Parish of the Holy Sacrifice
Places of Worship
Art Studies 2 THR-2
Prof. Roberto G. Paulino
Espiritu
Mondarte
Sarmiento
The Parish of the Holy Sacrifice
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Parish of the Holy Sacrifice
Location
The Parish of the Holy Sacrifice is located in UP Diliman, along J. P. Laurel cor. Apacible St. Agoncillo, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila, near the Shopping Center and the UP Health Service. <googlemap lat="14.6588278" lon="121.0709345"></googlemap>
History
Before the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice was built, an old sawali-bamboo building which served as a chapel of a US Army detachment was originally there. However, when UP was established in Diliman in 1949, Fr. John Patrick Delaney S.J. saw possibilities with the land and with the help of volunteers, he was able to convert the building into a little brown chapel. This chapel catered to the U.P. Diliman Catholics and served as their place of worship.
Fr. Delaney's concept of the UP Church would be one that was centered on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, where oneness between the celebrating priest, the people and communicants would be achieved. Ideally, this would translate into closeness between God and humankind.
In 1977, the chaplaincy initially established by Fr. Delaney became an established parish under Fr. Manny Gabriel, its first parish priest. While different parish priests would have different focuses on their work programs for the community, there would always be a common theme of promoting basic ecclesiastical communities.
The Parish celebrated its 25th anniversary last June 2002. Over the many years, the thrust has remained the same – that of a dynamic parish ministering to the community, the students and the academe.
Art
Fr. Delany commissioned four artists to help design and build The Parish of the Holy Sacrifice. All four of those artists eventually went on to become National Artists of the Philippines, thus making the Church a showcase of works of art created by great Filipino artists.
Architectural structure
Lindy Locsin, who was named National Artist in Architecture in 1992, designed the church-in-the-round, a circular church with a saucer-shaped roof. The Church featured no doors, but it had 14 entrances. This would encourage anyone to come in at any given time and commune with God. He also designed the pews encircling the altar on a round dais located in the middle of the Church. To this day, the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice still serves as a fine example of modern architecture in the Philippines.
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Parish of the Holy Sacrifice
Paintings and other works of art
Napoleon V. Abueva, who was named National Artist in Sculpture in 1976, designed the giant wooden cross hanging in the center of the dome-roof above the altar. The cross depicts two images of Christ: Christ the victim and Christ the Priest or the Risen Christ. The sculpture was meant to illustrate the unique role of Christ in the Eucharistic celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
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Christ the Victim
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Christ the Priest
Mr. Abueva also designed the marble altar in 1979. The Sermon on the Mount is sculpted on one side while sculpted on the other side is a basic Christian community with a priest standing among his parishioners, and a nun teaching young children.
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Marble altar
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Arturo Luz, named National Artist in Visual Arts in 1997, designed the floor mural entitled the “River of Life”. The mural, designed in black, white and gray marble chips flows from the altar at the center of the Church down to the sacristy and to the three other equidistant entrances. The river symbolizes life, as it flows like a river from God at the altar to us.
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"River of Life"
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Enteng Manansala, who was named National Artist in Painting in 1981, painted in oil the 15 murals depicting the Stations of the Cross. Each station covers the entire interior wall of the Church, between the entrances. Fourteen panels depict the traditional 14 Stations of the Cross and 15th, added by Mr. Manansala, depicts the Resurrection of Christ. Interestingly enough, the Stations of the Cross have been revised by Vatican II and now includes Christ’s Resurrection or “Jesus is Risen”.
Chapel of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
There is a small chapel located beside the Church, with shiny parquet flooring, burnished wooden walls with bamboo accents and ambient interior lighting. Displayed behind glass in one wall rests the Blessed Sacrament and beside it is the Tabernacle containing the Communion hosts.
The chapel was intended to be part of a healing ministry of the Parish, but that eventually took the form of the Paghihilom Center. The Chapel of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament remains a place of worship and vigil.
The Gardens Surrounding the Church
There are seven gardens surrounding the Church:
1.Garden of Communion: features the bust of Fr. Delaney and it depicts the unity of time, action, spirit and natures four elements of earth, fire, wind and water.
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Garden of Communion
2.Garden of Love and Friendship: features a labyrinth of stone surrounded by four monoliths – two upright monoliths at the entrance, two monoliths leaning towards each other. These monoliths represent friendship and romance respectively. There is a monolith in the middle which represents many things but perhaps its most important meaning is that this rock of existence symbolizes that we go through life alone. The labyrinth is the journey through life and it serves as a reminder that one must take care of the gift of life that God gave.
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Garden of Love and Friendship
3.Garden of the Family: features five rocks which represent the family, and a pool which represents life.
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Garden of Family
4.Garden of Religions: features three rocks close to one another which represent the three major religions – Christianity, Islam and Judaism.
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Garden of Religions
5.Garden of Justice and Peace: features the tree nursery of the Church. It will also feature a bronze monument of the three martyr-priests – Fr. Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora as a tribute. These are to be sculpted by Tito Sanchez
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Garden of Justice and Peace
6.Garden of Mother and Healing: features the Grotto of Our Lady of Fatima, which stands for motherland and nurturance.
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Garden of Mother and Healing
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Our Lady of Fatima
7.Garden of Eternal Life: features three rock monoliths. They represent resurrection and eternal life after death.
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Garden of Eternal Life
