The Spousal of Mary & Joseph Chapel doesn’t seem a very accurate name because it is more like a small church instead of a big chapel.
Located within the ground of Club Balai Isabel, it is a favorite venue for people ending week-long retreats at the resort. During our stay, there was a retreat being conducted. And since it was the last day, we were fortunate to have an Arch-Bishop and two priests concelebrating the mass on Sunday.
Table of Contents
Background
Interior
One interesting thing to note is that stones found on the property are supposed to be remains of a 17th century church from either the towns of Sala or Tanauan.
The older citizens of Talisay say that a bell tower used to be located in the very spot where a marker was erected.
The nice thing is that Club Balai Isabel will work with people to try and discover and preserve what remains.
Exterior
Exterior
The chapel itself is a fairly new structure made of wood and cement. The front part is cement and decorated with faux columns.
I’m not sure if they will be painting the front. But if they do, I hope that it is either going to be white or some other color that will complement the white and natural brown of the interior.
Accompanying the single bell tower is a four-level fountain.
When my wife and I visited the church, I wasn’t sure if it was finished because the water was switched off. But when the mass started, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was working.
Interior
Altar
Once you enter the newly constructed church, you will notice the interior has high white ceilings and a natural wooden finish on its walls and pews.
Many of the chapels and churches I have visited feature pews in their natural wooden finish. However, for some strange reason, the natural wood finish of the walls are usually painted with some off-white color. This ends up concealing the beauty of the wood.
Host
Thankfully, the builders of this chapel exercised a lot or restraint. Instead of painting the walls, they allowed the warmth of the wood to add to the chapel’s solemnness.
Moving forward, the altar was also done in wood with a huge rock forming the base of the table. It was quite a sight to behold.
The Tabernacle is constructed out of metal and its silver color stands in perfect contrast to all the wood around it. To the left is a hanging candle holder, which is a nice touch.
Dancing Bird
Dancing Bird
After the mass was done and all the people gone, the fountain was again switched off. Too bad though, as I wasn’t able to get a picture of it running.
I guess with all the people gone, a brown male bird could not resist the inviting waters so he floated down to frolic in the fountain. He enjoyed himself so much I had trouble taking his picture as he danced about. It was only when I took three steps forward that he noticed me and quickly flew away.
Final Thoughts
Pews
The Spousal of Mary & Joseph Chapel was a surprise for me as I wasn’t expecting it inside Club Balai Isabel. This is actually the first resort I have come across to have something like this.
But what was an even bigger surprise is that the chapel is more the size of a small church than a large chapel.
Till the next time, keep your camera batteries fully charged and your memory free because you may need them for the next place you visit!
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