of the world, The Hundred Islands.

Have a Blessed Holy Week!

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