A Visit to San Pablo, Laguna: Part Two - The San Pablo Cathedral and thereabouts

This is a close-up shot I took of the façade of the San Pablo City Cathedral during a visit there last June 23, 2022 . Inset is a circa 1951 photo showing part of the original Ateneo de San Pablo.

When the church was first built in 1586 by the Augustinians, it was made out of bamboo materials which was, and still is, abundant in the area. A second church was constructed in the years 1618 to 1629 and was made of stone. And finally, the foundations for the present church was  laid in 1680. The stone church building was started in 1714 and was completed some seven years later. 

One of the less known fact about this church is that it has "change hands" among several religious orders a few times in the past, among which was the Jesuit Order or the Society of Jesus (SJ). This is probably the reason why an Ateneo de San Pablo was established there (est. in 1947). According to records, the last Ateneo graduation day was in March 1978. It is now known as Liceo de San Pablo, a parochial school run by the Diocese. The church itself is now run and managed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo. 

Another less known fact is that the San Pablo, patron saint of the church, is not the Saint Paul of the Apostles that most people associate with the name. This San Pablo's complete name/title is actually Saint Paul of Thebes or Saint Paul the First Hermit, who was an Egyptian saint who lived in the desert of Thebes in Egypt as a hermit. 

As a cathedral, the interior of the San Pablo church is no less impressive, if not more, as those found in many cathedrals in the Philippines, a pre-dominantly Catholic Christian country. This church has a more than usual large Byzantine and Neoclassical architecture-inspired Oculus (Latin for the Eye) above its altar and is reminiscent of the one that can be seen at the Pantheon in Rome, Italy. The main difference though is that the one at the Pantheon has an opening at the top, which not only lets in light but also rain. Most Oculus though are closed and mainly built to allow light to illuminate the main altar area to mimic the overwhelming light emanating from the heavens, as depicted in many religious paintings. 

As in many other churches, one can find in one corner of the Cathedral a place where votive candles are lit by those who are literally requesting for some kind of divine intervention for a specific want or wish in their earthly life. Many believers hope that they will be favored for such wishes for material things such as wealth, health, family unity, a win in the lottery, a good husband or wife, and even to pass school exams. This cathedral may have already cataloged such wishes as they have actually prepared specific prayers for such specific purposes which the petitioners attach to the burning votive candles. As to the purpose of having specific number of candles being lighted/burned (i.e. why two or three candles), it remains a puzzle for me. For birthday offerings, they've color-coded the birth months which is somewhat strange but one which I find really practical.

After a visit to the Cathedral, one can actually take an easy walk through some of the main city streets and experience a combination of city-life in a somewhat rural setting, i.e. less busy streets, lots of stores but a bit of narrow sidewalks. 

In these streets, one can find a popular bake shop known for its delicious San Rival cake (and other baked products). The place is called "Si Christina Gateau San Rival." It is located at a roundabout in the San Pablo Plaza just a few meters away from the Cathedral gates. 

And then there's the "Tatay Sedo's Homemade Ice cream." When we got to the place though, we were told that Tatay Sedo has already passed away some five years ago but that the place is now being run/managed by his children, and continues to sell their ice cream using Tatay Sedo's old original recipe. It's a bit of a drive to the place from the Cathedral but it's worth it. 

Both places can easily be located via Google Maps. On the way to these places though, be on the look-out for some street-side vendors who are selling some other delicious eats, one of which we discovered by accident on the way to Tatay Sedo's ice cream place. We found a roadside vendor selling very tasty and delicious ready-to-eat and to-go Palabok at a bargain price!  

Surely, there are more to discover in the City of San Pablo. You may want to consider it in your next road-trip. 

Thanks for dropping by and will appreciate your feedback and comments.

Watch out for Part Three where I talk about the lakes (at least the two most famous of the 7 Lakes) in San Pablo.

Chito_I

06.28.2022

(Except for the inset photo of the old Ateneo de San Pablo, all photos were taken by me and are copyrighted).