THE chapel of 100 walls at the SM Seaside Complex was consecrated as the Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod last Thursday.

Calungsod was a catechist, who went with Jesuit missionaries and Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores to Guam. They were both killed there by natives on April 2, 1672. Calungsod was beatified in March 2000 and was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI last month.

“The organization of the walls especially inside the chapel invites people to wonder on the divine. There are 14 sunken gardens, each communicating one Station of the Cross,” Carlos Arnaiz, the chapel’s architect, told Sun.Star Cebu.

Symbol

“The design symbolizes a person’s search for a higher level of spirituality, of a higher being,” he said.

Each wall is unique, just as every person’s journey to God is different, he said.

The chapel’s general design is inspired by Cebuano products, particularly its contribution to the furniture and textile industries.

Arnaiz said the chapel’s minimalist design is a mix of traditional and modern, evoking a sense “that God appears to us in a sense of mystery.”

The 4,000-square-meter building is estimated to cost P160 million. It lies on reclaimed land at the South Road Properties.

The architect said 30 percent of the cost went to underground work. “You can say that the building is built on stilts,” Arnaiz said.

Holding area

The chapel was the holding area for celebrants of last Friday’s national thanksgiving mass for the canonization of Calungsod.

“We celebrate God’s love especially with this church,” said Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma in his homily during the chapel’s consecration.

Palma thanked the Sy family, who was represented by Hans Sy and his mother Felicidad, for building the chapel at their SM Seaside Complex.

During the appreciation dinner last Thursday night, Hans said the chapel’s design reflects the art, craft work and innovation of Cebuanos.

“With the changes happening in the world, we find our strength in prayers,” he added.