Previous
Next

The Culture & Heritage Unit of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI-CHU) held the fourth installment of the Casa Gorordo Museum (CGM) Talk last July 20 with a lecture by Rev. Fr. Brian C. Brigoli on “Reading a Church: On the Theology of Ecclesiastical Design and Architecture.”

“Churches are the best examples of curated edifices… and Catholics never fear using signs and symbols even in the places they worship,” Fr. Brigoli, head of the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission on the Cultural Heritage of the Church, said when he opened his lecture.

“Church architecture and design affect the way man worships; the way he worships affects what he believes, and what he believes affects not only his personal relationship with God but how he conducts himself in his daily life,” Fr. Brigoli reiterated throughout the lecture.

The lecture covered the historical development of church buildings, citing examples of local churches with such influences, and the natural laws, elements and general plan of church architecture. It is said to be a prelude to the subject on church conservation.

Fr. Brigoli summarized, “The style of the church should be marked by noble simplicity; it should be dignified, evincing a noble beauty, not mere costly display, and it should stand as a sign and symbol of heavenly realities.”

The Culture & Heritage Unit of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI-CHU) through its three flagship programs — Casa Gorordo Museum, Research & Publications, and Gabii sa Kabilin — aims to develop a strong sense of cultural identity among local communities by promoting awareness of their heritage and enabling them to articulate their story.