My Share for #BeautifulSunday initiated by @ace108

Last time I took you with me on a shopping spree for some flip flops and I am very pleased that you enjoyed going thru the shops with me. We are still in the town of Liliw Laguna, Philippine and something pulled me away from the shops as I sensed serenity close by.  The sun was high in this afternoon but the air was cool. I noticed a familiar structure a couple of blocks away. A structure built from red bricks and the cross on the top is clearly visible. It was a Spanish colonial church and immediately my heart raced as churches are my favorite subject. My mind was going wild imagining the things that I would see in this ancient church. Join me today as I take you for a walk along the altar and see the beauty of this architecture.

Lilio Church

As I took a break from taking photos of the shop. I went to the other side of the street and this is when I saw the red church at the end of this street. As some of you may know church architecture is my favorite subject as it allows me to connect with the past during the Spanish era. This is the 9th church that I have visited and hoping visit more as we travel along.

As I came closer you could already notice how old the church is with baroque style architecture which is prevalent during the Spanish occupation. A lot of these churches has survived fire, earthquakes and has undergone multiple restorations throughout the years. Let's find out more about the history of this church.

At the entrance you will be greeted with statues of Saints. The one below is a depiction of Saint Sebastian who was martyred tied to a tree and killed with arrows.

I am not an expert when it comes to Saints and could not recognize a lot of the statues.  Here I just found out about  San Isidro the Saint of the farmers.

Today there is a wedding being prepared as chairs and tables are set up on the grounds. Also on the grounds is a gazebo where you could notice two lovers probably making promises of forever.

As I walked closer I decided to check the side of the church first. Here these is a statue of Mother Mary with locals praying to her and looking at the back draft of the bright blue sky.

In all of the churches I have visited the 14 stations of the cross is present. Some are wood carved, painted on glass and here it is made of stone that goes around the place.

It is also known as Saint John the Baptist Parish Church, Liliw church but locals refer to it as Lilio Church. It is constructed from red bricks and adobe. The color makes it a center of attraction in the town of Liliw. From a distance the color is very noticeable and instill interest to anyone who glances at the structure.

The construction was started in 1643 and was completed in the year 1646. Spanish colonial churches have very similar catastrophes throughout the country. The church was damaged by an earthquake in 1880. Here I did not notice any buttress on the sides of the church. The buttress is an additional support constructed on the sides of the church to be able to sustain earthquakes. Fire is also a very common disaster when it comes to churches. Lilio church suffered a fire that damaged a part of the church in 1898.

From the outside  light holder and the painted glass perfectly matches the red bricks. It feels like taking a step thru the past as you gaze at this beautiful structure.

Thru the years people have passed thru these doors. Brides dressed in white, people looking for repentance, in search of peace, all have their own reasons to visit the church. As for me I am in search of passion for the identity of this architecture. Let's go inside now.

The main doors were locked and I  entered thru the side entrance.

Here you could see different sorts of souvenirs being sold. From bracelets to statues of saints, you can buy them as a memento of your visit.

Old chandeliers adorn the side entrance. It looks old but I am not sure if it is from the 1800s.

Let's go inside and see what beauty resides in this place.

It is always best to visit churches in the afternoon. Most often there are just a handful of people unless there is a wedding, baptism or dinner.

The afternoon light glows giving the interior a solemn ambiance. A nostalgic touch that matches the ancient structure.

The retablo is another highlight when it comes to churches. It houses the Saints and can always be seen at the front of the church. There are those carved in wood and others are even plated with gold.  The three altars here was mentioned to be finished with gold leafs.

I didn't get a chance to inspect the retablo closer as you must consider there are some people praying. Any form of disturbance is disrespectful, the main why I am always careful in my shoot.

I took a couple of shots from the front to share with you some different angles.

As always my favorite is the painted glass windows. I took two shots of the windows. First photo looks great from the inside but you can't really see the beauty of the painted windows.

Second shot I dropped the ISO to highlight the colors of the windows. Here the colors comes alive.

This is the second set of the painted glass windows.

I just love how the light shines thru the painted glass. Like a miracle from the heavens that reminds us that there is always hope.  It is something that I would never ever get tired of.

Moving on I had to explore the other places in the church.  Exploration leads to discovery as I  always tell my kids. May it be a small room, a small path or an unexpected turn.

Statues plays a major role in churches. I did a content a couple of months ago about a place where statues are crafted by hand to be used in a church.

I could never fully explain the depiction of the dead body of Christ. I guess a lot of you might not know that I am not a Catholic. My passion for it's art, architecture and history grows each time I visit new churches.

Looking across the statue is a room for prayer.

A retablo that has a burning image in the center instead of a Saint. I had no one to ask about it during my visit.

There was also someone praying inside so I just left the room in a hurry..

Beautifully crafted and I  will try to find out more about it. In case I would encounter it again.  Maybe some of you may have an idea and please do share.

The candle room is another part of the church that can always be seen. Some even have its own structure just for the candle room.

Just past the candle room is a small chapel. This chapel was constructed in honor to the town patron San Buenaventura.

Another painted glass with St.  Peter and St.  Paul. Looking from inside it looks like that they are behind bars. It reminded me how the the Saints endure persecution which led to martyrdom.

As I exited the chapel, I  glanced once more on the candles that are burning. Light a candle and say a prayer it is open for everyone.

The warm glow of the candles is a prayer by someone and we will never know what was whispered to the heavens.

That concludes out little tour in this red bricked church called Lilio. If you love churches and architecture please let me know what you think as I would love to hear from you.

Here are the links of the other churches that we have visited so far. Feel free to visit the history and find peace within these architecture.

Paete Church

Manila Cathedral

San Agustin Church

Immaculate Heart Convent

Our Lady of the Pillar Cathedral

St. Mary Magdalene Church

Resource

Lilio Church

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Lumix GX85 12-32 mm kit lens