Churches and... me

I can't explain it but there is something about churches, specially the very old ones which makes me feel nostalgic. I can't even understand it myself! There is a kind of force which draws me near to them. A kind of magnetism intense enough i just let myself fall under its magical spell. Perhaps, it is my understanding that a church is my kind of link between the One up there and me. My being a Catholic with the faith i'm holding on to since i was born intensify it more.

Churches all over the world fascinates me more than any other buildings. But i have a special relationship with my church: Virgen de la Regla(VDR)Church. I made my vows here.

Virgen de la Regla Church, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, Philippines.

Christ the King (Cristo Rey) fronting the facade.

My mind was so glued on churches and the like that during my college (Architecture) thesis, i decided i would focus on religious structures thus i came to do:Church Complex; a series of buildings and special areas of interests (Church itself; Convent; Grotto; Meditation chapel; Multi-use building; wide parkings; a park doubling as playground; Basketball/Tennis courts) which are related to each other with function as the main factor for construction together with the beauty it projects and the strength it can withstand through time.

The toils i made in that special thesis really paid off, 'coz @ present, my father and i have just finished renovating some parts of the convent. It has been a great joy for me in actually working in structures like these. Althought it is yet the convent we are working on but i'm hopeful for more to be done in the future. Every structure inside the complex has endured time more than it can handle, which means a full facelift can be handy! I'm happy to be a part of the renovation process. It feels divine already!

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A proposed Grotto was already talked about... I'm glad to say i was consulted for the over-all planning details plus i get to pick where and how it might be built. Cool!