my father during his early childhood days considered this church as a playground. so innocent that he and some other playmates would go to the belfry and look for bird's nest.
this is the old Gothic church of the town of Molo in Iloilo city. church was built in 1831 and was named after St. Anne, Mary's mother. she is also the patron saint of Quebec and Brittany.
after the world war II, this church was damaged and was also used as an evacuation center. it was then repaired and now it stands as one of the very few Gothic church in the Philippines.
this church is very memorable to me because everytime we visit Iloilo, we stay at our grandparents' house. the house is just a short walk away from the church and its plaza. we consider the plaza as our playground. 
my father finished his primary education here in Molo and was transferred to Victorias to continue his studies. also according to my father, this church has many bells on its two towering belfries.
when i was there, a large gathering of lay leaders, preachers and priests were there to celebrate the Holy Eucharist. the assistant parish priest of Molo church is a family friend.
Molo is also known for one of the best soup dish called the Pansit Molo. my grandmother really cooks it best. i really miss this place as it was again, nine years when i last visited it. 
65 comments:
Great information, i guess, its a Philippine heritage. I appreciate nice picture, thank for sharing with us,..
great story about your dad and his childhood.
nice shots. . wahaha. . nakienglish na rin:-P
sarap maki eskapo dito:-D
That's an interesting and beautiful place.
I think it's right that such places became sanctuaries during the War.
I am glad the structure endures.
memorable place sa father mo ang church. galing kasi one of the oldest church na hinahangaan.
beautiful architecture. i wonder how many natives died building this church. i have relatives in molo, malamang kilala ng dad mo.:D
What a lovely story to share. Nice photos too!
naalala ko tuloy ang yumaong ama ko.. hayyy
tnx for constantly dropping by sa blog ko really appreciate it..
i would say this one of the beautiful churches i've ever seen. nice pics here! maganda din yung napuntahan naming church sa bacolod kuya dong. yung Queen of Peace church.
Happy Halloween -->
Happy Weekends XD
It's a beautiful church and I hope the exterior will be well maintain to preserve this magnificent church
The first thing my sister told me about Molo church was the priest. He was so strict especially kapag sermon. That's why, hindi ako nagsisimba dyan nun. Pero dyan ako naga attend ng simbang gabi. Masinsinan ka talaga in taking pics. Halos lahat ng corner nakunan mo.
Very interesting post of your childhood and the photos of the church is lovely. As a child, my playground would be rolling down the slope of a hill and running in the drains and whenever it rains, the drains served as an ideal place to catch little fishes......lol
Interesting story about the Molo Church.
Ganda ng mga simbahan...
nice facade... :)
just like the church in our town.
di ginagalaw ang labas ng simbahan.. yung loob lang.
the same old and untouch...
am i right? or not? :)
Outside it looks old but inside it's beautiful! I like the combination :D
That was great. Its lovely to see the place where someone hold such cherished memories. I can see why.
I'm linking you to my blog, if you don't mind. =)
churches can really be interesting subjects for photography; they have a charm of their own, enthralling in a mysterious way, imposing yet inviting.
woOt! haven't been inside though i live nearby. hehe... next time try visiting antique.
eskapo kami dito next year! galing ng shots... (wink kasi ingit na ako sa galing mo!)
beautiful church. i cant see the second picture. you are having a nice time out there dong.
wow. taga ilonggo pala ang ang dad mo.. ang church na ito, i'm not sure kung nakita ko na ito ng pumunta ako ng iloilo.. dahil iloilo ay parang "maynila" ng capiz, nasa iloilo lang dati ang mga malls na pinupuntahan namin...
gaganda talaga ng mga lumang simbahan.
Lovely Gothic-Renaissance architecture. The spires and the belfry is attention-grabbing. I enjoyed reading the wonderful memories from your dad's childhood days.
Thanks for commenting about the San-Pu Antiques Market. :)
kakainggit ka naman naaalala mo pa ang childhood days mo..
>dede, my pleasure to bring you there thru the pictures.
>raft3r, thanks!
>hi paperdoll, thanks! eskapo ka na rin. keep in touch.
>hi sandy, structures that survived battles really brings a lot of memories.
>hi nanaybbelen, oo nga. kaya importante din ang pagbalik ko ng iloilo.
>hi luna, malamang kilala nga ng tatay ko. kasi yung tatay ni ifoundme taga doon din. not sure kung ilan ang nagsakripisyo dito malamang maraming marami.
>phivos, thanks!
>ice, sorry as i might have made you a little bit sad. but im sure you remember the good memories.
>beero, maganda talaga ito. hindi ko napuntahan yung sinasabi mong church sa bacolod. hindi din ako masyado nag ikot sa city.
>dazedblu, happy happy halloween! thanks for dropping by.
>borneofalcon, it will definitely be preserved. churches in the philippines are now historical.
>redlan, medyo strict nga ang pari doon. kahit nung una pa naalala ko pag kinukwento ng nanay ko. pero yung family friend namin very friendly. one time hanapin mo si fr. toto manaay.
hindi nga ako masyadong tumagal doon kasi may celebration at ang daming tao. pero ok na rin at nakakuha na rin ako ng picture sa loob at labas.
>hi alicesg, thanks for sharing. you have quite good memories of your childhood. when i was a child i also love running, rolling and tumbling when its raining. ongest time i stayed playing with the rain was two hours.
>sidney, thanks!
>twin, ganda talaga mga simbahan sa iloilo.
>hi vic, tama. usually yung labas hindi ginagalaw. slight modifications or maintenance lang ang ginagawa para ma retain ang kagandahan nito.
>hi aisha, you're right! it displays modern and old beauty.
>hi layrayski, yes. usually memories like this should be shared. thanks for adding.
>barry, tama ka barry. sana makapagbyahe ka na rin.
>dave, hahaha... oo nga. naalala ko nung nagkita tayo pareho tayong tatlong may connection sa molo. next time antique naman. sasama ka na nun.
>adz, sige ba. hehehe... salamat sa pagbisita.
>photocache, maybe there's a problem in downloading. yes. i did had a great time there.
>hi mimi, yes. taga iloilo dad ko. ang iloilo nga ang pinakabayan ng panay. yung lola ko taga capiz.
>hi lalaine, ganda nga. kaya dami nating pwedeng bisitahin pag umiikot sa ibang mga lugar sa pinas.
>asiantraveler, thanks! as much as sharing beautiful places, good memories are also worth posting.
>jinjiruks, oo naman. pero hindi na rin detailed. hehehe...
Thank you for the story about your dad and your childhood too — that was nice. And the church is lovely — I especially like the window with the vines and moss growing around it. Ang ganda.
Aha related pala kay william. Actually yung pari na tinutukoy nila ay patay na. Noong time na yun matanda na siya. Swerte mo bukas yung simbahan pagpunta mo.
I like that stain glass window!
madami pa sigurong kwento ung father mo about sa simbahan na ito..kakatuwa dahil after nine years ay nakabalik ka sa lugar na ito..madami na bang pinagbago simula nung huli mo itong iniwan?
the best talaga magluto ang mga ilonggo ng pansit molo..
ang saya din dahil malapit lang kayo sa simbahan at sa plaza.. e di ba kapag mga fiesta o may mga magagarbong pagdiriwang ay karaniwang ginagawa sa plaza na malapit sa simbahan??
salamat naman sa mga taong umayos at nagpanatili ng ganda ng simbahang ito.sana makita pa ito ng mga susunod na henerasyon mo dong, at kung magkakaroon man din sila ng blog ay siguradong ipagmamalaki din nila ang simabahan at ang bayang ito...
ibang klase ang design niya parekoy!
Looks really spooky especially when it's Halloween today :P
But very nice shots :)
I love this feminist church, sabi dyan pa nga daw bininyagan si Graciano Lopez Jaena :)
Like most churches, the exterior looks so old but the interior of this church look so bright and nice!
Thanks for the informative post and nice photos.
>hi hilda, i love old churches too. the moss that grows naturally in its walls and windows adds a classic look to it. my dad has more stories about molo which in time, ill be able to share.
>redlan, oo nga. kasi naalala ko na habang kinukwento ng nanay ko ang experience nila ng holy week doon sa simbahan. natatawa ako sa kwento. not sure kung related kina wilman yung pari kasi hindi nya kilala pero baka parents nya daw kilala.
timing na bukas ang simbahan at puno ng ilaw kasi may malaking selebrasyon doon.
>luke, i like it too. that's why i made sure i took a closer shot of it.
>hi doc rio, masaya nga pag fiesta at lalo na pag holy week. ganda ng mga karosa parang yung sa bulacan. malalaki at mailaw. nakaakyat na rin ako sa isa sa mga karosa pero bata pa ako nun.
walang masyadong nabago sa itsura ng molo. may mga nadagdagan na malalaking establishment. pero yung plaza ganun na ganun pa rin. kaya natuwa ako dahil mas madaling maalala ang mga nangyari nung bata pa kami.
siguradong dadalhin ko ang mga anak ko dito para makita nila itong lugar. kaya lang parang matagal pa yata mangyari yon. hehehe...
>madbong, oo. gothic style similar sa san sebastian church sa manila.
>hi napaboaniya, looks spooky because it's old but with all the lights it's beautiful.
>kegler, talaga? naku hindi ko alam. ang alam ko binista rin ito ni dr jose rizal.
>jayashkal, you're right and i like how they preserved it.
hehe. seryosos ba...
u dont fail in impressing me with the nice pics here in your bloggie. :)
keep it up!
Iloilo churches are so beautiful. And I love pancit Molo.
Wow!ang ganda ng photos mo.
maraming salamat pala sa comment mo at sa pagbisita.nakakahiya naman sayo,bonggang bongga ang mga kuha mo.
Nice walls..I like to coulour. And inside is so beautiful!
No Dong, the lake it´s not going to be frozen, the temperature here will not drop that much. thanks for passing by!
Another great set of photos and also very good information!
I've given you the Kreativ Blogger award. Stop by my blog to pick it up if you like.
Greetings
Beautiful church and great to hear about your father and how he enjoyed playing there as a child.
>hi joshmarie, maraming maraming salamat. it's quite inspiring to hear words like that.
>mm, i agree. they keep some of the best churches. the pansit molo in iloilo is the best. i believe that it's not easy to prepare it.
>hi merce, maraming salamat. pero lahat naman ng blog maganda dahil gawa natin to personally. natutuwa nga din ako sa blog mo.
>hi helen, walls are made of coral stones. moss growing on it makes it look classic.
thanks for the info. that lake is so nice from where you took that shot.
>jm, wow! i'm happy to receive that knowing that you gave it to just a list of bloggers. thank you! thank you!
>hi carver, thanks! im sure you too have shared some of those precious moments.
soooooo nice. vintage building. =) surely a good place for wedding shots! XD
sarap maglaro sa plaza, ano
kaya noong bata ako mahilig ako magbakasyon sa mga pinsan ko sa pampanga para lang maglaro sa plaza
wala nyan sa maynila, eh
hehe
That church is beautiful! Great architecture. The stained glass is a work of art. I have cousins who live in Molo Iloilo but I have never been there before.
wow. :) nice pictures kuya.. ^_^
salamat po sa greeting. :D
woohoo! Goth!
Hello! thanks for dropping by at my blog and leaving your comment. Your a back packer?
Nice church. I like old churches. I'll be posting our old church here in our city soon.
like old buildings, especially when they come with creepers growing on the facade.
countdown to Manila. 2 more days.
Wow Dong! Impressive building... and the first photo almost seems to be taken with selective colouring...a great one!!
>hi eunice, perfect indeed for wedding.
>raft3r, oo. sarap maglaro sa plaza. sa maynila nga lang medyo hindi safe. pero sa probinsya, playground talaga ang plaza.
>hi rachel, i think you need to visit them and see this church sometime. stained glass is something that makes the church special too.
>hi karmi, thanks too for dropping by.
>hi share, truly gothic style!
>justkyut, ill be looking forward to those posts. yes i am a backpacker. how about you?
>stanley, you'll see a lot of these if you want me to tour you around. looking forward to meet you.
>l.reis, thanks. yes i also noticed that. what's good is they retained it that way.
Salamat po! A ok. Ingat sa pagsimba. Magtirik ka na lang ng kandila para sa mag minamahal mong yumao
hindi po ako back packer eh. I wish I can be. karamihan po ng mga post ko sa blog ko ay mga lugar na matatagpuan dito sa amin at mga lugar na pwedeng pasyalan o puntahan dito sa amin
gothic architecture! isa itong memorable para sakin,ito yung ginawa kong semi thesis nung nag-aaral ako..common use of material na ginawa ko ay combination ng metal structure.
pero ginawa ko itong design ng restaurant!di ko na nga nakuha sa dean ito.
hi... thanks for visiting my blog site... and for leaving a comment too... hehe:) you have an interesting blog.. i already followed your blog site and added you also in my blog link list... care to exchange links too? keep safe and God bless!
Dong, thank you for your continued visits while I've been busy with my sister and nieces! I really appreciate it. I have just arrived from bringing them to the airport so I'll have time to be a virtual tourist again — maybe it'll arrest the depression I can feel beginning to kick in.
And congratulations on the award that JM just gave you! I think you really deserve it! I'm so glad Eki pointed me to your blog (because of the pine tree thing, he he) — I'm really enjoying it!
>justkyut, maraming salamat. ganyan din naman ako nagsimulang mag blog. dati mga nakikita ko lang sa paligid mga post ko pero di nagtagal, naging travel blog na rin. ok din maging backpacker kasi mas madali bumyahe kahit saan. salamat sa pagbisita.
>everlito, kaabang abang nga ang comment mo pag ganitong mga architectural forms ang post. ganda pala ng naging thesis mo. siguradong mas marami ka pang masasabi kung nakita mo mismo itong molo church. wala kasi ako masyadong alam sa mga architectural forms.
>hi ailee, thanks a lot! im also glad that you find interesting things here. thanks for adding me on your blogroll. im adding you on my list too.
>hi hilda, no worries. i too sometimes get very busy to have time bloghopping.
i am grateful to have received the award from jm and a confirmation from you. im also glad that i found your blog just by bloghopping.
thanks to eki!
keep in touch always.
Thanks for sharing the story :)
The pictures you've taken are AWESOME! I'm speechless!
as always, your photos offer a whole lot of information! it's really amazing to discover some parts of the country and the hidden architecture:) guess, i'm partly stranger to my own counrty:) things you should be grateful about with the nature of passion you have and not only keeping it but sharing it for the whole world to know & learn:) thanks for sharing! more power...
I really would like to visit this magnificent church.
Thanks for sharing, Dong.
This one looks old and rustic in a bad way. I don't appreciate it coz everytime I see churches like these, I feel that the priests in the area are not doing everything to take care of the place. All they care is to take alms from people so that they can send it to the VATICAN> What about our churches, they have endured long years of neglect, but till how long?
molo is notable for two things:
- all the saints inside the church are female, and
- its one of the impressive churches erected by the secular priests.
thanks for your info..
that's nice
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