15 April, 2008

St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York Postcard

St. Patrick's Cathedral is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Catholic cathedral located on the east side of Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets in midtown Manhattan. The cathedral is built of white marble quarried in New York and Massachusetts and can accommodate 2,200 people. The spires rise 330 feet (100 meters) from street level. The roof is made from slate from Monson, Maine.

St. Patrick's Cathedral Postcard
(Trade with Barbara Sussman)

The postcard also shows Lee Lawrie's colossal bronze statue of Atlas.

SOURCE:
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York Wikipedia Entry

14 April, 2008

Minor Basilica of the Santo Niño Postcards

Basílica Minore del Santo Niño, also called Basilica del Santo Niño and formerly known as the San Agustin Church, is a 16th century church in the heart of Cebu City. It is purportedly built on the exact spot where the image of the Santo Niño, a sculpture depicting Jesus as a black Holy Child, was found by Spanish conquistadors in 1565 preserved in a burned wooden box which was left behind during the 1521 Magellan expedition.

Basilica del Santo Niño Postcard 1

The church of Santo Niño de Cebu was founded by an Augustinian priest, Andrés de Urdaneta on April 28, 1565. The first church structure was built out of earth, hard wood and nipa in 1566 ordered by Fr. Diego de Herrera. In 1735, Fernando Valdés y Tamon, the Governor of Cebu, ordered the church to be constructed of hard stone. Construction was completed in 1739. In 1965, during the fourth centenary of the Christianization of the Philippines, Pope Paul VI elevated the church to the rank of minor basilica.

Basilica del Santo Niño Postcard 2

The stones were quarried from Capiz and Panay by an army of bancas. The molave wood came from the mountains of Talisay and Pitalo and was transported in bancas hired in Argao and Carcar. He used white stones to make the lime, with one banca transporting some 400 pieces of stones.

Basilica del Santo Niño Altar Postcard

The façade of the basilica is a blending of Muslim, Romanesque and neo-classical features. The façade is preserved in its original stone texture and natural color. The bell tower has two blind and open windows alternating in shape, ending up in triangular pinnacles with a circular disc crowned by balusters and a bulbous dome of Muslim influence. The arched main entrance is balanced by the side rectangular corners. A double-edged triangular pediment crowns the facade.

Basilica del Santo Niño Postcard 3

Basilica del Santo Niño Postcard 4

13 April, 2008

Basilica de San Martin de Tours Postcards

Minor Basilica de San Martin de Tours (Taal Cathedral) is considered as the largest in Asia and biggest church in the Philippines. San Martin de Tours is the Patron Saint of Taal with the feast day every November 11th of the year.

Taal Cathedral Postcard 1

The church was first built by father Diego Espina in 1575 in present day San Nicolas but abandoned in 1754 due the eruption of Taal and rebuild in 1755. Then an earthquake shook it down in 1849. Construction of the present church was started in 1856 that was supervised by an architect, Luciano Oliver.

Taal Cathedral Postcard 2

The Taal Basilica is quite famous with its high ceilings, ornate chandeliers and unusual facade. Its façade is baroque and consists of a single mass of stone shaped into rich complex designs. The church, however, is a fusion of styles with arched openings, alternating segmental canopies and arches of assymmetric shapes. It stands 96 meters long and 45 meters wide and is situated in a plateau in the heart of Taal.

Taal Cathedral Postcard 3

12 April, 2008

Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Visitation of Piat Postcard

Our Lady of Piat is a 400-year old image of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. The itinerary of the Blessed Image of Our Lady of Piat started in Macao (China) from where it was brought to Manila. From Manila she was taken to Lallo and from there to Piat. Spearheaded by the archbishop Diosdado Talamayan and said to be partly built of the old bricks from the original ermita, the new shrine broke ground in 1988, blessed by the Cardinal Sin in 1995 and was regarded as a minor basilica in 1999.

Our Lady of Piat Postcard

No description of the image is given by any of the historians, though it is often mentioned that is "of talla" (a sculpture or statue, as opposed to a painting or canvass).Perhaps the greatest attraction is the miracles. Famous is the early story about the drought. In 1624, the region was suffering from a terrible one. Facing famine, the people turned to their priest, who advised them to “make their peace with God by going to the Sacrament and making a novena to the Blessed Mother.” The people did, going to confession, receiving Holy Communion and reciting a novena to Our Lady of Piat. In the middle of their novena, rain fell.

SOURCES:
Our Lady of Piat Homepage
A Short Heritage Tour of Cagayan

11 April, 2008

Basilica of St Lorenzo Ruiz Postcards

Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz (Binondo Church) was founded by Dominican priests in 1596 to serve their Chinese converts to Christianity. The original building was destroyed by a bombardment by the British in 1762 during their brief occupation of Manila at that time.

Binondo Church Postcard 1

Binondo Church was greatly damaged during the Second World War, although fortunately the western facade and the octagonal bell tower survived. The current granite church was completed on the same site in 1852 and features an octagonal bell tower which suggests the Chinese culture of the parishioners.

Binondo Church Postcard 2

Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz was named after the sacristan, San Lorenzo Ruiz. Saint Lorenzo Ruiz (c.1600 - Sept. 29, 1637), served at the convent of Binondo church as an altar boy. After a few years he earned the title of escribano and soon became a member of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary.

Binondo Church Postcard 3

He was working as a clerk at the Binondo Church when he was falsely accused of killing a Spaniard in 1636. He sought asylum on board a ship with three Dominican priests. The boat landed at Okinawa and the group was arrested on basis of their Christian religion. They were tortured, but they did not denounce their faith and died as martyrs.

Binondo Church Postcard 4

Lorenzo Ruiz was beatified in Manila on Feb 18, 1981 by Pope John Paul II. He was canonized on Oct 18, 1987, becoming Philippines' first saint. A large statue of the martyr stands in front of the church.


Binondo Church Postcard 5