IN ORDER TO enrich cultural understanding, the San Beda English and Literature Society (SBELS), sought to find “beauty in faith” through its virtual program, “Faith Beyond Walls,” last March 26 which was streamed via Facebook live.
Towards art appreciation, recognition of historical heritage, and further understanding of the Catholic church, the program introduced five Jubilee churches within the City of Manila; the Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church, Sto. Niño de Tondo Church, Quiapo Church, and Binondo Church.
SBELS’ Vice President for External Affairs and Activity Chairperson, D.S. Elijah de Castro, led the event. In addition to discussing the intricacies of the cultural and religious heritages that can be seen around Intramuros, de Castro also mentioned the relevance of this event, particularly on the learning opportunities this can provide to students.
“It allows students to realize their appreciation for the culture and the arts of the Philippines. Specifically for this event, we wanted the people to be more appreciative of the churches outside of Intramuros as these are where the people go-to for their church service,” he said.
Towards the lecture proper on the program, keynote speaker, Jan Gilan Canzana, led the discussion by introducing the idea of what a jubilee church is. For him, these types of churches are “rich in tradition and have a huge significance, while the term jubilee is used to commemorate a milestone for the Catholic church.”
He then added that the Philippines recently celebrated its jubilee last 2021 through commemorating the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines, bannering the theme “Gifted to give.” With a thorough discussion of the five churches, Canzana also shared the history behind the churches while providing a description of its significance.
Wrapping up the event, SBELS also organized a poem writing competition, which would further showcase the works of talented writers who will participate. Following a “Haiku” format, participants are challenged to align their topic on one of the churches mentioned. Consequently, winners will receive prizes which will be posted on the Facebook page of SBELS.
Behind-the-scenes, the initial plan for this event was to be held live during the Pista ng Sto. Niño. However, due to “conflicts of not being included in the master list of the Integrated Basic Education Department (IBED) Office of the Prefect of Student Affairs (OPSA),” it was proposed that the event will be scheduled on March 16 to align it on the week before the annual World Poetry Day every March 21.
Following the conflicting schedules in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), the organization then opted to move the event to its present schedule, along with the transition to having it done via online live streaming.
In his remarks for the Bedan community, de Castro stressed the importance of having appreciation of arts and heritage in the country, stating, “I want the Bedan community to be more appreciative of the cultural, historical, and religious heritages of our churches as these are things that build our identity as Filipinos. I hope that the Bedan community would be able to see how important recognizing our heritage is.”