Travel, Photographs and Lifestyle

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Bacolod Church

upcoming soon... I can't upload photos because of slow internet connection. Pls. come again! Thank you!

Balay Negrense

upcoming soon... I can't upload photos because of slow internet connection. Pls. come again! Thank you!

Inside the Victorias Milling Company (VMC) compound in Victorias, Negros Occidental, there is a Catholic church unlike any other church in the Philippines, if not in the whole world. Known to negrenses as the St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church.

Sugar baron Miguel Ossorio owner of Victorias Milling Co. (the largest sugar refinery in Asia) built the chapel at the end of World War II to serve the spiritual needs of its employees and their families who are living inside the sugar refinery compound.

His son, Alfonso, painted Christ’s image because he wanted something different. He used commercial paints, which surprisingly lasted, the colors were very much alive until now, despite some natural fading. Strong shades of red, blue, yellow and green extend all the way to the ceiling. It took Alfonso Osorio two years, 1948-1950 to complete this murals.

The VMC chapel became internationally renowned through a Life Magazine article which dubbed it as the "Church of the Angry Christ" because of the mural’s sharp lines and Christ’s depiction as a frowning God.

Alfonso Ossorio depicted Jesus Christ (God the Son) with hands laterally-outstretched, being received by God the Father, represented by two giant, red-orange hands.

A descending dove (the Holy Spirit) with multi-colored wings hangs above On the right side you could see the image of Saint Joseph with the Blessed Virgin Mary ( done by local artist Benjamin Valenciano) while at the left side is the image of Saint John the Baptist with Moses.

Fire details in the mural, indicate God’s passionate love.

The Salesian priests of St. John Bosco oversee the parish while at the same time administer the Don Bosco Technical Institute located inside the VMC compound.

The chapel is open to those who wish to visit.

To get there from Bacolod City, take a jeepney or bus that can bring you to the Victorias Milling Company. Upon reaching the gate, a tricycle can take you straight to the chapel.

I do not know how much it would cost you, since we hired a jeepney to take us there for P 1,000. We had a side trips to Balay Negrense,Silay and the Church of San Diego De Alcala. Since we are ten (10) in the group our share is P100.00 each not bad eh!