The Sacred Space

Dedicated on October 5, 1986, the parish church sits on a 2,000 sq m lot along Peach Street in Marcelo Green Village. The fully air-conditioned church, designed by Architect Pablo Antonio Jr, has a seating capacity for 360 mass-goers, with provisions for mass-goers outside the church. Hexagonal in form, one recognizes a direct axis from the entrance through the nave to the sanctuary.

On the left and right sides of the assembly space are the choir area and the confessional, respectively. As part of the worshipping community, the choir strategically faces the sanctuary. The confessional is used for the penitent to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation. Surrounding the community’s worship space are the icons of the Stations of the Cross. The pews are of native narra wood.

Fronting the altar on the left side, one finds the two-levelled Baptismal font. The font, located near the ambo and the altar, is a place worthy of the dignity of the first sacrament of Christian Initiation and shows the relation between the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist. As a place where the catechumen dies with Christ and rises again, the font serves an important purpose: the inherited marker of a place of death is transformed and used as an image of new life in Christ.

The sanctuary is a raised area, allowing mass-goers an increased visibility in the liturgical action taking place. It is set off by where and on whom attention is focused during the Holy Mass: the introductory and the concluding rites (presider’s chair), the Liturgy of the Word (ambo) and the Liturgy of the Eucharist (altar). The altar is the most important point of the church building: where the most sacred mystery of the Eucharist takes place. Our altar is made of wood, with the depiction of the Lord’s Supper. Since the sacrament of the Eucharist was instituted at the Last Supper, it must be seen as a meal where the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus is given to the faithful. The table of the Eucharist is arranged so that the priest may celebrate the Mass facing the people. During the celebration of sacred liturgy, the altar is reverenced when the presider kisses it before and after the Mass, when ministers bow to it, and when it is incensed.

The presider’s chair is located near the altar. It is the sign of the priest’s role in presiding over the assembly. The chair is there to confer dignity to the presider’s role as our leader in worship. It should look different from seats used by other ministers helping on the sanctuary.

The ambo is reserved for the proclamation of the Word of God, the homily and the General Intercessions. Like the altar, the ambo is made of wood and is fixed and permanent. Fronting the ambo is the figure of the Holy Spirit who enlightens our minds with the Word proclaimed and with the homily given.

On the center wall of the sanctuary, one finds the tabernacle with the reserved Blessed Sacrament. The position of the tabernacle symbolizes the centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the community. The Blessed Sacrament constitutes the real treasure of the community because the Eucharist is the Lord Jesus truly present– body and blood, soul and divinity. A radial of rays emanates from the tabernacle, extending to the right and left walls of the sanctuary. Genuflection before the tabernacle (with lit lamps) expresses our belief in the Lord’s true presence in the Eucharist.

The Sindonic Crucifix, sculpted by artist Ian Vicente, is held dramatically high on the sanctuary. The six-feet corpus is based on the imprinted image on the Shroud of Turin. Nails pierce through the palms and on each foot. The right side of the face is swollen and bruised, since the cheekbone was broken. The wounds reflect the marks left by the Roman whips used to rip the skin off. Under the phrase in Hebrew, the titulum is translated into Greek and Latin.

The right wall has the icon of the patroness, Mary Mother of Good Counsel. This is patterned after the icon at the Shrine of our Lady in Genazzano, Italy. Mary is invoked as our Mother of Good Counsel because she is the personification of Lady Wisdom of the wisdom books in the Bible. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit filled her with gifts – foremost of which is wisdom. When the devotee asks Mary for guidance in anything serious or trivial, one can expect the wisest counsel from any person.

The building we call Mary, Mother of Good Counsel Parish Church is both the house of God on earth (domus Dei) and a house of the church (domus ecclesiae), the people of God. Thus, the building is the house, and the people are the church. The house of the church (domus ecclesiae) is never simply a gathering space; rather, it signifies and makes visible the Church living in a particular place. The church building itself becomes a sign of the pilgrim Church on earth and reflects the Church dwelling in heaven. Every church building is therefore a place of encounter with God. This sacred space is a sign and reminder of the immanence and transcendence of God- who chose to dwell among us and whose presence cannot be contained or limited to any single place. This is the home we call Mary, Mother of Good Counsel Parish Church.