ARGAO, Cebu, Philippines - Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia leads Cebuanos today in visiting at least 22 churches in the south and mid-west part of the province for the annual Visita Iglesia commemorating the passion and death of Jesus Christ.
Garcia, who has been doing the Visita Iglesia even before she was first elected as Cebu's first lady governor in 2004, will lead Capitol officials, local government officials, and the public in general in visiting historic churches in this part of the province.
"Even when I was just a consultant (to the province), I would visit churches here in the South and in church, would pray one mystery of the Holy Rosary with town officials," Garcia said.
The Visita Iglesia will start at Saint Catherine of Alexandria Parish church in Carcar City and will end up at the church of St. Anne, Our Lady's Mother Parish in Barili town, dropping off in all other churches along the route. Capitol Consultant Boy Aguirre said the governor will visit 22 churches.
The "Visita Iglesia" tradition held on Holy or Maundy Thursday lends an additional layer of character peculiar to the country's observance of the Lenten season with cathedrals and churches throughout the country preparing for the arrival of multitudes of devotees as soon as dusk falls until the early morning hours of Black Saturday.
Church doors are open starting early afternoon in anticipation of the big crowds expected to gather and spend moments in prayer in the early hours of the evening, gathering before richly-adorned side altars where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and tabernacles are kept open to signify the absence of Jesus.
Throngs of the faithful flock and pray before each of the 14 Stations of the Cross retracing the route Jesus took on His way to Calvary, from His arrest until His crucified body was taken down from the Cross and cradled by the Blessed Mother moments before He was laid in a tomb lent by Joseph of Arimathea.
Yesterday, Garcia had an ocular inspection of the Cebu South Bus Terminal to check on security measures being implemented inside the government-owned terminal, which started getting crowded in the afternoon.
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