When in New York City: St. Patrick's Cathedral, a Visita Iglesia stop in the Big Apple

So what is it really? Seven? Thirteen? Fourteen? How many churches do we really need to visit today, the fifth day of Holy Week, aka Maundy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Holy Thursday, Great & Holy Thursday, or Thursday of Mysteries? This particular day has so many names!

The observance of the sacrifice of Jesus for humanity is the holiest in the Christian calendar. Since the day He was nailed on the cross and saved the world, man has committed unaccountable sins anew. The church takes over and assigns a corresponding penance to the sinners as they take their turn in the confessional box.

In the confessional: "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was ________ (fill in the blank)."

For penance, depending on the gravity of the sin, one Our Father and one Hail Mary will do, more if sins are graver. Some devotees self-medicate, taking penance to the extremes—flagellation and reenacting the crucifixion. Perhaps it's stocking up forgiveness for future sins.

To some, the Way of the Cross is a devotion. The spiritual route started in the fourth century to commemorate the Passion of the Christ in Jerusalem, the seven-stationed Via Dolorosa.

The pilgrimage to the Via Dolorosa in the Old City of Jerusalem is not possible for all. It was also deemed not as important as the other spiritual pilgrimages. Perhaps this was the reason why the stational service was introduced and established in the West in the 18th century. It soon included the crucifixion scenes, thus doubling the number of stations. Consequently, the number of churches to be visited on Maundy Thursday of the Holy Week was rooted in this Catholic devotion. 

Seven or fourteen church visits—it's all up to the devotee. I've prayed before the 14 images along the Stations of the Cross and visited seven churches, oftentimes 13 when I tag along with Davao friends, every Maundy Thursday; it's good to be enlightened as to where and how these numbers came about.

But do the numbers really matter? If you believe one church is good, then go for it, most especially if you find yourself in a foreign land on this holy day.

If you find yourself in New York City and want your personal devotion to remain unbroken, then you should be heading to the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of the city, the Cathedral of Saint Patrick, aka St. Patrick's Cathedral, in midtown Manhattan. Declared in 1976 as a National Historic Landmark, the cathedral is also a Big Apple attraction.

This Gothic cathedral designed by architect James Renwick was completed in 1878, twenty years after it began construction. The cathedral was the realized vision of Rev. John Hughes. The old-world design of this ecclesiastical structure stands uniquely contrasting against the modern box-type architectural skyline of the Big Apple.

If the magnificently designed exterior puts you in awe, the sight of the interiors will give you the goosebumps. This house of veneration is filled with works by great artisans—the great rose window by a renowned American artist; Tiffany & Co. designed the altars; a larger replica of the Pieta by an equally as talented Italian sculptor; and many more. Once you've snapped out of your “like I'm inside the museum reverie,” proceed to what you came in for—walk the Way of the Cross.

Going through the cathedral’s three-dimensional depiction of the Passion of the Christ, one can't help but admire the magnificent artistry of all fourteen stations. In the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, the judges awarded the blue ribbon for artistry to the cathedral’s sculptural rendition of the Station of the Cross.

This single church visit will do, indeed. It’s a special one; you get to remember it for a lifetime.