Visita Iglesia in UK: Canterbury Cathedral

CANTERBURY, United Kingdom — From Maundy Thursday to Good Friday, the Visita Iglesia (literally meaning “visit church” in Spanish) has been a well-known Holy Week tradition among Catholic Filipinos. 

The Visita Iglesia is a pilgrimage tour of at least seven churches to remember Jesus Christ’s suffering and death by praying to the 14 Stations of the Cross. 

In England, one of the most popular pilgrimage sites is Canterbury City's Canterbury Cathedral, the famous landmark from the Middle Ages immortalized in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales.”

Originally built by the Romans and founded in 597 A.D., Canterbury Cathedral is the headquarters of the Church of England and Anglican Communion, famous for its Gothic and Romanesque architecture and stained-glass windows containing images of some of England’s most popular personalities, including King Henry VIII. 

Apart from having the remains and graves of some of England’s monarchs, the cathedral is known for its “Disney”-looking windows by 20th-century Hungarian artist Ervin Bossanyi, as well as giant orb ornament said to be J.K. Rowling’s inspiration for Quidditch in “Harry Potter.” In fact, the entire cathedral itself is reportedly among Rowling's inspirations for Hogwarts!

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