September 27, 2009

Pierced heart

The San Agustin Church in Intramuros, built from 1586 to 1607, may have survived the ravages of time and war but the convent originally built beside it was completely destroyed during WWII. It was reconstructed in the 1970s as a church museum and is another must-see for those interested in church history and religious iconography. This is the doorway to the museum and the carved wooden arch ornament looks old enough to have been salvaged from the ruins of the original convent. The pierced heart of Jesus figures prominently in the symbol of the Augustinians. The banner for Urdaneta 500 is a holdover from 2008 when the Augustinians and the town of Ordizia, Spain celebrated the 500th anniversary of the birth of Andres de Urdaneta, the explorer, navigator and Augustinian friar who was among the first five Catholic missionaries to arrive in the Philippines with Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.

entrance of the San Agustin Museum


Whatever your religion, faith or belief, please say a prayer for all those who lost loved ones, their homes and possessions during the terrible floods in Metro Manila and Luzon yesterday. Tropical storm "Ondoy" (international name "Ketsana") lashed the northern part of the Philippines for more than twelve hours. Ondoy's winds were relatively weak but the rainfall was staggering, resulting in extensive flooding in the metro. Many people are still stranded because the flood waters in certain areas haven't receded yet. The Philippines experiences devastating typhoons every few years or so, but no matter how often it happens, coping with the destruction and losses never gets any easier.

25 comments:

Leif Hagen said...

Looks like something one might find in Europe ...

James said...

I love all the details around the heart. It's such a shame that so many wonderful things are destroyed by wars. It's great that some things can be restored though.

Dina said...

So sad. Like a pierced heart. Yes, many prayers for your poor flood victims. What an epic disaster.
May you not know more destruction such as this.

Gunn said...

I am so sorry about the terrible floods!!

Michel Benoit said...

I think the misfortunes of Philippines and I send you my prayer, in the heart of this wonderful sculpture.

Cezar and Léia said...

Beautiful arch! Wish I could go there to say my prayer for the ones who are now in need.
God bless you!
Cezar

Stefan Jansson said...

Very sad news indeed. I have been reading about this in the news. More than 50 people feared dean Manila.

George said...

The wooden arch ornament is beautifully done.
We will certainly keep the victims of the typhoon in our prayers.

Frank said...

Hilda: Our television and newspapers are filled with articles and photos of the horrible flooding and deaths. Our thoughts and prayers are with your nation and fellow countrymen as you recover.
Nature can be so cruel and we pray for an end to the rain and safe and dry days ahead.

penny said...

The perfect photo to remind us of how lucky we are to have these wonderful places to pray for all those around the world who have suffered and lost so much.
Some areas of the US have also been hit hard by floods.

Thanks for caring, Hilda.

VP said...

Sad for the bad news, I hope everything get better soon.

Unknown said...

I'm shocked by the awful images I've seen on the news! Glad to know you are OK, Hilda!

Judy said...

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of the Philippines after this terrible tragedy. Your picture today is a beautiful and fitting one.

Andrea said...

The floods, what a tragedy!!!. Your picture is beautiful and so right for the post. Good to read that you are ok!!

Julie ScottsdaleDailyPhoto.com said...

an informative and touching post today. Our thoughts are with those in Manila and surrounding areas who have been subject to the floods. It would be so devastating to have such issues to deal with. I am glad you enjoyed the Glen Canyon Dam photo on my site today. I am glad you liked the angle.

Chattahoochee Valley Daily said...

I heard about the flood on the TV news. Much worse than the current flooding in Georgia. Hoping you and your family and friends remain safe and dry.

Lowell said...

We were so sorry to hear about the terrible storms and the loss of life. So very sad.

We will remember those folks in our thoughts and prayers.

Debbie Courson Smith said...

What an interesting piece of living history.

odarbozoz said...

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With that said, I would like to invite you, maybe over a sumptuous lunch or merienda in our hotel to further discuss with you, in detail, the mechanics and background of our promo. Anytime this week that you're available I would love to sit down and maybe pick your brain a little, and of course hopefully come up with an arrangement with you to help make this promo a success. Please do get back to me so we may schedule a meeting, my contact details are below.

I look forward to hearing from you and finally getting to meet you in person.

Should you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime.

Sincerely yours,

JM Zozobrado
Sales Executive
DL: 832-6950
Cel: 0918-9304393
E-mail: salesexec@sofitelmanila.com

melanie said...

Chère Hilda, ces inondations sont terribles. Les catastrophes climatiques se multiplient dans le monde. L'homme, avec toute sa science, sait fort bien dégrader la nature mais il ne peut tenir face à la violence des précipitations.

escape said...

ive been there just once but it was closed. unlucky... it just gives me the reason to go there again. they say it has one of the most beautiful interior church in the country.

FA said...

Consider our prayers joined with yours, Hilda, especially on the feast of St. Lorenzo Ruiz.

USelaine said...

I'm reading that this is the worst storm in decades to hit you over there. My heart breaks at the numbers, and I'm thinking of you through it all.

Lisa Wilson said...

I just saw horrifying footage on the news of the aftermath. How terrible! I definitely said a prayer. I'm so happy that you're safe!

Tes said...

Hi Hilda, I worked as a teacher in Colegio San Agustin (Makati) and I remember every school year, we take the students to San Agustin Church and Museum. Since the same Agustian priests run both (school and church) they want the students to be brought to the museum for immersion (hehe). My co-teachers and I use to joke about applying as a part time tour guide in the museum (teehee). Nice photo, btw.