When in Lipa, you shouldn’t miss going to the San Sebastian Cathedral (also known as Lipa Cathedral) right at the heart of the City:
(More images of the Cathedral in my Flickr)
The Cathedral’s marker reads: ” The Parish of Lipa was administered by the Augustinians from 1605 to the end of 19th century. Lipa, which was located formerly on the shore of Bombon Lake, was destroyed by the eruption of Taal Volcano in 1754 but was reconstructed on the present site. This church was built under the supervision the Rev. Benito Barras, O.S.A., Parish Priest from 1865 to 1894. The Diocese of Lipa was created by Pope Pius X on April 10, 1910. The Augustinians encouraged the extensive cultivation of cacao and cofee.”
(Read more on Lipa Cathedral here.)
Another church to visit is the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church or The Shrine of Our Lady of Mediatrix of all Grace:
It was in August 1948, when the first recorded miracle on happened when the Blessed Mother appeared 19 times to a novice in the Carmelite order in Lipa City, Philippines. Our Lady first appeared to the novice, Teresita Castillo, when she was in her cell. The latest being on January 24, 1991, when rose petals began to fall straight from the sky again at the Carmelite convent in Lipa City. A few days later, six children playing in the garden at the convent saw the statue come to life. (Source). Read more.
It was my second visit to the Shrine. Before leaving, the notice on a tree on the shrine grounds caught my attention:
See more images of the two churches in Lipa in my Flickr.
