Day 4- Ash Wednesday: Quiapo and Santa Cruz, Manila



I woke up very early on Wednesday morning to make sure that I can attend the mass at the chapel in the middle of Greenbelt which is a short walk from the hotel I was staying in. I noticed that unlike in Thailand because of lesser number of Catholics, around the church were stations where lay persons were distributing Ash. I did some more personal stuff in the morning and found time to visit my brother at his office in Ayala. Then it was time to rush to visit our Manila office because I had asked some of my friends there to join me for lunch.







After changing to a more suitable street clothes, I took a sentimental journey to go to Santa Cruz and Quiapo Church to see the places where my father would take my brother and I to church when we were still little boys. One thing noticeable was that the church was busy throughout the day. People were streaming in and out of the church after their foreheads had been marked with ashes made from burning the palms used on the previous Palm Sunday and mixed with oil. Manila has changed quite a bit from the Manila I used to remember.


















Avenida Rizal is now under the shadow of the tracks of the LRT. Most of Avenida and Carriedo had now been converted into walking streets. But one thing has not changed, around Quiapo Church, the sellers of herbs, candles, fortune tellers as well as the street urchins are still there.