The Church Exterior

Driving south along Regalado Avenue, one is welcomed by the sight of a magnificent structure, made of white-washed concrete topped by green galvanized iron roofing. Resembling a huge box with uneven sides, its exquisite form is bounded by a geometrical triangle with the base corners cut off vertically. From the exterior, this dramatically shaped building cuts striking profiles that tests our preconceived notions of ideal churches and temples.

The church is easily visible as it is the only structure in that edge of Fairview subdivision. It is surrounded by tall trees, flowering plants and wild bushes. Thus, at dawn or sunset, its silhouette is dramatic. The church, the sun and the trees make a perfect balance, as in the Japanese Ikebana tradition, comprising the elements heaven, earth and man. At night, the scenario is even more impressive. The neon lights of the huge cross above the church appear to float in air, as if trying to reach to the moon and the stars. It is a fitting symbol of Jesus’ resurrection and man’s desire to be with God.

The Cathedral Shrine and Parish of the Good Shepherd, while appealing to our aesthetic sense, expresses the hope and manifestations of a living community’s religious life. For the parishioners, it is the integration of an attempt to make a vertical path to God and to continue their horizontal journey towards other men. This is achieved through numerous seminars, retreats and recollections which the church offers such as the Parish Renewal Experience, the Corinthian Youth Movement, the Cursillo, the Catholic Family Movement, the Catholic Life in the Spirit Seminar and others.

Another striking feature of the church exterior is the presence of cylindrical tubes that are arranged in a horizontal row (each cylindrical tube, measuring one meter in diameter, is about five inches thick and seven meters long), resembling the pipes of the bamboo organ in Las Piñas. These serve as canopies over the three entrances of the church: the canopy over the main entrance has ten cylindrical tubes and sixteen over the two side entrances. Aesthetically, these serve to break the monotony of straight lines that dominate the exterior of the church.

Along Omega Street, the beholder can view the back side of the church which posseses a dramatic arrangement of the stained glass windows and the towering white cross. These are best appreciated when the interior church lights are on in the evenings. In effect, the figures from the stained glass windows appear to reach out to the beholder and radiate an array of color on the beautiful garden that surrounds the cross. It accords a depiction of God’s oneness with nature and spiritual communication with the people. With this impressive panorama, the church proclaims the message that God is alive and He lives among them.

The garden that surrounds the church diminishes the severity of its massed exterior. A tropical ambience is created by this garden of bromeliads, rare orchids and anthuriums. The interplay of the plants’ shapes and colors not only exhibit their natural and inherent beauty but also showcases God’s creation. In this environment, one becomes acutely aware that the world is indeed hand-made by the Lord. The location of the church, although isolated is advantageous.